Introduction

Is it a man, or a woman?
Gender is a complex and topical issue, both biologically and socially.In 2000, the Institute of Medicine published a report entitled: “Exploring the Biological Contributions to Human Health: Does Sex Matter?”. It emphasized the following critical questions:

• How can information on sex differences be translated into preventive, diagnostic and therapeutic practice?


• How can the new knowledge about and understanding of biological sex differences and similarities most effectively be used to positively affect patient outcomes and improve health and health care?

• Sex matters

• The study of sex differences is evolving into a mature science

Barriers to the advancement of knowledge about sex differences in health and illness exist and must be eliminated.Understanding the biological bases of gender has a critical influence on gender politics, whether it is access of women to health care or social welfare of the gay, lesbian and transgender communities.  Many leaders in the fields of sex differences, sex determination and gender biology perform basic research at UCLA. A Gender Center would synergize existing expertise at UCLA and promote a novel way to think about, teach and practice modern science and medicine.

Mission Statement
The Gender Center is dedicated to discover the biological mechanisms of sex differences in health and disease.

Services

The Center provides a space where scientists can meet and work together on specific, cutting-edge aspects of gender biology, and translate these findings to the care of patients, and to the education of professionals, students and the general public. Research includes:

• Basic biology of gender/sexual development
• Psycho-sexual development
• Biology and health of sexual minorities
• Gender differences in immune disorders
• Gender differences in neuro-psychiatric disorders
• Gender-based pharmacogenomics
• Socio-cultural gender differences and effect on health care access
• Ethics, public policies on gender issues

The research series will study the etiology of gender differences in all aspects of health, health care, social interactions and development. The specific fields above have been chosen because of the large body of expertise already present on campus.

Educational Resources

We have pioneered a cluster course: Sex: from Biology to Gendered Society, that addresses the following:

• Basic biological sex differences
• Biological bases of gender identity and sexual orientation
• Differences in risk factors, frequencies of disease
• Understanding differences in social and cultural responses to disease
• Inequalities in access to health care

• We plan to create a new course in medical school curriculum on gender-based medicine

We provide an educational reference and expertise center for health care professionals on gender-based health care and gender biology). We also aim to create public awareness of gender differences at all aforementioned levels.

Public Policy Resources
We provide a forum about the following issues:

• Ethical issues in gender-based medicine and gender discrimination
• Policy for access to Health Care
• Formulate guidelines to incorporate gender differences in standard health care practices
• Formulate policy guidelines on sexual identity, gender identity, intersex

Patient Resources
We provide the following services to patients at UCLA Medical Center:

• Coordinating clinical trials involving gender-based protocols

• Clinic for intersex and transgender patient

Expertise
UCLA is in a unique position to host the center. The academic expertise is already present and the scientific environment is outstanding. Most of the investigators involved in gender research at UCLA are federally funded, denoting the highest level of productivity and expertise.Resource Sharing and Society benefits The Center will provide access to recent scientific advancements from the center and its collaborators, providing a space for interested individuals to browse the profiles and accomplishments of specialists in various fields dedicated to the Center’s mission and endeavor. The accessibility of the Center through a web-based forum will allow individuals of any demographic with Internet access, to become familiar with the scientific discourse on gender biology, gender identity and sexual orientation and provide them with the opportunity to open up dialogue via an on-line forum. Web technologies will also allow data and resource sharing between professionals. In the era of genomics, the study of genetic information requires world-class bioinformatics technology, which is already a strength at UCLA, and which will be developed further at the Center.

The Center will also organize a yearly meeting focused on various scientific perspectives on gender. The meeting will be targeted in part to professionals, but also to the general public.Traditional Research FundingThe main source of funding for scientific research has traditionally been federal, e.g., the National Institute of Health (NIH) or the National Science Foundation (NSF). However, tremendous political pressure has been placed on research dealing with gender and sexuality, and the current climate is not favorable to the funding of gender-related issues. In addition, there has been a dramatic reduction of the financing of federal agencies, making the funding of research on gender even less likely.

Societal questions
The Center will explore the societal questions posed by our genetic research. 
What is the respective influence of biology and environment, on sex differences? Should scientific knowledge about sexual orientation influence societal attitudes toward sexual minorities? Should it be taken into consideration when laws about the right to marry are being proposed? Does research on the determinants of sexual behavior increase the risk of providing tools for selective abortions, or modifying the sexual orientation of individuals? Should such research, that may result in the prediction of human behavior –in particular sexual behavior- be avoided by scientists? What is the role of the scientists in the utilization of the knowledge they generate?

All these questions will be addressed as part of our general reflection. The social impact of our research on sexual preference in humans is tremendous and requires a thoughtful examination.