Mary Lou Ballweg

Mary Lou Ballweg is President and Executive Director of the Endometriosis Association, an organization she co-founded in 1980 after being bedridden with endometriosis and related illnesses. The non-profit organization provides support and information for families affected by endometriosis, educates the public and medical community about the disease, and promotes and conducts research.

Together with Karen Lamb, Ph.D., she established the first research registry in the world on endo in 1980; the Association's updated registry is maintained at the NIH where Ballweg collaborates on studies and established a joint fellowship. She has raised millions of dollars for the endo movement.

Ballweg’s honors include being a founding Advisor to the Journal of Endometriosis, an extramural advisor on development of the NIH Reproductive Sciences Branch strategic plan, an ad hoc reviewer for Fertility & Sterility, as well as sitting on the evaluation panel of the NIH Specialized Cooperative Centers Program in Reproduction Research. She has won numerous awards for her work.