Women's Health Research Initiative

The American Physiological Society (APS) is proud to announce our 2024–2025 Women’s Health Research Initiative. This initiative aims to elevate the status of women’s health and the research APS members are conducting to address health and disease in women. Through the power of its community, APS will leverage the expertise of biomedical scientists and science policy and advocacy experts to elevate women’s health research. Our work will fall into four areas to leverage the strengths of the Society.

Stay tuned for additional details, events and opportunities in the coming months. Sign up for announcements and the latest news. We welcome your thoughts and ideas.  

How Can Physiologists Impact Women’s Health? 

Physiology is essential to answering every critical question facing us in our understanding of life, health and disease, and APS serves as the global multidisciplinary community for researchers who are dedicated to these efforts. APS brings together scientists whose work advances knowledge within disciplines that have far-reaching and broad implications, including areas that are historically under-funded and under researched. One such area is women’s health. 

Women make up more than half of the population, but they have been understudied and underrepresented in research. This leads to gaps in research, which creates serious consequences for the health of women.  

To increase the scientific understanding of conditions that are specific to women, affect women or affect women differently than men, APS is excited to announce the launch of the Women’s Health Research Initiative.  

Initiative Goals 

Increase the visibility of women’s health research specialties and the investigators working in these areas.  

• Expand awareness of the inequality in governmental and industry resources dedicated to identifying solutions for diseases that exclusively or predominately affect women. 
• Create resources for researchers and advocates to educate policymakers on the importance of women’s health research and its impact on society. 
• Create resources for science educators to incorporate women’s health into medical school curricula. 
• Build APS’ reputation as a champion of women’s health research and a leader in the dissemination of women’s health science. 
• Spotlight women’s health research in APS publications, including basic, translational, and clinical physiology studies. 
• Engage researchers, editors and peer reviewers to consider sex as a biological variable with guidelines, primers, protocols, methods and resources published in APS journals.