New report highlights ways to advance women’s health research

The United States needs a new institute focused solely on research into women’s health.

That’s the recommendation of a new congressionally mandated report to address gaps and make changes to expand oversight, accountability and support across the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

The report was prepared by a committee of experts from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. One of the experts was Nancy E. Lane, distinguished professor of rheumatology at UC Davis Health, who joined other leading researchers on women’s health.

“Women make up over half of the U.S. population, yet research on women’s health conditions is severely lacking,” said Lane. “If we are going to address gender disparities in health care, we must expand our research efforts to discover clinically meaningful information on differences between and among women and men that can advance health and improve lives.”

Lane is an internationally recognized scientist in the fields of both osteoporosis and osteoarthritis, and the director of the Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women's Health K12 Program (BIRCWH) at UC Davis Health. She passionately advocates for the advancement of research on women’s health and sex differences.

“Women make up over half of the U.S. population, yet research on women’s health conditions is severely lacking. If we are going to address gender disparities in health care, we must expand our research efforts to discover clinically meaningful information on differences between and among women and men that can advance health and improve lives.”—Nancy E. Lane

Committee’s recommendations

The report, submitted in December, recommends the NIH’s Office of Research on Women’s Health be elevated to form a new institute. The proposed institute would be responsible for leading, conducting and supporting research on female physiology and chromosomal differences, reproductive milestones and female-specific conditions not already covered by an NIH institute.

“Research has shown women experience many conditions differently than men,” explained Lane. “However, the current organizational structure of the NIH limits its ability to effectively address the gaps in women’s health research.”

The committee urged Congress to appropriate $15.7 billion to support research on women’s health over five years — including:

• $4 billion in dedicated funding for the new institute
• $11.4 billion to establish a new NIH-wide fund to support and foster interdisciplinary women’s health research
• Funding to support and expand career pathways for the field  

Need for more research on women’s health

An analysis by the committee found that just 8.8% of NIH grant spending from 2013 to 2023 focused on women’s health research. It also showed funding for women’s health research has decreased in overall NIH funding, despite steady increases in the agency’s budget.

Many fundamental questions about women’s health remain unaddressed by research. Female-specific conditions such as endometriosis, polycystic ovary syndrome and uterine fibroids affect millions of women – yet there is still a lack of clear guidance and innovative interventions to manage these conditions.

Significant knowledge gaps also exist for women’s health across their lifespan – such as the health effects of menopause or how complications during pregnancy are associated with the risk of developing chronic conditions later in life. Although women have a lower prevalence of cardiovascular disease than men, they face worse prognoses after heart attacks or strokes. Scientists’ understanding of the reasons behind this difference is limited.

“This report lays out a bold and transformative vision for women’s health,” said President of the National Academy of Medicine Victor J. Dzau, when he announced the findings. “To advance the health of the entire nation, it is imperative that federal support for women’s health research is not only bolstered now but upheld in the years to come.”