Press Release | Zurich, Switzerland | 15 May, 2025 

The Women’s Brain Foundation (WBF), a non-profit organization leading research and advocacy for the consideration of sex and gender differences in brain and mental health, has published, in collaboration with the McKinsey Health Institute, and with scientists at Stanford University and Rice University, a study highlighting the need to prioritize women’s brain health as a critical driver of global economic and societal well-being. Published in Nature Mental Health, this study builds on the findings of the McKinsey Health Institute report in collaboration with the World Economic Forum, “Closing the Women’s Health Gap: A $1 Trillion Opportunity to Improve Lives and Economies”, and outlines the evidence base for increased study, treatment and funding of diseases and disorders disproportionately affecting women.

Certain diseases and disorders, like Alzheimer’s, migraine, multiple sclerosis and depression, while universally shared, manifest differently in men and women. Acknowledging, studying and acting upon these differences in symptoms, disease progression, time to diagnose and treatment response is key to enabling healthier lives and economies.

This paper introduces the concept of “Women’s Brain Capital”—a framework that underscores the economic and societal opportunity in addressing sex- and gender-specific brain health disparities through research and investment. Women are the majority of patients affected by mental and brain diseases such as depression, anxiety, migraine, multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer’s disease. Dr. Antonella Santuccione Chadha, President and Founder of WBF and one of the senior authors of the study, emphasizes, “Neglecting women’s brain and mental health is not just a scientific oversight—it is an economic and societal failure. We cannot continue to ignore the sex- and gender-based differences in brain health research, diagnosis, and treatment. Investing in women’s brain capital is essential to fostering healthier, more resilient and prosperous societies.”

Key findings from the study:

Increased focus and investment by stakeholders across industries, including academic researchers, drug developers, and governments, into brain and mental diseases disproportionately affecting women, like depression, migraine, multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer disease – with successful outcomes –could potentially boost the global GDP by $250 billion by 2040 and open up more investment opportunities going forward. Thus far, most research dollars and time have gone towards a one-disease-fits-all approach, or to male predominant and lifespan diseases.

Increased women representation in preclinical research and clinical trials is needed to enhance our knowledge of sex-based differences so that we can enable better health outcomes and create a positive ripple effect throughout society.

Despite living longer than men, women spend on average 25% more of their lives in poor health, and this is significantly impacting their participation in the workforce, education, and society at large. This health gap, particularly in neurologic and psychiatric disorders, has profound consequences—not only for individual well-being, but also for global economic productivity.

A Call to Action

All stakeholders have a role to play in driving action to harness the health and economic benefits of prioritizing women’s brain health. This study highlights four areas of opportunity:

Destigmatizing and raising awareness of psychiatric and neurological disorders across the lifespan through increasing societal awareness of stigmas and women-specific challenges related to psychiatric and neurological disorders.

Integrating sex and gender in research and clinical trials to improve the accuracy of diagnostics and treatments, and de-biasing the brain health-care delivery system at large through training for health-care providers to recognize and address gender biases in diagnosis, treatment and referral practices.

Considering policies that advance brain health within healthcare plans, promote brain capital in the workplace, allocate funding for sex-/gender-specific research on brain health, and amplify current academic policies that include sex as a biological variable in preclinical and clinical brain health.

Investing in women’s brain health and innovation through increased national and regional funding for clinical research, public and private investments, improved collaboration and knowledge sharing, and accelerator programs for startups.

As Megan Greenfield, Affiliated Leader of the McKinsey Health Institute shares, “Everyone has a role to play in closing the women’s health gap, and investing in women’s brain capital is a critical component of taking action towards a healthier and more prosperous society. No matter which field of work one operates in – addressing the women’s brain health gap can have a positive impact on lives and livelihoods.”

By recognizing the importance of women’s brain health as a fundamental component of economic and social progress, this research serves as a catalyst for change—driving forward new strategies for prevention, diagnosis, and treatment that benefit all of society.

Link to the article: https://www.nature.com/articles/s44220-025-00406-6

About the Women’s Brain Foundation

The WBF is an independent international research organization based in Switzerland, harnessing the expertise of a global team of scientists and doctors. Our experts come from diverse fields and collaborate with patients to integrate sex and gender considerations into precision medicine—spanning basic science to cutting-edge technologies. The WBF conducts, coordinates, supports, and advances sex- and gender-based research, driving innovation in precision medicine. As both an incubator and accelerator, WBF is dedicated to fostering groundbreaking discoveries that enhance women’s brain health.

About the McKinsey Health Institute

The McKinsey Health Institute (MHI) is an enduring, non-profit-generating entity within McKinsey & Company. MHI believes, over the next decade, humanity could add as much as 45 billion extra years of higher-quality life, which is roughly six years per person on average — and substantially more in some countries and populations. MHI’s mission is to catalyze the actions needed across continents, sectors, and communities to realize this possibility.

Contact Information:

Women’s Brain Foundation
Email: info@womensbrainproject.com
Website: www.womensbrainproject.com

This communication has been kindly supported by Lundbeck.