Why give to Women’s Health Research at Yale? Here’s one reason: When researchers study the health of women and sex-and-gender differences in health, everybody benefits.
This is because the more we know about the biology and health behavior of women and the differences between and among women and men, the more we can develop prevention and treatment strategies best suited for every person’s unique needs. This principle guides WHRY in our mission to better lives through better science.
WHRY funds and guides researchers to fill in historical gaps on the health of women and to establish critical, enduring programs of study that build upon growing bodies of knowledge and leverage expertise through interdisciplinary collaborations. We have also learned that who conducts research can be as important as what’s under investigation.
For example, the authors of a recent paper published in the journal Science examined all biomedical U.S. patents granted between 1976 and 2010 and found that teams composed entirely of female inventors were 35 percent more likely to concentrate their efforts on female health issues than all-male teams. In 2020, only 13 percent of U.S. patent recipients were women, suggesting that the world is missing out on inventions that could benefit women. In addition to focusing on the goal of marketable products, the paper’s authors found that female researchers were more likely to publish findings on female-oriented topics.
At WHRY, we see the same trend. Looking back over 23 years, we have funded male and female investigators, all with great commitments to studying women and health-related sex-and-gender differences. Yet, 68 percent of our principal investigators over the last five years have been women. We support the careers and innovative science of female investigators, but the main reason for this higher percentage of female compared to male investigators is because women have been more likely to study the health of women. Going forward, we are eager to ensure all researchers have a commitment to study the health of women as well as investigate the influence of sex and gender on diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes.
68 percent of our principal investigators over the last five years have been women.
Thanks to our generous donors, WHRY is leading the way to conduct new, cutting-edge science that advances the health of women. Together we are changing science in ways that benefit all.
With my thanks for your support,
Barbara M. Riley
Philanthropy Chair