Toronto, ON (September 22, 2026) – A new study led by researchers with the Women’s Health Research Cluster, the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) and the University of Toronto highlights significant opportunities to expand women’s health research across the lifespan. The study found that only 6.4 per cent of Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) operating and project grant funding supported women’s health-centred research questions. The findings highlight opportunities to increase funding in all areas of women’s health and expand research across the full range of women’s health needs and life stages.
“Women spend about one per cent of their lives pregnant, compared with about 46 per cent of their lifespan menstruating and 39 per cent of their lifespan postmenopause,” said Dr. Liisa Galea, senior author, Senior Scientist and womenmind ™ Treliving Family Chair in Women’s Mental Health at CAMH, Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto, and Scientific Lead of the Women’s Health Research Cluster. “While pregnancy research is essential, greater investment across all life stages is needed to improve women’s health throughout their lives.”
The Lifespan Gap
Recently published in The Lancet Obstetrics, Gynaecology, & Women’s Health, the study examined CIHR operating and project grants from March 1, 2009, to Oct. 1, 2023. Over this 15-year period, 681 of 10,629 grants were female-specific, meaning they mentioned studying females or women only, and received 6.4 per cent of the total funding awarded overall. The researchers found that support for several major women’s health issues was limited and that women’s health research and funding were unevenly distributed across the lifespan, with funding concentrated on pregnancy-related studies.
As part of the study, each female-specific grant was also categorized according to whether it examined hormonal transitions, including puberty, the menstrual cycle, pregnancy or postpartum, and perimenopause or menopause, exogenous hormone use, including hormonal contraception, fertility treatments or menopause hormone therapy, or female-specific health conditions.
The study found:
- Hormonal contraception appeared in only 11 grants, representing 1.62 per cent of women’s health grants or 0.10 per cent of all CIHR-funded project grants examined across 15 years
- Polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS, formerly polycystic ovary syndrome) received six grants, representing 0.88 per cent of women’s health grants or 0.06 per cent of all project grants funded.
- Endometriosis accounted for 16 grants, representing 2.35 per cent of women’s health grants and 0.16 per cent of all project grants funded.
- Pregnancy-related studies accounted for 252 grants, representing 37 per cent of women’s health grants or 2.44 per cent of all CIHR-funded project grants funded, compared with 16 grants for postmenopause, three for menstrual cycles and four for puberty.
- Menstrual cycles appeared in only three grants across the 15-year period, representing 0.44 per cent of women’s health grants or 0.03 per cent of all CIHR-funded project grants.
- Postmenopause appeared in only 16 grants, representing 2.35 per cent of women’s health grants or 0.16 per cent of all CIHR-funded project grants.
“Public survey data from both the U.K. and Canada show a consistent pattern: women identify hormonal health, menopause and menstrual cycle-related conditions and how they influence mental and brain health as top priorities where they want more information and better care. Yet the research funding system does not reflect these priorities,” added Dr. Laura Gravelsins, first author and Scientific Associate at CAMH. “These findings point to an important opportunity to align research more closely with women’s health priorities and build knowledge across all stages of their lives.”
The findings show that lifelong hormonal transitions remain understudied and that common female-specific conditions receive comparatively little research attention.
“Broadening the research agenda is essential to closing knowledge gaps across women’s lives”, said Dr. Galea. “A more balanced, inclusive and lifespan-oriented approach would recognize the full complexity and heterogeneity of women’s health across puberty, menstrual cycles, the reproductive years, menopause and postmenopause. Right-sizing investment in women’s health research is an urgent matter of health equity—and essential to generating evidence and care that better reflect and support women throughout our lives.”
This work was led by the Women’s Health Research Cluster, Galea Lab of Behavioural Neuroendocrinology and CAMH. It was supported by a womenmind ™ grant to Galea and funding from the Women’s Health Research Cluster to Dr. Laura Gravelsins and co-author Ahmad Mohammad.
Learn more about how to advocate for women’s health research and join the Women’s Health Research Cluster for free access to its extensive network of researchers, clinicians, and experts, as well as numerous women’s health resources and events.
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About the Women’s Health Research Cluster
The Women’s Health Research Cluster is an international multidisciplinary network of researchers, clinicians, community partners and trainees working together to advance the health outcomes of girls and women worldwide. Its mission is to mobilize researchers and stakeholders to promote, expand and catalyze impactful women’s health research and advance sex-and-gender health equity. In 2024, the Women’s Health Research Cluster formed a strategic alliance with CAMH’s womenmind ™ initiative to broaden the scope and impact of women’s health research. Learn more at womenshealthresearchcluster.com.
About the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH)
The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) is Canada's largest mental health and addiction teaching hospital and a world leading research centre in this field. CAMH combines clinical care, research, education, policy development and health promotion to help transform the lives of people affected by mental illness and addiction. CAMH is fully affiliated with the University of Toronto and is a Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization Collaborating Centre. For more information, please visit camh.ca or follow @CAMHnews on Bluesky and LinkedIn.
Media contact:
CAMH Communications
media@camh.ca
