Florence Comite is an American

endocrinologist Endocrinology (from ''endocrine'' + '' -ology'') is a branch of biology and medicine dealing with the endocrine system, its diseases, and its specific secretions known as hormones. It is also concerned with the integration of developmental events ...

who has helped develop new therapies for

osteoporosis Osteoporosis is a systemic skeletal disorder characterized by low bone mass, micro-architectural deterioration of bone tissue leading to bone fragility, and consequent increase in fracture risk. It is the most common reason for a broken bone ...

endometriosis Endometriosis is a disease of the female reproductive system in which cells similar to those in the endometrium, the layer of tissue that normally covers the inside of the uterus, grow outside the uterus. Most often this is on the ovaries, f ...

, fibroid disease, and

infertility Infertility is the inability of a person, animal or plant to reproduce by natural means. It is usually not the natural state of a healthy adult, except notably among certain eusocial species (mostly haplodiploid insects). It is the normal state ...

. She was awarded a patent for developing a new method of determining fertility in womenusing

clomifene Clomifene, also known as clomiphene, is a medication used to treat infertility in women who do not ovulate, including those with polycystic ovary syndrome. Use results in a greater chance of twins. It is taken by mouth once a day, with a course ...

. In 1990, Comite was awarded a second patent for the use of

Clomifene Clomifene, also known as clomiphene, is a medication used to treat infertility in women who do not ovulate, including those with polycystic ovary syndrome. Use results in a greater chance of twins. It is taken by mouth once a day, with a course ...

to increase bone mass in premenopausal women. Alongside her work in precision medicine and integrated medical analysis, she is also known for founding Women's Health at

Yale Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and among the most prestigious in the wor ...

in 1992. Comite is known for her work in clinical hormone research, and as the founder of Women’s Health at Yale in the early 1990s.

Field of study

Comite is known for having an integrated approach to health care delivery using

precision medicine Precision, precise or precisely may refer to: Science, and technology, and mathematics Mathematics and computing (general) * Accuracy and precision, measurement deviation from true value and its scatter * Significant figures, the number of digit ...

. She has researched hormonal changes and aging, and in particular, issues of Hypogonadism (Low T) in men and how it impacts the onset of certain associated diseases such as

type 2 diabetes Type 2 diabetes, formerly known as adult-onset diabetes, is a form of diabetes mellitus that is characterized by high blood sugar, insulin resistance, and relative lack of insulin. Common symptoms include increased thirst, frequent urination, ...

heart disease Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a class of diseases that involve the heart or blood vessels. CVD includes coronary artery diseases (CAD) such as angina and myocardial infarction (commonly known as a heart attack). Other CVDs include stroke, hea ...

. Her research involves studying delivery systems and how they impact health outcomes; it has been her focus as a Senior Clinical and Research Adviser to the Offices of Alternative Medicine (OAM) at NIH.

Education and early career

Comite graduated

summa cum laude Latin honors are a system of Latin phrases used in some colleges and universities to indicate the level of distinction with which an academic degree has been earned. The system is primarily used in the United States. It is also used in some Sou ...

from

Brooklyn College Brooklyn College is a public university in Brooklyn, Brooklyn, New York. It is part of the City University of New York system and enrolls about 15,000 undergraduate and 2,800 graduate students on a 35-acre campus. Being New York City's first publ ...

of the

City University of New York The City University of New York ( CUNY; , ) is the Public university, public university system of Education in New York City, New York City. It is the largest urban university system in the United States, comprising 25 campuses: eleven Upper divis ...

Yale University School of Medicine The Yale School of Medicine is the graduate medical school at Yale University, a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. It was founded in 1810 as the Medical Institution of Yale College and formally opened in 1813. The primary te ...

; she was an associate clinical professor on the Yale faculty for 25 years; She founded Women's Health at Yale in 1988. Comite completed a fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology, incorporating training in Medicine, Pediatrics, Gynecology and Andrology, at the

National Institute of Child Health and Human Development The ''Eunice Kennedy Shriver'' National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) is one of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the United States Department of Health and Human Services. It supports and conducts research aime ...

at NIH. In early 1980, she was researching the use of

Gonadotropin-releasing hormone Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) is a releasing hormone responsible for the release of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) from the anterior pituitary. GnRH is a tropic peptide hormone synthesized and released ...

s to treat

precocious puberty In medicine, precocious puberty is puberty occurring at an unusually early age. In most cases, the process is normal in every aspect except the unusually early age and simply represents a variation of normal development. In a minority of childr ...

. Comite had researched in the area of

complementary and alternative medicine Alternative medicine is any practice that aims to achieve the healing effects of medicine despite lacking biological plausibility, testability, repeatability, or evidence from clinical trials. Complementary medicine (CM), complementary and alt ...

(CAM). Comite has served on advisory councils and committees with the NIH, the Egyptian Ministry of Health, and on the Balance Documentary Medical Advisory Board, the Age Management Medicine Group, Independent Doctors of New York, and the

American Fertility Society The American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) is a nonprofit, multidisciplinary organization for advancement of the science and practice of reproductive medicine. The society has its headquarters in Washington, D.C and its administrati ...

as well as

Alpha Omega Alpha Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society () is an honor society in the field of medicine. Alpha Omega Alpha currently has active Chapters in 132 LCME- accredited medical schools in the United States and Lebanon. It annually elects over 4,000 new ...

Awards

Alan P. Mintz
MD Award for Clinical Excellence in Age Management Medicine, 2013.

Publications

Comite has been published in the ''New England Journal of Medicine'', and the ''

Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism ''The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism'' is a peer-reviewed medical journal in the field of endocrinology and metabolism. The current editor-in-chief An editor-in-chief (EIC), also known as lead editor or chief editor, is a publ ...

''. In June 2013, Comite published a work focused on male menopause, entitled: “Hormonal Expression of Androgen Deficiency in Aging Men (ADAM)”.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Comite, Florence Living people American women physicians Yale University faculty Yale School of Medicine alumni Brooklyn College alumni American endocrinologists Women endocrinologists American women academics 21st-century American women Year of birth missing (living people)