Loretta Mayer, Ph.D., Assistant Research Professor, 
Northern Arizona University, Department of Biological Sciences

The Women’s Health Initiative has called into question current practices on hormone replacement therapy for post-menopausal women. Clearly there are many questions still to be answered regarding long-term management of the physiological and pathological changes associated with menopause.  Animal models that more closely mimic the hormonal and physiological state of the ovary-intact, follicle deplete (i.e. menopausal) human female would greatly facilitate these studies.

Dr. Mayer, in copllaboration with Dr. Patricia Hoyer at the University of Arizona where the mouse model was characterized, is continuing to develop the model to use in studying diseases associated with increased incidence in postmenopausal women including heart disease, osteoporosis, Alzheimer’s, ovarian cancer and depression. Dr. Mayer’s research interest is in applying this model to help understand the increased incidence in cardiovascular disease in post-menopausal women. Of particular interest at this time is the contribution of insulin resistance to cardiovascular disease and more specifically on the role of peri and postmenopausal ovarian androgen production which may further increase insulin resistance.

The Physiology Lab of
Loretta P. Mayer, Ph.D.