On 6 October at Lausanne  XIII, the Global BHP BrainTrust convened the inaugural meeting of its Working  Group on Advancing Sex- and Gender-Responsive Brain Health. The outcomes are an important step forward, but it is only the beginning.

What makes the Global BrainTrust unique is who sits around the table. Our members come from government, the private sector, investment and philanthropy, and each member brings a voice that can move women’s brain health from the margins into the mainstream. In Lausanne, that range was our strength: a former health minister of France, Dr. Nora Berra, sat alongside leaders from science, health care, advocacy, and investment. Together, we challenged one another and agreed on where to act first.

Women’s brain health is close to my heart, and I was proud of every member who joined us in person and grateful to all who showed their support from afar. Paola Barbarino, my co-chair, helped shape our ambition from the start. Dr. Nora Berra urged us to act earlier and to connect prevention with care. Our Vice-Chair, Mara H. Moret, led a neuroarts discussion with Verena Herzog Pohl, Mookie Menuhin, and Anita Shinde. Our CSO, Dr. Stephanie Blum Sperisen, moderated a discussion on the  FINGERS PLUS for Women initiative.

The BrainTrust would not be what it is without these incredible women, and the many others whose expertise, challenge, and commitment carried our discussions.

Our next step is the Lausanne 2030 Action Agenda: turning priorities into commitments, and commitments into progress for women, with a first review in Q1 2027. I look forward to building the partnerships and momentum required to make that change happen.