Congratulations are in order! The NIH Office of Research on Women’s Health (ORWH) recently awarded Mayte Restrepo, Ph.D., M.P.H., M.A., the 2024 Science Policy Scholar Travel Award. The annual award supports the development of a junior investigator who is focused on women’s health or sex and gender differences and is also interested in research policy. Dr. Restrepo will receive $6,000 to help defray the cost of attending the Organization for the Study of Sex Differences (OSSD) Annual Meeting on May 6–9, 2024 in Bergen, Norway. The meeting will provide Dr. Restrepo with the unique opportunity to network with leading scientists and clinicians who specialize in advancing sex and gender inclusion and policy.  

Dr. Restrepo is an assistant professor in the Department of Public Health Sciences at the University of Connecticut Health Center. She holds a Ph.D. in public health, an M.P.H., and an M.A. in international studies with an emphasis in Latin America. The focus of Dr. Restrepo’s research is promotion of youth’s and women’s mental health and well-being. Her research is grounded in her experience as an immigrant from Colombia, which has been heavily impacted by armed conflict. At the global level, Dr. Restrepo’s research examines the associated impact of armed conflict violence in women’s lives. At the local level, her research examines the disparities in exposure to adverse childhood experiences and associated mental health outcomes based on gender, race and ethnicity, and sexual orientation in Connecticut.  

During the OSSD Annual meeting, Dr. Restrepo will present on “Armed Conflict and Women’s Intimate Partner Violence Risk in Colombia” alongside Diana Padilla, Ph.D.