Midlife is a critical period in women’s health that spans the late reproductive years, menopause transition, and postmenopause. It reflects the interplay of reproductive and somatic aging with biological, hormonal, environmental, psychosocial, cultural, and life course factors that shape long-term health, quality of life, and chronic disease risk. Research in this area remains fragmented, with persistent gaps in how midlife is defined, measured, and studied.
In response to these challenges, the National Academy of Medicine, in collaboration with the National Academies and the NIH Office of Research on Women’s Health, will convene a one-day public workshop. The event will assess the state of the science, identify key gaps in evidence and methodology, and explore opportunities to advance a more integrated, coordinated, and actionable research agenda for midlife women’s health.
Agenda Highlights
- Welcome & Meeting Overview
- Elizabeth Eide, National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
- Janine Clayton, Office of Research on Women’s Health, National Institutes of Health
- Keynote: Reframing Midlife as a Critical Window for Women’s Health
- Nanette Santoro, University of Colorado
- JoAnn Pinkerton, University of Virginia
- Panel I: Biology and the Life Course – Mechanisms and Risk Trajectories
- Sherita Golden, Johns Hopkins University
- Samar El Khoudary, Virginia Commonwealth University
- Pauline Maki, University of Illinois
- Jane Cauley, University of Pittsburgh
- Nick Panay, Imperial College London
- Panel II: Strengthening Methods and Measurement in Midlife Women’s Health
- Crystal Schiller, University of North Carolina
- Sybil Crawford, University of Massachusetts
- Andrea LaCroix, University of California San Diego
- Rebecca Thurston, University of Pittsburgh
- Yamnia Cortés, University of Iowa
- Panel III: Advancing Prevention and Treatment in Midlife
- Stephanie Faubion, Mayo Clinic
- Roger Lobo, Columbia University
- Chika Anekwe, Massachusetts General Hospital
- Claudio Soares, Queen’s University
- Alison Huang, University of California San Francisco
- Panel IV: Communication, Misinformation, and Decision-Making in Midlife Health
- Lisa Larkin, Ms. Medicine
- Lauren Streicher, Northwestern University
- Makeba Williams, University of Illinois
- Suzanne C. Makarem, Virginia Commonwealth University
- Joy Calloway, Black Women’s Health Imperative
- Rachel Novik, Cleveland Clinic
- Fireside Discussion: What’s Next? Priorities and Pathways for Impact
- Anita Ravi, PurpLE Health Foundation
- Paula Schneider, Institute Advancing Women’s Health
- Closing Remarks
- Kathryn Schubert, Society for Women’s Health Research
The Â鶹´«Ã½×ÊÔ´, National Academy of Engineering, and National Academy of Medicine—collectively, the National Academies—are independent, non-partisan, and tax exempt. The mission of the National Academies is the provision of trusted, evidence-based advice. It is essential to the execution of the mission that participants in our meetings or events avoid political or partisan statements or commentary and maintain a culture of mutual respect. Statements and presentations made are solely those of the individual participants and do not necessarily represent the views of other participants or the National Academies.
