Posts by Caroline M. Mitchell, MD, MPH
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Commentary: Transcending Language Barriers in Obstetrics and Gynecology
Physicians at Mass General Brigham remind their colleagues that the Affordable Care Act gives patients experiencing language barriers the right to a qualified medical interpreter or qualified bilingual staff, and they propose a framework for addressing language as a key factor in health equity.
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Innovative Research on Modifying Vaginal Microbiome to Treat Bacterial Vaginosis
The MOTIF clinical trial, led by Caroline Mitchell, MD, MPH, in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Massachusetts General Hospital, evaluates vaginal fluid transplantation as a preventive therapy for recurrent bacterial vaginosis.
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Inflammatory Vaginitis in Women on Long-Term Rituximab for Autoimmune Disorders
Caroline M. Mitchell, MD, director of the Vulvovaginal Disorders Program in the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, and colleagues have described refractory inflammatory vaginitis as a debilitating potential side effect of long-term B-cell depletion with rituximab.
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Review: Look Beyond Gonorrhea, Chlamydia as Causes of Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
Based on a recent review of the literature, Caroline Mitchell, MD, MPH, director of the Vulvovaginal Disorders Program, and colleagues say a more informed evaluation of the pathogens associated with pelvic inflammatory disease could improve diagnosis, better predict long-term sequelae and boost treatment success.
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Vaginal Microbiome May Not Differ Between Black, White Postmenopausal Women
Lactobacillus species, which appear to protect against HIV infection and cervical cancer, are similarly abundant in vaginal samples from Black and white postmenopausal women, according to a molecular study by Caroline M. Mitchell, MD, MPH, and colleagues.
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Mass General Department of OB/GYN Develops and Executes Three-Pronged Diversity Strategy
The Mass General OB/GYN department has begun a three-year plan addressing diversity, equity and inclusion issues affecting work environment and patient care.
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Delivery Mode Affects Stability of Early Infant Gut Microbiota
Caroline M. Mitchell, MD, MPH, a researcher with the Vincent Center for Reproductive Biology, and colleagues have discovered that Bacteroides colonize the infant gut regardless of delivery mode but is lost by two weeks of life in infants delivered by Cesarean section, whether or not exposed to the vagina in labor.
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Vulvovaginal Discomfort Is Common Regardless of Menopausal Status
Vulvar and vaginal discomfort is common associated withmenopause, but new research reveals that vulvovaginal symptoms are common both before and after menopause. Overall 40% of women surveyed reported moderate to severe vulvovaginal symptoms within the past month.
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Evaluating Post-Menopausal Women's Vulvovaginal Symptoms, Mood and Sex Life
These pioneering studies from Massachusetts General Hospital evaluate the efficacy of two common, low-risk treatments for postmenopausal symptoms against a placebo and assess how much postmenopausal women were bothered by vulvovaginal discomfort symptoms, along with their impact on mood and quality of life.
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Vaginal Estradiol, Moisturizer No Better Than Placebo for Postmenopausal Vulvovaginal Symptoms
Neither a prescription vaginal estradiol tablet nor an over-the-counter vaginal moisturizer provides additional benefit over dual placebo in reducing postmenopausal vulvovaginal symptoms, according to the first randomized comparison.
Biography
Dr. Mitchell runs a referral vulvovaginitis clinic at the Massachusetts General Hospital and is a faculty member in the Vincent Center for Reproductive Biology. Dr. Mitchell received her BA in Women's Studies from Harvard College and spent 2 years in the Peace Corps in Southern Africa before returning to Harvard Medical School for her MD degree. She did her OB/GYN residency training at the University of Washington in Seattle, where she also received her MPH degree. She spent 7 years on faculty at the UW before returning to Mass General in 2014.
Dr. Mitchell spends the majority of her time in the lab doing translational and basic science research. Her work focuses on the relationship between the vaginal microbiota and the reproductive mucosal immune response, and how interactions between humans and our microbes influence reproductive health.
She has received career development awards from NIH and the Doris Duke Foundation. She is currently funded by the NIH as a principal investigator of a study of idiopathic vaginitis, and as a co-investigator on a trial evaluating treatments for genitourinary symptoms of menopause. She has also received funding from the American Association of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Foundation, and is a Mass General Claflin Award recipient
Obstetrics & Gynecology Care at Mass General
The Mass General Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology offers the highest level of care to women. Our clinical and research team is a leader in advancing treatments for gynecologic cancers, menopause, high-risk obstetrics, infertility and urogynecology.