Five new members have been appointed to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Advisory Committee on Research on Women's Health (ACRWH), which held its semiannual meeting recently in Bethesda, Maryland. The new members are: Ronald Gibbs, M.D., Chairman of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Colorado; Scott J. Hultgren, Ph.D., Helen L. Stoever Professor of Molecular Microbiology, Washington University School of Medicine; Mary Beth O'Connell, PHARM.D, BCPS, Associate Professor in the Pharmacy Practice Department at the Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Wayne State University; Mary I. O'Connor, M.D., Chair of the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida; and Sally Rosen, M.D., Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Temple University School of Medicine and Director, Center for Women's Health Research, Leadership and Advocacy, Temple University.

The NIH Revitalization Act of 1993 charges the Advisory Committee with advising the Director of the Office of Research on Women's Health on appropriate research activities to be undertaken by the national research institutes with respect to women's health research and recommendations regarding the inclusion of women in clinical trials and opportunities for women in biomedical careers. The committee is composed of up to 18 members who are appointed by the NIH Director.

Dr. Gibbs brings to the ACRWH extensive knowledge in obstetric and gynecologic infections and high risk pregnancies. He is the co-author of the standard text in the field, "Infectious Diseases of the Female Genital Tract", as well as many peer-reviewed articles and book chapters. He has provided extensive service to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and has been a mentor for students, residents, fellows and faculty.
Dr. Hultgren's major interests have been in elucidating the molecular details of host-pathogen interactions that occur during urinary tract infections caused by E. coli. He is a recognized authority on issues relating to the structure and function of adhesive fibers that play critical and unexpected roles in host-pathogen interactions. Dr. Hultgren is the Center Director of the Washington University Specialized Center of Research (SCOR) on Sex and Gender Factors Affecting Women's Health, which studies the molecular and epidemiologic basis of acute and recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs) in women. In addition to multiple honors, including a Nobel Fellowship, Dr. Hultgren was recently selected as Course Master-of-the Year at Washington University in honor of his dedication to teaching.

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