WHAM Spring Forum unites investors, innovators, and advocates for change around bold ideas and a call to close the gender health gap
Last month, the Wyss Institute had the honor of hosting the Women’s Health Access Matters (WHAM) Spring Forum, convening researchers, industry leaders, investors, and advocates committed to closing the gender health gap. The event brought together cross-sector voices to explore bold ideas, share scientific breakthroughs, and catalyze action across women’s brain, heart, and reproductive health.
Guests toured the Wyss Institute’s cutting-edge labs, engaged with researchers driving the Women’s Health Catalyst, and networked with fellow changemakers. The program featured a keynote by Richard Novak, CEO of Wyss startup Unravel Biosciences, on how AI is transforming drug discovery, alongside powerful sessions highlighting both the promise and the pressing needs of women’s health innovation.
Science at the Forefront: Breakthroughs in Brain and Heart Health
Panels on Alzheimer’s and cardiovascular disease spotlighted the life-altering potential of sex-based research and translational science. Wyss Core Faculty members Don Ingber and David Walt shared game-changing diagnostic innovations, including blood-based biomarkers for Alzheimer’s and organ-on-chip platforms revealing sex-specific drug responses. Leaders from Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Northwell Health emphasized that women’s unique risk factors remain dangerously underrecognized, with outdated diagnostic frameworks and systemic underfunding leaving critical gaps in care.
From blood-brain barrier Organ Chips to AI-powered diagnostics for early menopause-linked heart disease, these sessions made one thing clear: equity in science starts with designing for women’s biology, not retrofitting treatments built for men.
The Policy and Funding Puzzle: Navigating Headwinds
A fireside chat between WHAM Senior Advisor Janet Foutty and former FDA Associate Commissioner Marsha Henderson delved into the structural challenges in regulation and public funding. With NIH cuts threatening to decimate the biomedical research ecosystem, Henderson underscored the urgency of strengthening regulatory science, improving representation in clinical trials, and ensuring AI tools are built – and governed – ethically.
The message was sobering but actionable: systemic change depends on scientific literacy, sustained advocacy, and louder collective voices.
Investing in the Future: Aligning Capital with Impact
Investment leaders from HSBC Innovation Banking, RA Capital, and Foreground Capital shared strategies for scaling sex-based innovation. Despite record-breaking momentum in 2024, panelists noted a continued funding gap and misperception that women’s health lacks market potential. The reality: investments in women’s health are not only morally urgent – they are financially smart.
Panelists called for creative capital strategies, from philanthropy to direct-to-consumer models, and emphasized the role of storytelling in convincing skeptical investors. “If you can change one woman’s life, you can change the trajectory of a market,” one panelist noted.
From Idea to Impact: Founder Stories of Resilience and Breakthrough
In one of the forum’s most inspiring sessions, women founders shared how personal journeys fueled their innovations – whether developing diagnostics for ovarian cancer or precision tools for the vaginal microbiome. These entrepreneurs spoke candidly about the challenges of building in a biased system, where clinical data and capital are scarce. Yet their persistence – and growing support from mission-aligned ecosystems – are redefining what’s possible.
Their message was clear: this is women’s health’s moment. With the convergence of AI, alternative funding models, and growing public awareness, we’re finally seeing the infrastructure emerge to support the next generation of transformative technologies.
Closing Call: Optimism and Action
In closing remarks, Wyss COO and Technology Translation Director Angelika Fretzen issued a heartfelt invitation: join us. Whether through collaboration, investment, or advocacy, every contribution moves the field closer to life-changing impact. “Even helping one woman avoid one day of pain,” she said, “is worth it.”
The WHAM Spring Forum was more than a convening – it was a rallying cry. As we face funding headwinds, persistent bias, and regulatory complexity, this community remains united by science, urgency, and hope. Together, we’re not just imagining a better future in women’s health – we’re building it.
1/14 Wyss Institute researchers Shilpa Pothapragada and Sandy Elmehrath engage with visitors on a tour of the ENDO Lab, showcasing groundbreaking work on female organ-on-chip models and nanotechnology to better understand and treat endometriosis. Their collaborative research aims to improve diagnostics, reduce pain, and accelerate the development of non-hormonal therapies tailored to women’s unique biological responses. Credit: Wyss Institute at Harvard University 
2/14 Panelists at Rethinking the Future of Brain Health: Innovating Alzheimer’s Care – Sex-Based Breakthroughs discuss cutting-edge technologies tackling the heightened risk of Alzheimer’s in postmenopausal women. From left to right: Meryl Comer, Co-Founder of UsAgainstAlzheimer’s and Vice Chair of WHAM; Don Ingber, Founding Director of the Wyss Institute; Haiyan Peng, Director of Research at Alnylam Pharmaceuticals; and David Walt, Core Faculty at the Wyss Institute. 
