This summer, The Gates Foundation announced an unprecedented, transformational investment into women’s health research. At an August event in Boston, Chair Bill Gates committed $2.5 billion through 2030 to spark a new era of women-centered research and innovation.
For a few weeks it seemed that there was buzz about women’s health research in everything I read, listened to, or watched – at a time when we still know far too little about endometriosis, why women are more vulnerable to autoimmune disorders, and how to best treat maternal mental health.
The Gates Foundation pledge is game-changing, in large part because it focuses on foundational science, just like we do here at Women’s Health Research at Yale. I am proud to serve on the Women’s Health Research at Yale Advisory Council alongside 15 dedicated colleagues committed to keep the buzz and investment going.
I see fall 2025 as an inflection point – a time to right a course where just 10 percent of public biomedical research funding is allocated to women’s health and, according to Deloitte, less than 2% of health sector venture capital deals focus on women’s health. The time for investment is now. Especially when, according to McKinsey & Company, every dollar invested in women’s health research yields a $3 return in economic growth due to an increase in workforce participation, enhanced productivity, and improved health outcomes for women. Women, who comprise 51% of America’s population, make 80% of the health care decisions and are responsible for 85% of consumer spending. One dollar can certainly do a lot of good.
Now, the Advisory Council is delighted to welcome internationally recognized scholar and emergency medicine physician Basmah Safdar, MD, as the director of Women’s Health Research at Yale, effective July 1, 2025. Basmah is the leader who will take Women’s Health Research at Yale into its next generation of impact, building on the trailblazing work of our founder, former director, and friend Carolyn M. Mazure, PhD.
When you support our mission, it means that you support science and discovery – right here in New Haven – that translate into care for clinicians and patients. From cancer to cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s to mental health, Yale faculty are the driving force behind health discoveries and breakthroughs.
Please consider joining me with a gift to Women’s Health Research at Yale this fall to keep the momentum going.
With Gratitude,
Anne M. Boucher '80
Philanthropy Chair