• : Pioneering Research and Leadership in Women’s Health at ORWH
    ORWH recently hosted its 2024 annual meetings for Specialized Centers of Research Excellence (SCORE) on Sex Differences and Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women’s Health (BIRCWH).
  • : Celebrating 34 Years of Advancing Women’s Health: ORWH’s Milestones and Future Initiatives
    On September 10, we proudly celebrated the 34th anniversary of ORWH, marking a pivotal moment in our ongoing efforts to enhance women’s health through innovative research and strategic partnerships. Since its inception, ORWH has been at the forefront of advancing women’s health research, ensuring that sex and gender are recognized as essential variables that influence health and disease.
  • : Driving Change in Women’s Health: Innovations in Funding, Research, and Policy
    In a significant move to bolster women’s behavioral health services, the Biden administration has announced a series of funding opportunities totaling $27.5 million. This announcement underscores a steadfast commitment to addressing the distinct mental health and substance use treatment needs of women across the United States.
  • : Advancing Health Equity: Celebrating Milestones and Addressing Challenges in Sex and Gender Research
    Recognizing the intricate interplay of sex and gender in research is essential for achieving equitable health care outcomes. Recently, I presented at a webinar to discuss the World Health Organization’s (WHO) adoption of the Sex and Gender Equity in Research (SAGER) guidelines, which strongly reinforced the importance of this issue.
  • : Celebrating National Women’s Health Week with ORWH: Explore Recent Events & Review New Resources
    The Office of Research on Women’s Health (ORWH) is the focal point for women’s health research at NIH, and our main mission is to ensure NIH is “Putting Science to Work for the Health of Women.” This year’s National Women’s Health Week (NWHW) theme was focused on “Empowering Women, Cultivating Health: Celebrating Voices, Wellness, and Resilience,” shining a light on health issues and priorities affecting women and girls across the lifespan.
  • : Advancing Women’s Health Research: From Policy to Action
    On March 18, 2024, President Joe Biden signed a new Executive Order (EO) that builds upon the White House Initiative on Women’s Health Research. The EO outlined strategies to improve women’s health research by integrating women’s health across the federal research portfolio, prioritizing funding, galvanizing new research on women’s midlife health, and assessing areas needing further support.
  • : Launching into the Future and Building Upon the Past: The Intersection of Autoimmune Disease Awareness and Women’s History Months
    March marks Autoimmune Disease Awareness Month, shedding light on the significant impact of these conditions, particularly on women’s health. Autoimmune diseases disproportionately affect the health of women. While approximately 8% of the U.S. population lives with an autoimmune disease, nearly 80% of those affected are women. Women’s History Month is a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the accomplishments and advancements in the health of women. Regarding autoimmune disease research, it is important to recognize the intricate connection between women’s health and autoimmune conditions.
  • : Honoring Black History, Healthy Hearts, and Community Initiatives to Address Structural Inequities
    Each February the nation celebrates Black History Month, and a few years ago NIH’s theme was “Small Actions, Big Impact: Using Allyship to Enhance Our Culture.” As the Director of ORWH, I recognize the importance of creating an organizational culture of inclusion and the opportunity that we all have to make change.
  • : Reflecting on 2023 to Leverage Innovation to Advance Women’s Health and Research in 2024
    2023 was a productive year at Team ORWH filled with notable successes. ORWH appointed new leadership, forged new partnerships, and realigned resources and people to address ongoing challenges facing women’s health and research. Before I share some of the highlights and milestones from 2023, I am delighted to announce ORWH will release a new strategic plan in 2024. The NIH-Wide Strategic Plan for Research on the Health of Women defines a vision for NIH for the next 5 years to advance women’s health research through a comprehensive, data-driven approach.
  • : Native American Heritage Month: Respecting and Leveraging People, Communities, and Data to Advance Health Research
    November is Native American Heritage Month. Although great strides in the health of American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) people have been made, disparities persist. The NIH Tribal Health Research Office (THRO) is dedicated to building research partnerships for healthy Tribal Nations. THRO strives to acknowledge the enduring hope, resiliency, wisdom, and strengths of AI/AN communities across the country.
  • : Employing Innovation to Drive Equity in Women’s Health Research: ORWH Welcomes Dr. Vivian Ota Wang as Deputy Director
    I am pleased to introduce Vivian Ota Wang, M.Phil., Ph.D., CGC as the new deputy director of the Office of Research on Women’s Health (ORWH). Dr. Ota Wang comes to ORWH from the Office of Data Sharing Strategy in the Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives for the Office of the Director at NIH. She has a background in genomics, psychology, ethics, and data science, and her expertise will help to further drive innovative ideas and solutions to advance and improve the health of all women.
  • : Celebrating Milestones at ORWH and in Women's Health
    This September marks the 33rd anniversary of the formation of the NIH Office of Research on Women's Health (ORWH). Congress created ORWH in response to concerns regarding the lack of systemic and consistent inclusion of women in NIH-supported clinical research. Today, ORWH serves as the focal point for women's health research at NIH.
  • : Reflecting on Past Accomplishments to Make History Moving Forward: The NIH Revitalization Act of 1993 and the New Office of Autoimmune Disease Research
    As we head into the summer, ORWH is celebrating two important milestones: the 30th anniversary of the NIH Revitalization Act of 1993 and the launch of the Office of Autoimmune Disease Research (OADR-ORWH).
  • : Expanding Menopause Research to Advance the Health of All Women
    The Director's message discusses the upcoming 7th Annual Vivian W. Pinn Symposium titled "Menopause and Optimizing Midlife Health of Women." It also discusses menopause and menopause research. Menopause is defined as a natural and irreversible life course stage marked by the cessation of menstrual cycling for 12 consecutive months. Common symptoms associated with menopause include hot flashes, sleep disturbances, mood changes, headaches, and heart palpitations.
  • : Addressing Inequities to IMPROVE Maternal Health for All
    The Director's message is a joint blog featuring Drs. Diana W. Bianchi, Janine A. Clayton, and Shannon N. Zenk as they discuss inequities to improve maternal health.
  • : NIH Symposium Launches OAR-ORWH Partnership to Advance Research on HIV and Women Across the Lifespan
    The Director's Message features Drs. Maureen Goodenow and Janine A. Clayton as they discuss a new collaboration between OAR and ORWH. This collaboration is crucial to enhance research at the intersection of HIV and women. NIH policies, resources for investigators, and targeted research funding continue to work together to help ensure that every woman or girl with or affected by HIV benefits from the best research.
  • : Celebrating Progress and Carrying the Torch: Black History, Heart Health, and Trailblazing Women in STEMM
    February may be the shortest month of the year, but it brings no shortage of opportunities to celebrate achievement and progress—and to strengthen resolve advance equity. This month, we observe Black History Month and American Heart Month, as well as National Black Women Physicians Day, National Women Physicians Day, and the International Day of Women and Girls in Science.
  • : Building on Our Accomplishments in 2022 to Continue Promoting Women’s Health in 2023
    Throughout 2022, ORWH and its partners continued to rally to advance the health of women and careers of women in biomedical fields. Although there were some notable challenges along the way, I am proud of what we accomplished and look forward to building on the momentum gained last year. I would like to thank all ORWH staff members, our NIH colleagues, and all our partners beyond NIH for their tireless efforts and dedication to improving the health of women.
  • : Guest Blog—Intimate Partner Violence: Raising Awareness, Taking Action
    Imagine a crowded sidewalk. More than 1 in 4 of the women there—walking, talking, and going about their business—have experienced intimate partner violence (IPV) at some point in their lives. They may have experienced physical violence (e.g., slapping, hitting, and choking), sexual contact without consent, or stalking (repeated unwanted attention and contact that causes safety concerns) by current or former intimate partners.
  • : ORWH Contributes $1 Million to NIH HEAL Initiative to Evaluate Impact of Opioids on Human Development
    One of our goals at the NIH Office of Research on Women’s Health (ORWH) is to help ensure that every woman receives—across her life course—evidence-based disease prevention and treatments tailored to her own needs, circumstances, and goals.
  • : Research Shows Us How to Address Underrepresentation of Women in Academic Medicine; Now Let’s Finish the Job
    The academic medicine talent pool, long recognized as a vital component of that engine, is operating without a full complement of cylinders, creating an untold number of missed opportunities that the Nation cannot afford. What do I mean? Not everyone who is talented and desires a career in biomedical research is included, welcomed, and supported. I’m talking about women—and women of color especially.
  • : A Game-Changing Pledge to Bring Greater Diversity to Scientific Panels
    Working at NIH, I often see the amazing advancements and achievements made by the biomedical research enterprise. One recent important advance is not a scientific finding or new technology, but a strong stand on principle made by NIH Director Dr. Francis Collins. In his announcement, Time to End the Manel Tradition, Dr. Collins pledged to speak only at scientific events “where scientists of all backgrounds are evaluated fairly for speaking opportunities,” which will result in inclusive agendas for the meetings. 
  • : July Is National Dry Eye Awareness Month
    Dr. Clayton Answers Questions About This Common Eye Condition. Are your eyes often irritated—as if dust or sand were in them? Do your eyes sting or burn? Are they sensitive to light? Has driving at night or wearing contact lenses become more difficult? If so, you may have dry eye disease. 
  • : National Women’s Health Week/Strategic Plan
    The NIH Office of Research on Women’s Health has joined the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office on Women’s Health (OWH) to observe the 20th anniversary of National Women’s Health Week (NWHW), May 12–18.
  • : Back to Basics: New Publishing Guidelines to Enhance Reproducibility and Relevance
    This week, Science and Nature report on new principles and guidelines in reporting preclinical research that were developed at a meeting organized in conjunction with NIH.
  • : Stepping Stones to the Future
    Dr. Clayton; James Anderson, M.D., Ph.D.; and Elizabeth Wilder, Ph.D., announce $10 million in administrative supplement grants so that a sex/gender lens can be added to currently funded research projects.
  • : A Conversation Worth Having
    NIH releases a Request for Information seeking input from the research community and others on key questions about the consideration of sex in NIH-funded studies.
  • : Answering Questions on Considering Males and Females in Preclinical Research
    A Q & A guide is now available to answer questions about new NIH policies being developed to expand the consideration of sex in biomedical research with animals and cells.
  • : Women Can Soar in STEM
    An update from the White House Summit on Working Families highlights findings from NIH-funded research examining why women may not progress to their full potential in the scientific workplace.
  • : Questions Worth Asking of Science on Mother’s Day — and Every Day
    Highlighted on the occasion of National Women's Health Week, the Women's Health Research in Review slideshow catalogues advancements in women's health in recent decades.
  • : Filling the Gaps: NIH to Enact New Policies to Address Sex Differences
    Nature publishes an announcement from NIH Director Dr. Francis Collins and Dr. Clayton about a plan requiring grant applicants to address sex-based considerations and analyses in preclinical research.
  • : Science Gets a Second Chance
    Research grant supplements issued through a new ORWH program are giving scientists the opportunity to strengthen their research by adding a sex/gender lens to their currently funded research.
  • : Sex Is in the News… And It Matters
    CBS' 60 Minutes and the Huffington Post take up the topic of sex differences in disease and responses to medication, shining a light on the importance of women's health research.
  • : The Three Rs of Good Science
    Rigor, reproducibility, and relevance drive good science, and ORWH is shining a light on one area where research sometimes comes up short: accounting for differences between males and females.