Investigating the effects of gender affirming hormone therapy administered during puberty and adulthood on bone metabolism, microstructure and strength.
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Associate Professor
Rachel Davey+61 3 9496 5507
Project Details
Transgender individuals receive gender affirming hormone therapy to aid in their transition to their identified gender and to improve their gender dysphoria with females transitioning to males receiving the male sex hormone, testosterone and males transitioning to females receiving estradiol. It is well established that the sex steroids testosterone and estrogen are essential for peak bone mass accrual during growth and for bone maintenance in adulthood in both males and females, however the effects of gender affirming hormone therapy on bone health and fracture risk in transgender people is poorly understood with rigorously designed and executed controlled studies to guide safe and effective hormone therapy lacking for this growing sector of society.
In this study, we will use pre-clinical models to model as precisely as possible, transgender individuals undergoing gender affirming hormone therapy in adolescence or in adulthood. This will allow us to study the microscopic changes controlling bone strength and health which cannot be studied in humans in the absence of a bone biopsy.
Researchers
- Associate Professor Rachel Davey, Group Leader, PhD primary supervisor
- Ms Tian Nie, PhD Student
- Professor Jeffrey Zajac, Academic Lead, PhD co-supervisor
- Professor Mathis Grossmann, PhD co-supervisor
- Dr Varun Venkatesh, Post-doctoral Scientist
- Ms Sue Golub, Senior Research Assistant
Funding
- Melbourne Research Scholarship - Tian Nie
- Austin Medical Research Foundation
- Sir Edward ‘Weary’ Dunlop Medical Research Foundation
- Endocrine Society Australia Research Higher Degree Scholarship