Every year on International Women’s Day in March, the world talks about breaking barriers in boardrooms, in politics, and in society overall. But there is one barrier that rarely makes the headlines, and it is one of the most consequential of all: the barrier between women and equitable healthcare. Although women’s health predicts a $1 trillion opportunity, it captures only 6% of private healthcare investment (WEF, 2026).

For decades, what gets studied, measured, funded and scaled in health has followed patterns that did not consistently prioritize women’s biological realities, lived experiences or economic contributions.Women have been underrepresented in clinical trials, understudied in disease research, and underserved by therapies, particularly in Alzheimer’s research.  

However, a new study from Mayo Clinic, published in JAMA Network Open, just changed that. Researchers discovered that a rogue protein called alpha-synuclein, present in half of all Alzheimer’s cases, accelerates toxic protein buildup in women’s brains, but not in men’s. A finding that may finally explain why women face a faster, more aggressive disease process.

 Studies like these are exactly why sex-specific research must become the standard, not the exception. I am so glad we are on a good path ahead.