Husband and Wife Researchers Dedicated to Both Work and Family
Robert Kahn, MD, MPH, of the Division of General and Community Pediatrics, and Jessica Kahn, MD, MPH, of the Division of Adolescent Medicine, are easygoing and quick to laugh. When asked about their fields of research, both are just as quick to focus on their work.
The Kahns met while in college at Princeton University. They married during their third year of medical school -- he at Vanderbilt University and she at Harvard Medical School. Each then completed a residency and fellowship at Children's Hospital Boston. Four years ago they decided to move to Cincinnati, to concentrate on their research and to raise a family.
"Our neighbor down the street from us in Massachusetts suggested we look at Cincinnati Children's," Rob says. It turns out they found what they were looking for: Cincinnati Children's had the funding to support young faculty, as well as a nurturing environment.
Each speaks highly of their divisions, Jessica pointing out that Adolescent Medicine has tripled in size over the past few years, Rob mentioning that General and Community Pediatrics is one of the best NIH-funded general pediatrics programs in the country. Jessica and Rob themselves have each recently been awarded NIH early career development awards.
Clinical Work Drives Research
In addition to performing research, the Kahns both see patients. Rob's clinical work mainly takes place in the Pediatric Primary Care Center at Cincinnati Children's; he uses his work there to direct his research. "I've tried to come up with ideas straight out of my clinical experiences," he says.
One of his recent studies looks at the health of women after pregnancy and its influence on child outcomes. Two of the health factors studied are smoking and depression. He's looking for approaches physicians can use to help mothers become healthier. Ultimately, his research suggests that women should have their own comprehensive source of care beyond pregnancy: The health gains that occur during pregnancy, if they could be sustained after delivery, would be beneficial to both mother and child.
A new dimension of Rob's research explores how maternal health interacts with children's genetic susceptibility. "This allows me to work with geneticists, statisticians and psychologists so we can think broadly about these issues," Rob says.
Jessica, too, performs research that is clinically driven. "I love seeing patients," says Jessica, whose clinical focus is pediatric and adolescent gynecology. She spends 20 percent of her time on clinical work in the Teen Health Center at Cincinnati Children's. "My research is inspired by what I see in the clinic."
Her studies have focused on human papillomavirus (HPV), the most common sexually transmitted disease in the United States. She is specifically interested in prevention of HPV in teens and its consequences, such as genital warts and cervical cancer. Most recently, she published a paper that examined young women's compliance with return visits for Pap smear screenings and looked at the implications of teens adhering to these follow-up appointments. Currently she is examining the role of HPV DNA testing in cervical cancer screening programs for adolescents. She also is involved with HPV vaccine studies; a clinical trial of an HPV vaccine is underway at Cincinnati Children's.
Both Rob and Jessica also enjoy teaching. "That's one of the reasons why we're at an academic medical center," Jessica says. This summer, they each are mentoring a University of Cincinnati medical student.
Enthusiastic Parents
When away from their work, the couple is devoted to their three children, Rebecca, 8; Ethan, 5; and Seth, 6 months. They keep themselves busy running the kids to T-ball, soccer, piano lessons and Tae Kwon Do. International travel is also a major passion of theirs, one which they shared with their two oldest children last year on a trip to Guatemala.
The Kahns limit their work conversations around their children, but they have no other rules against talking about work at home. Rather, they turn to one another for support and understanding of their professions. "When your job constantly challenges the boundaries of the family, it's important to have understanding from your spouse," Rob says.
While they haven't worked together on any studies in the past, the Kahns feel their research interests are closely related enough that they can someday envision a collaborative study. "I think we would work well together," Jessica says.
"Of course, we would have to work out the details," Rob jokes, "like who would get to be listed as primary author."
Dr. Robert Kahn's paper was published in the American Journal of Public Health (92[8]:1312-1318, 2002 August) and was supported by the Health Resources Services Administration.
Dr. Jessica Kahn's study appeared in Obstetrics and Gynecology (101[3]:490-499, 2003 March) and was funded in part by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
