Leigh Kinney
Three Words to Describe Leigh: Curious, creative, compassionate
Expertise: Molecular biology, medical education, women’s health, oncology
Education: BA in Human Biology from Stanford University, MD 2024 candidate from Brown University
Leigh is a medical student who spends time between her hospital shifts doing freelance writing in the health tech space. She is passionate about democratizing healthcare – about arming patients with the knowledge and understanding they need to feel agency over their healthcare experience. Since earning her BA in Design for Health from Stanford University, Leigh has worked for multiple health tech startups focusing on virtual healthcare, women’s diagnostics, medical device design, and COVID-19. She has been involved in oncology research from molecular biology in stem cells to clinical outcomes after cancer surgeries.
Outside of medicine, Leigh loves making ceramics in her studio in Providence, RI and learning new hobbies – most recently, capoeira and kite boarding (not at the same time).
Articles by Leigh Kinney
Does Vaginismus Last Forever?
Key Takeaways Painful sex is a common issue, with vaginismus being a condition characterized by involuntary muscle tightening of the vagina which leads to discomfort and pain during penetration. The pain associated with vaginismus can vary in intensity and may be described as burning, sharp, or mild discomfort. Physical causes of pain during sex include infections, tears, dryness, pelvic conditions, and surgeries, while non-physical causes can include anxiety, trauma, and relationship issues. Treatment for vaginismus...
Estrogen & the Female Body
Many women note that their body changes after menopause. Common complaints include changes in vaginal tissue (e.g., dryness, pain, fragility), skin (e.g., thinning, easy bruising), mood (e.g., mood swings, depression), metabolism (e.g., weight gain), thinking (e.g., “brain fog”), sleep (e.g., insomnia), and temperature regulation (e.g., hot flashes). These changes occur all over the body, in many different systems. Their common denominator? They are all regulated by estrogen, the primary female sex hormone. What is a hormone? The human body...
