The Making of a Movement in Women’s Brain Health

For decades, neuroscience has overlooked a fundamental aspect of human biology: the female brain. 

The intricate relationships between brain function and hormonal shifts—throughout menstrual cycles, pregnancy, perimenopause, and beyond—have largely remained uncharted. 

For example, how is it that nearly 70 percent of Alzheimer’s patients are women, yet less than 0.5 percent of neuroimaging studies in the past 30 years have considered female-specific biological factors? 

These gaps in knowledge aren’t just scientific oversights; they’re barriers to better health outcomes for half the global population. That is why the team at the Ann S. Bowers Women’s Brain Health Initiative (Bowers WBHI) is determined to close this research gap with support from the UC Noyce Initiative.

A Mission with Global Impact

Led by Associate Professor Emily Jacobs, Ph.D. of UC Santa Barbara, Bowers WBHI is reshaping the conversation around women’s brain health. The team uses computational health, artificial intelligence and data-sharing to transform neuroscience.

“We’re using the power of the University of California to change the trajectory of neuroscience,” Jacobs said. “By bringing together experts from across the UC system, along with Stanford, Cornell and global collaborators, we’re able to tackle complex challenges in women’s brain health in a way that’s never been done before.”

The flagship project of the Bowers WBHI, the WBHI Brain Bank, unites six UC campuses—Berkeley, Irvine, San Diego, San Francisco, and Santa Barbara—to pool thousands of neuroimaging and health data with the goal of unearthing new discoveries and insight into women’s brain health. Russ Poldrack, Ph.D. and Joshua Buckholtz, Ph.D., of Stanford University, along with Caitlin Taylor, Ph.D., of UC Santa Barbara are working together to spearhead the WBHI BrainBank in collaboration with personnel from six other campuses.There are planned expansions to include UCLA and UC Davis in the future. Likewise, women's health scholars inCanada and Europe are working with WBHI leadership to build what the team is calling “sister hubs,” creating a global reach for the WBHI Brain Bank.

“The University of California has a unique opportunity to lead this effort,” Jacobs said. “Pooling neuroimaging and health data allows us to move beyond a fragmented, piecemeal approach to science. Breakthroughs in women’s brain health will be accelerated if we pool data and expertise across campuses.”

AI-Powered Breakthroughs

Artificial intelligence is central to Bowers WBHI’s research advancements. Led by computational experts Poldrack, Nina Miolane, Ph.D., at UC Santa Barbara and Amy Kuceyeski, Ph.D., at Cornell University, the AI Core is producing innovations once thought impossible. A major breakthrough is “HerBrain,” the first AI-powered digital twin of a woman’s brain across the menstrual cycle, with future expansions for pregnancy and perimenopause.

“The ability to simulate how a woman’s brain changes over time is a game changer,” said Miolane. “This technology could transform how we diagnose and treat conditions like postpartum depression, menopause-related cognitive decline, and Alzheimer’s disease.”

WE’RE USING THE POWER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA TO CHANGE THE TRAJECTORY OF NEUROSCIENCE. BY BRINGING TOGETHER EXPERTS FROM ACROSS THE UC SYSTEM...WE’RE ABLE TO TACKLE COMPLEX CHALLENGES IN WOMEN’S BRAIN HEALTH IN A WAY THAT’S NEVER BEEN DONE BEFORE.

Mapping the Mind From Maternity to Menopause

In addition to the WBHI Brain Bank, the WBHI oversees moonshot projects that focus on key transitions across the lifespan, including pregnancy and menopause. Deep phenotyping and precision imaging approaches are giving scientists a window into these transformative periods in life. Neuroscientists, immunologists, molecular biologists, reproductive psychiatrists and AI experts are joining forces to learn more than ever about these transitions. 

The Maternal Brain Project led by a team of scientists including:

• Emily Jacobs, Ph.D. (UC Santa Barbara)
• Susana Carmona, Ph.D. (Instituto de Investigacion Sanitaria, Madrid, Spain)
• Ina Stelzer, Ph.D. (UC San Diego)Sheila Shanmugan, M.D., Ph.D. (University of Pennsylvania)
• Liz Chrastil, Ph.D. (UC Irvine)
• Magdalena Martinez Garcia, Ph.D., (UC Santa Barbara)
• Winnie Orchard, Ph.D. (UC Santa Barbara) 

Together, they are mapping the brain from pre-conception through one year postpartum. The project's first paper, led by Ph.D. student Laura Pritschet, generated the first map of the human brain throughout pregnancy. Another paper out generates insights into early markers of risk for postpartum depression. Meanwhile, the Longitudinal MenopauseProject, led by Suzanne Baker, Ph.D., of Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and Rachel BuckleyRachel Buckley, Ph.D., of Harvard University and Massachusetts General Hospital, will map the brain across menopause in women spanning the ages 45-65.

“These initiatives are tackling some of the most critical and understudied areas in women’s brain health,” