A new initiative launched by the McGill University Health Centre Foundation aims to accelerate progress and address longstanding gaps in women’s health-care and research. The Women’s Health Circle aims to bring together 500 women to advance research and improve care through their philanthropy, leadership, and networking. As part of the launch, six research projects targeting gaps in women’s health care were selected for funding. The projects span a range of areas, including ovarian cancer, cardiovascular and brain health, endometriosis, menopause, and more inclusive clinical research. “We’re doing concrete support to projects right here in our community to move them forward, to move the science, the research, but also the clinical care,” said Marie-Hélène Laramée, McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) Foundation President and CEO. Several projects focus on cardiovascular health in women, one of many areas in health that has historically been understudied and underfunded. Recent research has shown women can experience different heart attack symptoms from men, potentially leading to their symptoms being overlooked by health-care professionals. According to Laramée, nearly 78 per cent of early signs of a heart attack are missed. “The gaps in data still exist, and it will take a long time to fill those gaps. There has been progress, but it’s not regulated in clinical trials to have 50-50 or to have all of these trials done on women as well,” said Laramée. The Women’s Health Circle builds on the MUHC Foundation’s Women’s Health Council, a group of 15 women who have plegdged $7 million to help shape the foundation’s approach to women’s health through a dedicated fund that supports research aimed at improving women’s health-care. These initiatives are part of a larger effort in Canada to address historical inequities in women’s research and care.
