***PRESS RELEASE, FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE*** Nature journal publishes a comment on sex and gender differences in the brain written by the Women’s Brain Project
International Forum on Women’s Brain and Mental Health to offer a journey for participants to understand why sex and gender differences are critical as efforts develop across sectors to empower women.
Zurich, Switzerland, 7 May 2019 – The non-profit organization Women’s Brain Project (WBP) has published a comment on the prestigious scientific journal Nature on the importance of sex and gender differences in neuroscience and drug development. “A variety of neurological and psychiatric conditions demonstrate robust differences between the sexes in their incidence, symptoms, progression and response to treatment (see, for example, M. T. Ferretti et al. Nature Rev. Neurol. 14, 457–469; 2018). When properly documented and studied, sex and gender differences are the gateway to precision medicine.
The comment, written by Harald Hampel, Maria Teresa Ferretti, and Antonella Santuccione Chadha, highlights the need for sound and rigorous research into sex differences. The discussion on this topic will continue during the second international forum about sex and gender differences in brain and mental health, to be held in Zurich on June 8-9, 2019.
This year’s International Forum on Women’s Brain and Mental Health will focus on precision medicine and feature panel discussions with patients, policy makers, caregivers, and internationally acclaimed scientists shedding light on these topics. The program will present and assess sex and gender differences in basic and clinical neuroscience, explore the role of such differences in disease management and clinical trials, consider sex and gender biases in digital medicine, and delve into how artificial intelligence could leverage sex differences for precision medicine.
With WBP Forum Ambassador Fagun Thakrar and WBP Ambassador Sylvia Day as the Mistresses of Ceremony, the line-up of speakers will be both inspiring and educational. Dr. Erin South from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of the United States, Dr. Nouchine Hadjikhani from Harvard Medical School, Prof. Charlotte Cordonnier from the European Stroke Organization, Dr. Petranka Krumova from Roche Pharma, and Hanson Robotics’ Sophia the Humanoid Robot are just a few examples. For a full list of speakers and further information about the panel topics of discussion, visit the Forum website www.forum-wbp.com.
This Forum is sponsored by Lobnek Wealth Management, Eli-Lilly, Roche, Microsoft, Celgene and CTC Resourcing Solutions. Partner organizations include the Global Alzheimer’s and Dementia Action Alliance, International Women in Science (iWiS), Life Science Zurich, Patientube, the Swiss National Science Foundation, the Swiss Neurological Society, and the Wyss Research Center.
The Women’s Brain Project (WBP) aims to stimulate a global discussion on gender and sex determinants of female vulnerability to brain and mental disease.
WBP proposes a new, personalized way to develop and perform medical treatments, caregiving, and prevention strategies together with novel technologies development, based on consideration of sex and gender differences. The WBP aims to address these issues through scientific research, debate, public engagement and advocacy. For more information, visit www.womensbrainproject.com.
The goal of the International Forum on Women’s Brain and Mental Health is to bring together experts and representatives from a wide range of scientific disciplines and various fields of practice contributing to the study and improvement of mental and brain health. Moreover, the inclusion of patients, caregivers and other individuals impacted by brain and mental health issues in their daily life keeps the ongoing debate relevant and focused. All stakeholders have an equal voice in the constructive and actionable discussions on considering the influence of sex and gender in brain and mental health research.
The 2019 Forum theme is “Sex & Gender Differences in Mental and Neurological Disease: The gateway to precision medicine”. The event will be held on 8-9 June 2019 at the University of Zurich, Switzerland. For more information, visit www.forum-wbp.com.
If you would like more information about the Forum, please contact Alessandra d’Alessandro by email at secretariat[at]forum-wbp.com.
For scientific questions, please contact info[at]womensbrainproject.com.
