Understanding the causes of stroke in young women

Stroke is the third most common cause of death among women in Australia (vs. 5th in men). There is emerging evidence the rising incidence of stroke among young adults may be due to the disproportionate risk among women. This evidence contradicts the historical belief that men have a greater risk of stroke than women across all age groups, except in the very elderly. This contradicting evidence suggests that non-atherosclerotic factors may have an important role in the disproportionate risk of stroke among young women, when compared to men of similar age group. Non-atherosclerotic factors may include pregnancy and other thromboembolic factors (e.g., genetic disorders, hormornal contraceptives); and the intersectionality of female sex with other social determinants of health (e.g., ethnicity, marital status, educational attainment, employment status, health insurance). To fill these evidence/knowledge gaps, this research is exploring potential contributions of pregnancy and sex differences in other thromboembolic factors and social determinants of health to the disproportionate risk of AIS among young women. The project sits within the Big Data, Epidemiology, and Prevention Division within the Stroke and Ageing Research (STAR) group, located at the Victorian Heart Hospital, Monash University Main Campus, and is broadly divided into the following phases: Phase 1: Conduct a systematic review of age and sex differences in the prevalence of thromboembolic factors and social determinants of health among people with stroke Phase 2: To generate the role of maternal infections and vaccinations on the incidence of pregnancy-associated stroke Phase 3: To generate novel, real-world evidence on other factors (maternal comorbidities, intrapartum, post-partum factors) associated the incidence of pregnancy-associated stroke. The student will develop skills and expertise in:  Epidemiology of Women’s Health - Analysis of female specific factors (e.g., pregnancy, menopause), medical conditions (e.g., chronic, infectious, autoimmune), and social disparities on the risk of stroke among women.  Critical thinking and problem-solving – Understanding how to use different types of epidemiology study designs to answer research questions and test hypothesis. Developing skills in data interpretation and addressing biases.  Advanced statistical methods - using sophisticated analytical methods to untangle the complex interactions between biological, social and demographic determinants of health.  Health equity and disease prevention - Identifying health equity issues specific to women.