Women's Health (Video)

Vaginal microbiome research may offer new ways to understand infections, fertility, preterm birth and other areas of women’s health. Pita Navarro, co-founder and chief scientific officer of Evvy, joins Cynthia Gyamfi-Bannerman, M.D., M.S., of UC San Diego Health, to explain how patient-contributed samples and health information can support research and product development. Navarro describes Evvy’s...

Gladys (Sandy) Ramos, M.D., is a UC San Diego Health perinatologist and professor who cares for patients with complex pregnancies, including those affected by diabetes. She explains how immigrating from Peru, learning from her grandmother and wanting to serve Spanish-speaking communities shaped her work. Ramos also describes feeling out of place in college and not getting into medical school on he...

Mechanical forces may help the body coordinate pregnancy and labor. Yunxiao Zhang, Ph. D., of Scripps Research Institute, examines how PIEZO1 and PIEZO2, proteins that open in response to stretch, contribute to uterine contractions and the timing of birth. Zhang finds PIEZO1 in uterine smooth muscle and PIEZO2 in sensory nerve fibers around the cervix. In mouse models, removing both channels weake...

Menopause care is changing as more patients seek evidence-based guidance for symptoms, prevention, and long-term health. Kathryn Macaulay, M.D., M.S.C.P., F.A.C.O.G., UC San Diego Health, and Rajita Patil, M.D., M.S.C.P., F.A.C.O.G., UCLA Health, explain why many people still struggle to find trained care, even as menopause affects sleep, mood, work, genitourinary health, and cardiometabolic risk....

Cardiovascular disease is a major threat to maternal health during pregnancy and the peripartum period, particularly for women with preexisting heart conditions. A UC San Diego cardiologist describes the development of a multidisciplinary cardio-obstetrics initiative designed to coordinate care for patients with congenital heart disease, heart failure, arrhythmias and coronary artery disease. The...

AI-powered cell imaging may help researchers identify biological differences that are difficult or impossible to see by eye. Yu-Hwa Lo, Ph. D., and Louise Laurent, M.D., Ph. D., describe a system that combines high-speed imaging, cell sorting, microfluidics, and artificial intelligence. The technology creates label-free images of cells, uses AI to classify them, and can isolate selected cells for...

Continuous glucose monitoring and wearable data are changing how researchers study pregnancy and women’s health. Gladys (Sandy) Ramos, M.D., explains why glucose control is difficult during pregnancy and how CGM can reveal patterns that finger-stick testing may miss. She also describes research on CGM use in type 2 and gestational diabetes, labor, and behavior change. Ben Smarr, Ph. D., shows how...

Alzheimer’s disease can begin developing years before memory and thinking problems become noticeable. Iris Broce-Diaz, Ph. D., of UC San Diego is developing accessible, noninvasive, and cost-effective tools to help primary care physicians and neurologists identify people at higher risk earlier. Her models combine information from cognitive assessments, brain imaging, genetics, and PET scans to est...

Men with non-obstructive azoospermia may undergo microscopic testicular sperm extraction, or mTESE, without knowing whether sperm will be found. Kun Tan, Ph. D., of UC San Diego explains how molecular semen analysis could provide a noninvasive way to predict the procedure’s outcome. The assay uses stage-specific germ cell markers identified through single-cell RNA sequencing, then measures those m...

Climate and environmental change affect reproductive health and pregnancy in important ways. Dr. Marya Zlatnik explains how petrochemicals, climate change, and everyday chemical exposures can shape reproductive resilience and pregnancy outcomes. Zlatnik helps clarify how people can protect reproductive well-being in a changing climate with informed, resilience-building choices. Series: "Osher WISE...

Menopause and healthy aging affect women’s health and well-being in important ways. Dr. Tami Rowen explains how the best available evidence shapes menopausal management, with a focus on the data and safety around hormone therapy. Dr. Riley Bove examines brain, heart, gynecological, bone, and emotional health during the postmenopausal years, helping clarify how women can support health in this next...

Fertility health affects conception and reproductive planning in important ways. Jennifer Ashby, DAOM, and Maren Shapiro, MD, explain how East Asian medicine principles and daily habits shape fertility optimization. Ashby examines Jing, Blood, Qi, Yin/Yang balance, and stress, while Shapiro examines sleep, nutrition, exercise, supplements, timing intercourse, and when to seek additional support, h...

