Professor Gita Mishra, Dr Ingrid Rowlands, Dr Sally Mortlock, Professor Jenny Doust, Professor Annette Dobson and Dr Marina Vaskoff.

The GELLES study addresses current inadequacies of evidence on genetic factors, early life exposures, and symptoms during adolescence. The study will generate new epidemiologic evidence that will advance our understanding of the causal pathways in the development and progression of endometriosis. The findings will be translated into clinically useful tools: an endometriosis risk calculator; improved clinical guidelines for health professionals to facilitate earlier diagnosis; and evidence-based information co-designed with consumers to provide relevant health advice for women.

GELLES leverages existing data from two cohorts of participants in the Australian Longitudinal Study of Women’s Health who have been followed since age 18-23 years. GELLES will collect additional data and DNA samples from these women. The new survey will cover early life history (e.g., in utero exposures, birth characteristics, and maternal smoking) and reproductive symptoms during adolescence (such as irregular menses and pelvic pain). GELLES will compare women with and without endometriosis and identify the combinations of factors and patterns of symptoms linked with increased risk of endometriosis and longer time to diagnosis. The study will produce high quality evidence and provide new insights on the causal pathways and aetiology of this disease.

GELLES researchers will work with end-users to ensure the new knowledge benefits consumers, including improved information on endometriosis, a new clinical tool for health professionals to assess the risk of endometriosis, and clinical guidelines to reduce the time required for diagnosis and accessing treatment.