Rethinking the Research Model: Women’s Health and the Future of Bipolar Science
On International Day of Women and Girls in Science, BD² is spotlighting the women advancing research and care for people living with bipolar disorder, and the work still needed to ensure women’s mental health is fully understood, represented, and prioritized in science.
In a new roundtable discussion, Emily Baxi, PhD, Program Director of the BD² Integrated Network, spoke with members of the BD² Women’s Health Workgroup, Aysegul Ozerdem, MD, PhD, Pamela Mahon, PhD, and Benicio Frey, MD, PhD, about historical gaps in women’s mental health research, why reproductive transitions matter in bipolar disorder, and how the field can move forward.
Watch the full discussion below.
A history of underrepresentation in women’s mental health research
For decades, women’s mental health, particularly in bipolar disorder, has reflected broader patterns of exclusion in clinical research. Early work focused largely on pregnancy and postpartum outcomes, while many other aspects of women’s experiences across the lifespan received little attention.
“As recently as the late 20th century, women, especially those of childbearing potential, were often excluded from early drug trials,” said Ozerdem. “For a long time, research centered on pregnancy and postpartum, while much of the rest of women’s lived experience with bipolar disorder went understudied.”
At the same time, mental health has often been deprioritized within women’s health research overall. “When people think about women’s health, they often think of obstetrics and gynecology,” noted Mahon. “Women’s mental health has been underfunded and underprioritized, even though conditions like bipolar disorder can differ by sex in how they present and progress.”
Why reproductive hormonal transitions matter in bipolar disorder
Beyond pregnancy and the postpartum period, growing evidence suggests that reproductive transitions, such as menstrual cycle changes and the menopause transition, can influence the course of bipolar disorder.
“Many people living with bipolar disorder can identify times when their symptoms worsen during hormonal transitions,” said Frey. “But those experiences are often not adequately recognized in routine care. Understanding hormonal sensitivity can help clinicians provide more precise, responsive treatment.”
These transitions don’t operate in isolation. They intersect with aging, stress, and treatment response in ways that are only beginning to be understood. Through the BD² Integrated Network, researchers now have the opportunity to study these changes longitudinally, linking clinical experiences with biological data over time.
Investing in the next generation of women leaders in science
The researchers also reflected on the importance of representation in science itself. While progress has been made, women remain underrepresented in many leadership roles across biomedical research.
“Mentorship and sponsorship matter,” said Mahon. “For people starting out, don’t hesitate to reach out to researchers whose work you admire. Building community strengthens the field.”
Ozerdem added, “We need to be intentional about bringing early- and mid-career women into research initiatives and leadership opportunities. They are the future of this work, and we learn just as much from them as they do from us.”
Looking ahead: building better science and better care
Looking forward, the group emphasized that improving care for women with bipolar disorder will require both stronger evidence and sustained investment in the next generation of scientists and clinicians.
“We need robust data to change practice, and strong training pipelines to sustain progress,” said Frey. “Supporting equity, diversity, and inclusion in science is how we ensure future generations can continue closing these gaps.”
By building inclusive, longitudinal, and patient-informed research, the BD² Integrated Network aims to advance more precise, equitable care and ensure discoveries reflect the people they are meant to serve.