Who is WFRC?

The Women First Research Coalition (WFRC) advocates for the prioritization of the federal investment in women’s health research.
The Coalition and its members work together to raise awareness with federal policymakers, executive branch officials, and the public about the need for sustained and strengthened investment in women’s health research, the prioritization of research in conditions that are specific to women or those conditions that may present differently in women than men, to advance an equitable and appropriate investment in women’s health research that improves the health outcomes of women, and ensure an adequate women’s research workforce.

The purposes of WFRC are as follows:

  • Advocate for the increased federal investment in women’s health research, including for obstetrics and gynecology.
  • Support policies that ensure an adequate women’s health research workforce, including the participation of women in that workforce.
  • Educate federal policymakers and federal executive branch officials about the need for sustained and strengthened investment in women’s health research, as well as the prioritization of research in conditions that are specific to women or those conditions that may present differently in women than men, to improve the health outcomes of women.

Warner K. Huh

Warner K. Huh, MD, MSHA is Chair of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and holds the Charles E. Flowers, Jr. Endowed Chair in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). He is also Professor in the Department of Surgery and Professor in the Department of Epidemiology in the UAB School of Public Health. He was previously the Division Director of Gynecologic Oncology, Vice Chair of Gynecology, and Chief Medical Officer of the UAB Cancer Service Line/O’Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center. His research interests include screening and prevention of HPV related diseases as well as novel immunotherapeutic approaches for pre-invasive disease of the cervix as well as cervical cancer. He has authored or co-authored over 300 articles in journals including The New England Journal of Medicine, Lancet, Lancet Oncology, Journal of the National Cancer Institute Cancer, Clinical Cancer Research, Gynecologic Oncology, Obstetrics & Gynecology, and the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology (h-index: 70). Dr. Huh serves as co-PI (MPI) of the Johns Hopkins-UAB-University of Colorado Cervical Cancer Specialized Programs of Research Excellence (SPORE) program (2P50CA098252-06A1) – one of the most enduring SPORE programs in the NCI. Further, he is PI on a cervical cancer prevention R01 grant through the NCI (5R01CA279021). Dr. Huh serves as a Deputy Editor of Gynecologic Oncology and serves as an Associate Editor of The Journal of Lower Genital Tract Disease. He is on the steering committee for the ASCCP treatment guidelines and was co-chair of the ASCCP colposcopy standards effort. He is Past President of the Society of Gynecologic Oncology (SGO) and ASCCP. He is currently serves on the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ABOG) Division of Gynecologic Oncology. He recently completed the Executive Master of Science in Health Administration (MSHA) Program at UAB (2022-2024). He co-leads OPERATION WIPEOUT- the only state-based cervical cancer elimination effort in the United States.