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Women's Health Research at Yale
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Meet Our Director

Carolyn M. Mazure, Ph.D.

Carolyn M. Mazure is the Norma Weinberg Spungen and Joan Lebson Bildner Professor in Women’s Health Research, and Professor of Psychiatry and Psychology. After three years at the National Institutes of Health and fellowship training at Yale, Dr. Mazure joined the Yale faculty — becoming an active clinician and NIH-funded researcher. She was the Director of Psychiatry’s Adult Inpatient Program at Yale-New Haven Hospital, and has held a variety of other leadership roles, including Associate Dean for Faculty at Yale School of Medicine, Scientific Director of NIH-funded SCOR(E) interdisciplinary research grants, and PI of NIH-funded junior faculty training grants.

She created Women’s Health Research at Yale, the university’s interdisciplinary research center on the health of women and the interplay of sex, gender, and health. The center studies a wide breadth of topics from cardiovascular disease to cancers. Since its inception in 1998, the center has been recognized as a national model for launching research, translating findings, sharing health information with the public and policymakers, and providing mentored training in interdisciplinary team science.

Her research contributions have focused on depression, the single greatest cause of disability for women in the U.S. and globally, including the sex-and-gender-specific relationship of stress to depression and co-occurring addictive behaviors (such as smoking, and opioid use and misuse). Current research targets the intersection of biological and social factors affecting the health of women, gender-specific strategies for promoting resilience, and health policies that serve to advance economic stability for women.

Dr. Mazure has served on the Advisory Committee for the NIH Office for Research on Women’s Health, provided testimony to the U.S. Congress on the health of women, served on the planning committee for the First White House Conference on Mental Health, and was a fellow for the U.S. Congress’ Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

She has been an invited speaker at diverse venues, such as NASA, the Smithsonian Institution, and the Sorbonne, and has been a featured expert on ABC’s “Prime Time Live” and in the BBC documentary “The Science of Stress.” Her edited books include “Does Stress Cause Psychiatric Illness?” and “Understanding Depression in Women: Applying Empirical Research to Practice and Policy.”

Her national honors include the Marion Spencer Fay Award from the Institute for Women’s Health and Leadership, the American Psychological Association Distinguished Leadership Award from the Committee on Women in Psychology, the Elizabeth Blackwell Award from the National Organization for Women, and a U.S. Public Health Fellowship. Additional honors include Yale’s Stephen Fleck Clinician and Teacher Award and the Sidney J. Blatt Award for Excellence in Clinical Care, Teaching, and Research.

In November 2023, President Joe Biden announced the launch of the first-ever White House Initiative on Women’s Health Research, led by first lady Jill Biden and the White House's Gender Policy Council and directed by Dr. Mazure.

Staff

  • Jessica Quistorff, MPH

    Senior Program Manager

    General inquiries, Operations, Giving inquiries

    Jessica arrived at WHRY in 2022 after working for four years at Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D.C., in the Developing Brain Institute as the Clinical Research Program Manager. Prior to that, she worked at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York while earning a master’s degree in public health from Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. At WHRY, Jessica works closely with the Director on strategic planning, development, special project coordination, staff supervision, and day-to-day operations of the center with an eye toward stability and growth.

  • Marco Mutonji

    Financial Analyst

    NIH Grants Administration, Financial Accounting

    Marco is a Certified Public Accountant who joined WHRY in 2014 with more than 10 years of experience in corporate and nonprofit settings. He earned his BA in accounting from Baruch College, has previously worked as a CPA, and performs a full range of accounting functions, including maintaining the financial and accounting records of Women's Health Research at Yale's various portfolios.


  • Sara Luciano

    Communications Officer

    Sara joined the WHRY team as Communications Officer in early 2024, bringing more than 15 years of experience in communications roles of increasing responsibility in both nonprofit and agency settings. Notably, Sara led media relations efforts for the dedication of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial on the National Mall in 2011 and authored Growing Up Rural in America during her time as Director of Media and Communications for U.S. Programs & Advocacy at Save the Children. At Save the Children, Sara served as an inaugural member of the organization’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council. At WHRY, Sara works closely with the Director and Senior Program Officer to inform audiences of the center’s work to change the landscape of medical and behavioral research, professional and personal practice, clinical education, and health policy to advance women’s health.

Hear from Our Director