Dr. Molly Carnes did her undergraduate work at the University of Michigan and received her M.D. from the State University of New York at Buffalo. She trained in Internal Medicine and Geriatrics at the University of Wisconsin where she earned a Masters of Science Degree in Population Health. At the University of Wisconsin, Dr. Carnes is a Professor in the Departments of Medicine, Psychiatry, and Industrial & Systems Engineering; she directs the Center for Women’s Health Research and four federally-funded training grants aimed at increasing the development of a diverse cadre of future leaders in academic medicine, science, and engineering.  She is co-director of the ADVANCE Institutional Transformation Award from the National Science Foundation which supports the Women in Science and Engineering Leadership Institute (WISELI).

While Dr. Carnes’ early research was devoted to the study of rhythms of stress hormones in male rats, her major professional contributions are in academic program development, first in Geriatrics and more recently in Women’s Health. Dr. Carnes is committed to transforming the academic culture to be more welcoming of women and supportive of their career advancement. She is using women’s health research as a venue to accomplish this. In 1999, Dr. Molly Carnes received the distinct honor of becoming the first Jean Manchester Biddick Professor of Women’s Health Research. She is the recipient of 2001 Addis Costello Internist of the Year Award by the American College of Physicians American Society of Internal Medicine - Wisconsin Chapter , the 2002 YWCA Woman of Distinction Award, and the 2004 Women in Medicine Award from the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC).