How the Corporate Partners Participate in the Partnership

Each corporation chooses a scientific/health area of particular interest: For example, Procter & Gamble has chosen bone, Kellogg nutrition and Pfizer drug metabolism. The corporation's own scientists join with Partnership scholars in a unique scientific committee whose first task is to build the GenCite® database in the specific area of interest. When the segment is finished, the committee authors a position paper which does three things: It lists the most important gender differences documented in that segment of GenCite®; identifies the most productive scientists working with gender as an important variable in the field; and summarizes the most important and provocative new questions raised by a consideration of the newly gathered information.

When the position paper is complete, the scientific committee collaborates with Partnership staff and scholars at Columbia University and at other universities to develop unique educational programs and vehicles to spread the new knowledge.

Finally, the scientific committee issues a request for proposals to scientists throughout the world to address the questions it believes are most important as a result of its deliberation. When these proposals come in, the supporting corporation has a 90-day period in which to decide which proposal(s) it will fund. At the conclusion of that time, the research grants are publicized to all participating corporations for consideration. All sponsored research will be subject to usual and customary procedures regarding intellectual property, royalties and patents.

The Academic Partners

Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, home to the Partnership, brings to the group a dedicated leadership team and Columbia's community of scholar-researchers who are experts in various aspects of women's health.

Marianne J. Legato, M.D., is Founder and Director of the Partnership.

John P. Bilezikian, M.D., Professor of Medicine and Professor of Pharmacology, Columbia University, is an associate director of the Partnership;

Michael Rosen, M.D., Gustavus A. Pfeiffer Professor of Pharmacology and Professor of Pediatrics, Columbia University, is an associate director of the Partnership.

Other Academic Associates

Columbia will serve as a gateway to a broader Partnership network of scholars around the world. The Partnership is proud to be associated with the following scholars at other academic institutions.

• Dr. James Hill, Professor of Pediatrics; Director, Clinical Research Unit, Center for Human Nutrition, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, Colorado
  Work for Partnership: Chair of the scientific committee on GenCite® segment on nutrition in partnership with the Kellogg Corporation.
• Mary Walshok, Dean of Continuing Medical Education at the University of California San Diego
  Work for Partnership: Continuing medical education consultant.
• Dr. Edward Twardy, Dean and Executive Officer for University Marketing, University of Vermont at Burlington
  Work for Partnership: Developing educational tools for Partnership program.
• Dr. Philip Sarrel, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Professor of Psychiatry, Yale University College of Medicine
  Work for Partnership: Principal obstetrics/gynecology consultant/advisor.
• Dr. Herbert Benson, Associate Professor of Medicine; Chief, Division of Behavioral Medicine; Director of Mind Body Medical Institute, Harvard Medical School
  Work for Partnership: Consultant on mind/body medicine.

Finally, the Partnership is fundamentally committed to collaboration with other leading women's health organizations.