Breakthroughs in Women’s Brain Health: A Three-Part Lecture Series

Women’s health remains one of the most underfunded and understudied areas of science. Nowhere is this knowledge gap more visible than in neuroscience, where fewer than 0.5% of brain imaging articles focus on female-specific experiences, including menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause, that shape the lives of half the global population. Progress in women’s brain health will require a global shift in science culture, and that shift has started. In her lecture, Jacobs will examine emerging research programs, public policy changes, and private sector funding opportunities that are shining a floodlight on women’s health, and by doing so are opening up new frontiers for understanding health and disease for all.

Learn more about Dr. Emily Jacobs

In 2024 a team of scientists at UC Santa Barbara generated the first detailed map of the human brain across pregnancy. Now they are launching a global expansion of the “Maternal Brain Project” to establish the most comprehensive maternal neuroimaging database to date. Led by Dr. Martinez Garcia, the Maternal Brain Project is shining a light on the neuroscience of matrescence, or the profound neural adaptations that occur during pregnancy and postpartum. To what extent is the adult human brain capable of extensive neuroplasticity? Could the remodeling of the maternal brain inspire new treatments for stroke or brain injury? Can we detect biomarkers of postpartum depression before behavioral symptoms manifest? Do pregnancy conditions like preeclampsia or gestational diabetes effect maternal brain health? To answer these questions—and many more—a global team of experts in neuroscience, reproductive immunology, proteomics, and AI have joined forces to chart the unparalleled transformation of the maternal brain—searching for insights that could enhance brain health not just for mothers, but for everyone.

Learn more about Dr. Magdalena Martinez Garcia

Building a national model for comprehensive menopause care Rajita Patil, Director of UCLA Health’s Comprehensive Menopause Care program More than half of people going through menopause in the United States don’t receive treatment. Yet, significant changes occur during menopause that can affect your short- and long-term health. At UCLA Health’s Comprehensive Menopause Program, an expert team of certified menopause providers and collaborating specialists provide comprehensive, evidence-based and individualized care for persons going through and in menopause. Their team provides patient-centered care that spans urogynecology, cardiology, neurology, sleep medicine, psychology, breast oncology and more. This model of integrated care is essential because menopause is a whole-body transition and clinician-scientists now realize this is a critical window for preventative care. In her lecture, Dr. Patil will tackle essential information about menopause, from how to know you’re in perimenopause, to menopause-related symptoms and evidence-based treatment options.

Learn more about Dr. Rajita Patil