HERology | What We Don't Know About Women's Health—But Should

Why It Matters

Addressing these knowledge gaps will improve outcomes for women across the lifespan and reduce the long‑term societal costs of chronic diseases linked to reproductive health.

Key Takeaways

• Women's health research remains severely underfunded and fragmented across specialties.
• Pregnancy complications predict long‑term cardiovascular and metabolic risks for mothers.
• Hormonal disorders like PMS, postpartum depression lack clear mechanistic understanding.
• Device and drug designs often ignore female anatomy, leading to higher complications.
• Multidisciplinary collaborations are emerging to bridge gaps in women's health knowledge.

Summary

The HERology podcast from Mount Sinai’s Carolyn Rowan Center spotlights the vast unknowns in women’s health—from pre‑pregnancy through postpartum—and calls for a broader definition beyond fertility.

The hosts—Dr. Joanne Stone, Dr. Leslee Shaw, and Dr. Anna Barbieri—detail systemic gaps: NIH funding for obstetrics and gynecology is roughly 1 % of its budget, drug and device designs ignore female anatomy, and hormonal disorders such as PMS or postpartum depression remain mechanistically opaque.

Real‑world cases illustrate the stakes: a 21‑week pregnancy with unexplained fetal growth restriction, frequent UTIs in menopausal women treated without estrogen, and the obesity‑inflammation axis linking pregnancy complications to later cardiovascular disease. Shaw notes that many devices built for a 180‑lb man cause complications when used in a 120‑lb woman.

The discussion underscores that multidisciplinary collaborations—linking obstetrics, neurology, cardiology, and immunology—are emerging as a pragmatic solution. Scaling such efforts and reallocating research dollars could transform prevention and treatment for millions of women, reducing chronic disease burden and health‑care costs.

Original Description

On this episode of HERology, co-hosts Drs. Joanne Stone, Anna Barbieri, and Leslee Shaw examine what we don’t know about women’s health—and why that gap matters.

Despite major advances in medicine, women remain underrepresented in research, clinical trials, and even the design of medical devices. This conversation explores:

How these gaps have shaped everything from diagnosis to treatment

Why funding for women’s health has historically lagged behind

How structural issues—from fragmented care to lack of representation in leadership—continue to influence outcomes today.

HERology from the Mount Sinai Health System is dedicated to uncovering the science behind women’s health—and pushing the conversation forward.

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