In the NYU Women’s Health Study, we research the causes of cancer and other chronic diseases in women in order to identify potential prevention strategies. For more than 30 years, in one of the longest-running studies of its kind, we have investigated the role of hormones, diet, and other factors in the development of the most common cancers in women, especially breast cancer, as well as other chronic conditions.

Between 1985 and 1991, we enrolled 14,274 participants. At the time of enrollment, each woman donated a blood sample and completed a questionnaire about her health conditions, reproductive history, and diet, exercise, and lifestyle habits. Blood samples were stored in −80 degree Celsius freezers for subsequent laboratory analyses. Every few years, we send participants questionnaires and ask them to update their information. We combine the data from blood measurements and questionnaires with disease outcomes reported subsequently to explore differences between women who develop disease and those who remain disease-free. We reported that women with high levels of circulating estrogens after menopause have a higher risk of breast cancer than women with low levels. These results, which were confirmed by other studies in subsequent years, underscore the importance for women to maintain a healthy weight as they age, since the main source of estrogens in postmenopausal women is the conversion of androgens to estrogens in fat tissue.

In our current research, we are investigating the relationship between anti-Müllerian hormone and breast cancer risk, how neighborhood walkability affects women’s health, and the use of cutting-edge techniques to measure proteins and metabolism-related markers to refine our understanding of cancer risk factors.

The National Cancer Institute is the primary funder of the NYU Women’s Health Study, an initiative of NYU Langone’s Division of Epidemiology. In addition, we have received funding for specific projects from the American Cancer Association, the American Heart Association, the U.S. Department of Defense, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, and the Susan G. Komen Foundation.

Contact Us

For more information about the NYU Women’s Health Study, please call us toll-free at 866-698-0261 or email nyuwhs@nyulangone.org.