About us
The goal of the Tulane Center of Excellence in Sex-Based Precision Medicine (CESPM), founded in 2021, is to address fundamental issues of sex differences in health and disease, and to rapidly translate sex-related research findings into novel strategies for the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of multiple conditions in Louisiana.
Our Mission
The Tulane Center of Excellence in Sex-Based Precision Medicine (CESPM) seeks to advance knowledge on how biological sex modifies biology, health, disease, and medicine.
Everything we know about the diagnosis and treatment of disease originates from studies conducted on male cells, male animal models, and men. Historically, medical science has assumed that male and female cells were biologically identical, and evidence-based medicine was defined by clinical trials performed predominantly in men. While scientists and clinicians have observed sex differences in diseases for years, and the United States (US) National Institutes of Health (NIH) mandated the inclusion of women in NIH-funded clinical trials, as well as the consideration of sex as a biological variable (SABV) in NIH-funded basic research, the scientific community has not yet fully addressed the issue. The TCESBM seeks to rectify this.
Center Research Interests
Sex as a Genetic Modifier of Biology and Medicine
Sex as a Genetic Modifier of Biology and Medicine
Sex-Based Biology & Medicine (SBM) is the study of differences between males and females in biology, health, disease, and medicine. It requires an understanding of the role of sex (biological constructs), and the role of gender (social constructs).
Diagnosis, Treatment and
Prevention of Disease
SBM is critical to the success of clinical care and translational science. Harnessing the biological forces that define disease manifestation and severity in one sex compared to the other will open research avenues to transform prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of disease. This will require an awareness by clinicians and researchers that the diseases they are treating, and studying are characterized by differences between women and men in epidemiology, pathophysiology, manifestations, progression, and response to treatment. SBM is a fundamental step towards precision medicine that will benefit both women and men.
CESPM News
