# University of Wisconsin Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women's Health (BIRCWH) Scholars Program

> **NIH NIH K12** · UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON · 2022 · $165,537

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
The UW BIRCWH program prioritizes equity in our training program, the scientific workforce, and all scientific
pursuits. Our programexists in a state, Wisconsin, that has below-average health outcomes (33rd) reflecting wide
health disparities underpinned by bias related to race, gender, disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity, age,
position, educational attainment or other observable or assumed characteristics. Wisconsin ranks 40th in cultural
diversity, making diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEIA) a high UW BIRCWH priority.
One-fifth of Americans, yet only 1% of physicians, have a disability. In this application, we advance a promising
faculty member in the UW School of Medicine and Public Health Department of Pediatrics, Krisjon Olson, PhD,
as a 4th UW BIRCWH scholar. Throughout her career, Dr. Olson has navigated the difficult landscape of
living and working with a disability related to cerebral palsy. Dr. Olson is a medical anthropologist,
specialized in childhood, uniquely positioned to study feedback loops between the hospital environment, family
composition, and illness trajectories to test the impact of sex disparities in congenital heart disease. Research
has shown that gender norms significantly contribute to differences in women’s health, without understanding
the impact on children. Dr. Olson is poised to advance the ORWH priority of gender differences research along
the lifecourse. Dr. Olson brings the unique and important perspective of her disability to her research every day.
Dr. Olson’s career development plan will include extending her prior training in the anthropology of childhood
and disability studies by building skills in clinical research, health related quality of life assessment, gender
differences research, and health services outcomes measurement. Her mentorship team includes Bernadette
Gillick, PhD, MSPT, PT (primary mentor) an Associate Professor in the Department of Pediatrics who won the
2021 Mentorship Award fromthe American Academy of Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine andMarcia
Carlson, PhD (interdisciplinary mentor) Professor of Sociology who studies the associations between family
context and the well-being of parents and children. Two nationally recognized clinicians, Ryan Coller, MD,MPH,
and Pelin Cengiz, MD will also support Dr. Olson in her research and career development.
By supporting Dr. Olson, this supplement will enable the UW BIRCWH program to continue to fulfill its primary
mission to a) identify/prepare committed and capable scholars; b) expand scholar knowledge of women’s health
and sex/gender research; c) enhance fundamental research skills; and d) foster independent research careers.
This support of Dr. Olson will also advance our DEIA-infused approach to training and processes that attend to
both the diversity of scholars and the development of climate and culture so that all have a chance to succeed
and drive the future of women’s health and se...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10669991
- **Project number:** 3K12HD101368-03S1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON
- **Principal Investigator:** ELIZABETH S BURNSIDE
- **Activity code:** K12 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $165,537
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2020-06-01 → 2024-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10669991

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10669991, University of Wisconsin Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women's Health (BIRCWH) Scholars Program (3K12HD101368-03S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-01 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10669991. Licensed CC0.

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