Adolescent health affects the well-being of teen girls in important ways. Dr. Jenifer Matthews and Dr. David Becker explain how hormonal change and emerging technology shape physical and mental health. Matthews examines acne, PMS, and menstrual cycle irregularities, and offers integrative approaches to supporting teen hormonal balance, including key nutritional strategies and simple, safe herbal m...

Menopause can affect sexual health in ways that are common, frustrating, and often overlooked. Kathryn Macaulay, M.D., Director, UC San Diego Menopause Health Program, explains how hormonal changes during perimenopause and menopause contribute to vaginal dryness, pain with intercourse, and low libido. Macaulay also outlines why these symptoms can have more than one cause, including physical change...

Menopause symptoms can affect sleep, mood, and everyday quality of life in ways that are easy to dismiss but hard to ignore. Kathryn Macaulay, M.D., Director, UC San Diego Menopause Health Program, explains what menopause is, when hormone therapy is considered, and why treatment decisions depend on symptoms, health history, and individual risk. Macaulay also addresses hot flashes, night sweats, os...

Perimenopause can bring physical and emotional changes that leave many women feeling unsettled. Kathryn Macaulay, M.D., Director, UC San Diego Menopause Health Program, explains how hormonal shifts and changing menstrual cycles shape this stage of life. Macaulay examines symptoms such as irregular periods, hot flashes, and mood changes, along with broader concerns including weight, overall health,...

The postpartum period is a major transition that reshapes the body, emotions, and daily life all at once. Julia Cormano, MD, FACOG presents a clear overview of recovery after delivery, explaining common physical changes, expected discomforts, and practical ways to support healing. Cormano emphasizes that experiences vary, and that understanding what is typical can reduce stress and help families f...

Ina Stelzer, Ph. D., explores how the maternal immune system adapts to support a healthy pregnancy and how disruptions can lead to complications like preterm birth. Her lab identifies early immune changes linked to spontaneous preterm birth and investigates the role of the maternal brain in regulating immune responses. Stelzer uses advanced technologies like mass cytometry and spatial proteomics t...

Amanda Lewis, Ph. D. investigates how glycan-degrading enzymes contribute to bacterial vaginosis (BV), a common condition linked to infertility, preterm birth, pelvic inflammatory disease, and increased cancer risk. Her research shows that BV-associated bacteria strip protective sugar coatings—glycans—from vaginal epithelial cells, disrupting normal function and increasing vulnerability to infecti...

Rebecca Rakow Penner, M.D., Ph. D., is a body and breast imaging radiologist and MRI physicist advancing how pelvic pain and gynecologic cancers are diagnosed through imaging. She highlights how MRI is improving the detection of endometriosis, pelvic adhesions, venous disorders, and pelvic floor dysfunction with enhanced resolution and motion-sensitive techniques. Rakow Penner also works on new MR...

Sarah Banks, Ph. D. explores why Alzheimer's disease affects women differently than men, emphasizing distinct patterns in tau pathology, cognitive testing bias, and treatment response. She explains how women tend to show a rapid buildup of tau during early cognitive decline, which may contribute to their higher prevalence of Alzheimer's. Banks also highlights how common diagnostic tools may overlo...

Marni Jacobs, Ph. D., M.P.H., presents the MOM Health Study, part of the NIH's Multi-Omics for Health and Disease (MOHD) Consortium, which investigates hypertensive disorders of pregnancy—such as preeclampsia—and their impact on postpartum health. The study aims to uncover the biological mechanisms linking these conditions to long-term maternal outcomes like stroke and heart disease. Unlike other...

Louise Laurent, M.D., Ph. D., presents new insights into placental biology using cutting-edge molecular and imaging technologies. As part of the NIH-funded Human Biomolecular Atlas Program, her research focuses on mapping the structure and function of the placenta across gestation. By combining bulk RNA sequencing, single-cell analysis, spatial transcriptomics, and imaging mass cytometry, Laurent...

Lars Bode, Ph. D., presents the Human Milk Institute at UC San Diego, the world’s first research center dedicated entirely to human milk. Established in 2022, the institute connects molecular research with clinical practice, community outreach, and public health. It unites multiple programs under one umbrella, including a milk bank for preterm infants, a biorepository, lactation education, and a r...

Anthony Molina, Ph. D. highlights research and resources from the Stein Institute for Research on Aging that support healthy aging, with a focus on women’s health. He describes the institute’s work in training scientists, conducting clinical trials, and promoting community engagement. Key resources include a geroscience lab for biomarker discovery, new facilities for exposome and epigenetics resea...