Polycystic ovary syndrome, microbiomics and why you should be a little selfish with your time

Abstract

Interview by Rona WilliamsonRicardo Azziz, MD, MPH, MBA, is Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology (Ob/Gyn), Medicine and Medical Humanities, and President, at Georgia Regents University and CEO of the Georgia Regents Health System, Augusta, GA, USA. Georgia Regents University is one of Georgia’s four public comprehensive research universities, with recognized strengths in the health sciences, and including the state’s only academic health center. Formerly, Dr. Azziz served as Deputy Director for the Clinical and Translational Sciences Institute, Assistant Dean for Clinical and Translational Sciences, Vice-Chair of the Department of Ob/Gyn and co-Director of the Reproductive Endocrinology Fellowship Training Program at UCLA; and Director of the Center for Androgen-Related Disorders and Chair, Department of Ob/Gyn at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA. Dr. Azziz is an internationally recognized authority on androgen excess (disorders related to excess male hormones) in women, having published over 400 original peer-reviewed articles, book chapters and reviews. He has been funded by the NIH, among other entities, for his research for more than 25 years. Dr. Azziz’s laboratory has contributed significantly to the field of androgen excess research. This has included: establishing the populational prevalences and economic impact of the polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), the single most common form of androgen excess, idiopathic hirsutism and nonclassic adrenal hyperplasia, the most common form of an inherited defect of adrenal function in man; determining the familial risk for PCOS and elucidating some of the candidate genes that play a role in the disorder; identifying many of the molecular, genetic and physiologic mechanism(s) resulting in adrenal androgen excess in PCOS; and beginning to identify the unique defects in the molecular action of fat tissue in PCOS. In 2000, he received the President’s Achievement Award of the Society for Gynecologic Investigation for his research, and in that same year, he founded the Androgen Excess and PCOS Society, the only worldwide organization dedicated to promoting education and research in these disorders, where he currently serves as Senior Executive Director. His passion and focus for improving the care of women affected by reproductive endocrine disorders, and in particular androgen excess, has been recognized widely, including being named as one of, ‘America’s Top Doctors’ (Castle Connolly Medical Ltd, New York, NY, USA) from 2001 to present, and being recognized by various other lay press and patient-focused venues. Dr. Azziz’ musings on leadership, academics and healthcare can be seen at his blog site ‘Sculpting in Clay’ and now the Huffington Post .