Women’s health has been a long-overlooked area of medical science. Historically, diseases and disabilities disproportionately affecting women, or concerns unique to women, have received less funding, underrepresented female participants in clinical trials, and neglected menopausal research. Over the past two decades, private investors, such as the Gates Foundation, have collectively pledged billions to female-focused R&D and initiatives, yielding significant benefits for women’s lived experiences as well as investor returns. However, these investments are undermined by political tides and erratic policy changes, like the proposed federal budget cuts in the United States. Despite these uncertainties, some researchers, such as Rebecca C. Thurston at the University of Pittsburgh, continue to lead the way in women’s health, focusing primarily on brain health and the menopause. Recently, Dr Thurston received a $7.5 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for the MenoBrain project, a 5-year-long study observing the cognitive function and cardiovascular health of 224 perimenopausal women. Much more work is needed to bridge the knowledge gaps and reach equality in research. We consistently support researchers like Dr Thurston by producing ambulatory monitors which are easily usable in-lab and in daily life, providing accurate, comprehensive datasets for numerous cardiovascular measurements. This technology is crucial for researchers, given that many commercial devices on the market produce invalid data and do not differentiate or precisely measure stress.

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