Biden announces new initiative to ‘spur innovation’ in women’s health research

The White House in Washington, DC. Credit: Matthew/Adobe Stock

Citing research gaps with serious consequences for women’s health, the Biden Administration on Monday announced the establishment of the White House Initiative on Women’s Health Research. First Lady Jill Biden — a long-time champion of women’s health — will lead the effort in tandem with the White House Gender Policy Council. Carolyn Mazure, who created the Women’s Health Research Center at the Yale School of Medicine, will chair the initiative.

Additionally, President Joe Biden has asked multiple agencies to deliver recommendations to advance women’s health research — addressing, among other issues, health disparities and inequities — within 45 days. Those agencies include the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services, Defense, and Veterans Affairs, and White House offices such as the Office of Management and Budget and the Office of Science and Technology Policy. To deliver results quickly, plans call for initiative members to prioritize their focus on areas of research in which additional investment could be transformative (such as heart attacks in women and menopause).