President Joe Biden is taking a bold step to address significant research gaps in women's health by establishing a groundbreaking White House Initiative on Women’s Health Research. This initiative, led by First Lady Jill Biden and the White House Gender Policy Council, aims to tackle the lack of comprehensive research on women’s health conditions, recognizing the urgent need for advancements in this critical field. First Lady Jill Biden emphasized the common experience of women leaving medical appointments with more questions than answers due to insufficient research. The President outlined key steps for the initiative, calling on congressional leaders, the private sector, research institutions, and philanthropists to support its mission.

The initiative will include representatives from various federal departments, such as Health and Human Services, Defense, and Veterans Affairs, marking a collaborative effort to improve women’s health research. Members of the initiative will have 45 days to formulate recommendations for concrete actions that the Biden-Harris Administration can take to enhance investments in women’s health research, focusing on priority areas like Alzheimer’s disease, endometriosis, and menopause. By fostering public-private partnerships, the initiative aims to accelerate innovation in women's health research. Renowned clinician and NIH-funded researcher Carolyn Mazure, PhD, will chair the initiative, bringing her expertise as a professor in women’s health research and creator of Women’s Health Research at Yale.

Historically, women have been understudied and underrepresented in health research, creating a skewed understanding of women’s health and negatively impacting their well-being. Restrictive measures on women's participation in clinical research, dating back to 1977, have contributed to this knowledge gap. Despite subsequent reversals, the effects persist, with women comprising only 29-34% of participants in early-phase trials sponsored by the pharmaceutical industry. This lack of knowledge on women’s health issues has led to serious consequences, including an increased risk of adverse drug reactions and misdiagnosis of conditions like heart attacks in women. The Biden-Harris Administration's initiative aims to rectify these inequities, stating that swift action can pioneer the next generation of discoveries in women’s health, ultimately improving the lives of millions of women.