interview with erin bennett: a female medic’s research on the menstrual cycle
Erin Bennett is a fourth-year medical student completing an external research project in which she is conducting invaluable investigations into the impacts of altitude on Heavy Menstrual Bleeding. I spoke to her, an exciting female scientist, who is doing the so-often-neglected work surrounding sex-specific medical issues and fighting taboos that exist even within the scientific community.
Saffron: What is Apex6, what are you doing and why?
Erin: APEX6 is an exciting and ambitious research expedition to Bolivia, South America in Summer 2020 led by six senior medical students of the University of Edinburgh. We will be conducting research into the effects of altitude and the subsequent hypoxia (low oxygen levels) on the human body. Our research not only has the potential to benefit future travellers to high-altitude, but also patients who are affected by hypoxia because of lung disease or critical illness at sea-level.
S: Why do you need volunteers?
E: We will be recruiting volunteers from across the student population of the University of Edinburgh. All of our research will be looking at the effects of altitude on human bodies – so we need you! The expedition will span 11 days (30th June – 10th July 2020).
S: What is the end goal of the expedition?
E: We hope for our research to make a meaningful and lasting impact, contributing to the relevant fields. We also hope that all our volunteers have an amazing time on our expedition and travelling the continent afterwards. As a volunteer on the last expedition, I speak from my own experience when I say that it’s an unforgettable experience.
S: What is your research about specifically?
E: My project during the expedition will be looking at the effects of altitude/hypoxia on menstrual bleeding. Working with a lab based in Edinburgh, I will be continuing their work that has shown local hypoxia (low oxygen) in the lining of the womb is required during menstruation to stop bleeding.
The implications of this project are potentially huge – heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB) is a common condition that effects 20-30% of women at a reproductive age1. It has a significant impact on their quality of life. Over 800 000 women seek medical help for HMB in the UK annually1. There are medical treatments available, but many women cannot tolerate them. 43% of women in the UK ended up opting for surgical intervention within a year of first attending the hospital for this condition.
Menstrual bleeding at altitude has never been looked at before and so I am very excited to be leading this project. Our hope is that the work done on APEX6 will contribute to elucidating further mechanisms involved in menstruation and eventually inform treatments for women living with HMB.
As a volunteer, the research is quite simple. It will involve filling in pictogram charts to represent blood loss, and in some cases, collecting of sanitary products to be analysed in a lab.
S: Did any difficulties arise due to the nature of your proposal?
E: When we were approached with this project, I have to admit even I was a little sceptical about what would be involved in studying women’s menstrual cycles. Turns out all we have to do is soak tampons in salt-water – not so gross after all. The group were all on board actually; someone else had considered looking at sperm which was received to be much more controversial. I was glad because it seemed so much easier to research ‘taboo’ subjects now than it used to be, because my group are all so understanding and mature. It was really promising to receive less complications than I expected.
S: And what are other leaders researching?
E: One project will look at the effects of altitude on volunteers’ sleep cycles, using actigraphy (very fancy watches), to monitor sleep pattern and body temperature. Another project is looking at night-vision and how the eye adapts to seeing in the dark.
Key dates:
Volunteer information evening: 17th October, 7pm at the Royal Medical Society.
Application open from 1st October to 1st November. If your application is successful you will be invited to an informal interview on 9th or 10th November.
Expedition date: 30th June to 10th July 2020.
Social Media:
Facebook: APEX – Altitude Physiology Expeditions
Instagram: apex6expedition
Website: https://www.altitude.org
References