research lab
V.E.R.I.T.A.S.: Voices in Empowerment, Research, and Innovation to Transform Advancement in Science.
Science in service of the women who power healthcare.
The V.E.R.I.T.A.S. Research Lab produces original research on the workforce conditions, institutional barriers, and systemic inequities that shape women's careers in medicine. We don't study these issues to describe them. We study them to change them.
Our research gives healthcare institutions, policymakers, and organizational leaders the evidence they need to move from good intentions to structural action. When the data is credible and the findings are clear, change becomes harder to defer.
V.E.R.I.T.A.S. research informs the programming WIM delivers, the partnerships we build, and the case we make in boardrooms, at national convenings, and in the institutions where women in medicine spend their careers.
Who Powers the Lab
The Lab is run almost entirely by volunteer medical students, dozens of them, working across the country, who join us to gain hands-on research experience and the publication credit that gives them a real edge in the residency match.
Interested in getting involved with our Lab? Contact us to learn how.
Why this matters
Published research signals to residency programs that a student can think critically and see a project through to completion, and in competitive specialties it can be the difference between two similarly qualified applicants. It also gives students something concrete to speak to in interviews and builds mentorship relationships that shape strong letters of recommendation. Their work is guided by dedicated volunteer physician directors who mentor them through every stage of the research process, from study design to publication.
Every study the Lab has produced has been built this way, by students and physicians volunteering their time because they believe the work matters. With the right funding, WIM can bring on additional dedicated leadership and give our students access to even more ambitious, field changing projects, expanding what this Lab is able to prove and change.
We don't just document the problem. We build the case for change.
NIH R01 Grant in Collaboration with University of Chicago and the University of Illinois at Chicago
iACTIVATE: Investigators Advancing via Coaching at the Transition to Independence: A Value-Adding Team Experience
The iACTIVATE program, based on the Women in Medicine® (WIM) Leadership Accelerator, is a transformative initiative focused on advancing mid-career investigators as they transition to independence.
This program directly addresses persistent inequities in the biomedical sciences, which have been further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, disproportionately affecting female, minority, and early-career researchers.
Grounded in principles of social cognitive career theory, iACTIVATE combines individual and group coaching with tailored feedback to enhance self-awareness, motivation, and career advancement.
This randomized controlled trial evaluates key outcomes such as self-efficacy, research productivity, and professional growth for researchers with K-level or equivalent awards who identify as female or nonbinary, with an emphasis on diversity and inclusion.
The program's scalable design includes a train-the-coach guide & toolkit to enable broader implementation across institutions.
By supporting resilience and productivity among underrepresented scientists, iACTIVATE paves the way for a more equitable and innovative biomedical research workforce, meeting the diverse health needs of our nation.
Recent works published in:
