“The Power of Research” Luncheon Shines Spotlight on Alzheimer’s Disease in Women and Research to Address It

The Society for Women’s Health Research (SWHR) had the honor of working with the Women's Alzheimer's Movement (WAM) to host “The Power of Research: Bridging the Gap” luncheon on Tuesday, April 25, 2023, to bring awareness to women’s risk of developing and dying from Alzheimer’s disease, to discuss the state of Alzheimer’s research, and to share the work of researchers who are seeking to combat this disease.?

SWHR President and CEO Kathryn Schubert, MPP, CAE?joined Beri Ridgeway, MD, Chief of Staff at Cleveland Clinic , and Maria Shriver, Founder of WAM and Strategic Advisor for Women’s Health and Alzheimer’s at Cleveland Clinic, to give remarks during the event.??

During the luncheon, Shriver led a panel discussion on women’s health research, healthy aging and brain health, and Alzheimer’s disease research funding. Panelists included Janine Clayton, MD, FARVO of the The National Institutes of Health Office of Research on Women’s Health, Jessica Caldwell, PhD?of the Women’s Alzheimer’s Movement Prevention Center at Cleveland Clinic, and Lisa Mosconi, PhD of the Alzheimer’s Prevention Program at Weill Cornell Medicine / NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital .??

“We need research that pays attention to the needs of women. We need studies designed to look at the health of women and the ways women experience their lives,” said Dr. Clayton during the panel.??

“I’d like to see women’s brain health become a priority in research,” added Dr. Mosconi.??

The “Power of Research” luncheon took place in the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. This location was chosen because of its significance to women’s health.??

“Twenty-one years ago this July, here in this room at the National Press Club, the Women’s Health Initiative Steering Committee at the NIH gathered a press conference to announce that it was abruptly ending what had been the largest study ever undertaken on post-menopausal women,” Schubert said in her remarks. The study was ended due to reports that women taking hormone replacement therapy to treat menopausal symptoms were showing increased risk for heart disease, stroke, and certain cancers, Schubert explained. Leaders at the time argued that to protect women’s health, they had to end the study immediately.??

“But it turns out that this decision was made in haste, led to confusion for decades, and has had dire consequences for our understanding of women’s health ever since,” Schubert added. “The good news is that today we’re back in this room to talk about how to move forward. And the future of women’s health is bright.”?

The full version of this article appeared on SWHR's website blog. Click here to read the full blog post.