Explore Obstetrics & Gynecology Endometriosis
What Is Endometriosis?
Endometriosis is a chronic, inflammatory uterine disease that causes severe pain both in the uterus and throughout the body. It affects 10 percent of women who are of reproductive age. It can take years to diagnose, and treatment can be challenging to access.
Coming Together to Fight Endometriosis
UConn Health and The Jackson Laboratory are leading the nation in endometriosis care and research.
In 2022, Connecticut passed a historic bill to create a state-wide endometriosis research program, including a first-of-its-kind endometriosis data and biorepository program. The program is located at The Jackson Laboratory and managed in coordination with UConn Health.
Danielle Luciano, MD, interim chair of the Obstetrics and Gynecology Department and director of Minimally Invasive Gynecological Surgery at UConn Health, and Elise Courtois, PhD, an endometriosis researcher and director of Single Cell Biology at The Jackson Laboratory, continue this important partnership to increase awareness of endometriosis and expand access to care. This group’s priorities include creating and maintaining the endometriosis data and biorepository program, facilitating endometriosis education training for healthcare providers and school nurses, and raising awareness of the disease.
EndoRISE Website Increases Understanding
Last year, during Endometriosis Awareness Month, the state’s EndoRISE Program, co-directed by Luciano and Courtois, launched a new website aimed at revolutionizing our understanding and treatment of endometriosis. The website provides patients, providers, and researchers information about the program, ways to get involved in of research and advocacy and learning.
Ending Endometriosis
JAX’s Elise Courtois and UConn Health’s Danielle Luciano have joined forces with Connecticut State Representative Jillian Gilchrest and the Connecticut Endometriosis Working Group to spread awareness about endometriosis, an often-debilitating condition that affects roughly 10% of all individuals assigned female at birth. The group has established a state-wide biorepository in Connecticut, the first public, multi-institutional biorepository of its kind, which will increase accessibility to samples for researchers as well as diversify the sampling population. Hear directly from patients and learn more about how this team is making a difference in Connecticut and beyond in our new video.