3/14 Sandra Fenwick, CEO Emerita of Boston Children’s Hospital and Wyss Institute Board Member, emphasizes the critical need to accelerate research on sex-based differences to drive transformative breakthroughs in healthcare. Credit: Wyss Institute at Harvard University 
4/14 Experts on The Heart of Innovation panel share breakthroughs in precision cardiovascular care for women. From left to right: Jill Kalman, Chief Medical Officer, Senior Vice President and Deputy Physician-in-Chief at Northwell Health; Alyson McGregor, Professor of Emergency Medicine and Associate Dean of Faculty Affairs and Development at University of South Carolina School of Medicine in Greenville; Chris Chen, Core Faculty at the Wyss Institute; and Kathryn Rexrode, Director of Women’s Health, Division of Preventive Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Credit: Wyss Institute at Harvard University. 
5/14 On a tour of the Wyss Institute, Business Development Director Alex Li describes Prapela's vibrating mattress for opioid-exposed infants and Gameto's IVF treatment - two Wyss-developed technologies making real-world impact in Women's Health today. Credit: Wyss Institute at Harvard University 
6/14 In a dynamic fireside chat, Redefining the Future of Healthcare: Funding & Regulations – Where Do We Go From Here?, Janet Foutty, Senior Advisor at WHAM and Former Chair and Consulting CEO at Deloitte, and Marsha Henderson, Former Associate Commissioner for Women’s Health at the FDA and Board Member of WHAM, explore the evolving policy landscape and strategies to accelerate innovation in women’s health. Credit: Wyss Institute at Harvard University. 
7/14 WHAM Spring Forum attendees mingle outside the presentation room during a coffee break. Credit: Wyss Institute at Harvard University. 
8/14 Wyss Scientist and member of the Advanced Technology Team Megan Sperry describes her work to forum attendees on a tour through the “Swamp,” where Xenopus tadpoles and zebrafish are driving rapid advances in drug discovery. Megan’s work blends human data with living model systems to uncover causes of complex diseases and accelerate treatments for conditions like chronic fatigue, anxiety, and depression – ushering in a new era of innovation in women’s health. Credit: Wyss Institute at Harvard University 
9/14 Richard Novak, Co-Founder and CEO of Unravel Biosciences, delivers the keynote Breaking Out of the Lab: How AI is Rewriting the Rules of Drug Discovery, highlighting how AI-driven systems biology and rapid in vivo screening are revolutionizing therapeutic development – especially for women’s health. Credit: Wyss Institute at Harvard University. 
10/14 Wyss Senior Scientist Luba Perry mingles with forum attendees during a break between panel discussions. Luba is a member of the Wyss’ Advanced Technology Team who leads multiple women’s health projects that leverage 3D organ engineering. Credit: Wyss Institute at Harvard University 
11/14 WHAM Spring Forum attendees mingle outside the presentation room during a coffee break. Credit: Wyss Institute at Harvard University. 
12/14 Wyss Institute Technology Translation Director and Chief Operating Officer Angelika Fretzen delivers inspiring closing remarks, celebrating the momentum in women’s health innovation, and called for collective action to accelerate breakthroughs – emphasizing that even small contributions can make a meaningful impact. 
13/14 Carola Cadley, Special Project Assistant to the CEO at Boston Children's Hospital, and Sandra Fenwick, CEO Emerita of Boston Children’s Hospital, connect at the WHAM Spring Forum. Credit: Wyss Institute at Harvard University 
14/14 WHAM Spring Forum attendees network during the reception in the Penthouse at 201 Brookline Ave. following the event. Credit: Wyss Institute at Harvard University
Opportunities to Help Advance Women’s Health at the Wyss
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ReConstruct: Vascularized Tissue for Breast Reconstruction and AugmentationThe ReConstruct team has developed 3D-printed breast tissue derived from a patient’s own cells that can be easily integrated with the vascular system to offer a safer option for breast reconstruction after surgery. The ReConstruct team aims to launch a startup and is currently seeking potential investors, partners, and collaborators who are interested in helping to commercialize this technology.
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ENDOx: Early Diagnosis, Imaging, and Treatment of EndometriosisEndometriosis affects 190 million women and girls worldwide. The ENDOx team, led by Sandy Elmehrath, is developing novel drug delivery platforms integrated with physiologically relevant models to uncover the underlying mechanisms causing this understudied gynecologic disorder. Get in touch with Sandy to learn how you can help accelerate her work.
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OvaVasc: Enhanced Ovarian Tissue Engraftment for FertilityNearly 80% of women who survive cancer go on to struggle with fertility. While freezing and re-implanting ovarian tissue can help preserve fertility, the process often leads to tissue damage and poor long-term results. The OvaVasc team is working to improve fertility options for young cancer survivors through safer, more effective ovarian tissue transplants. This could greatly boost the chances of pregnancy and restore hormone function – offering new hope in reproductive medicine.
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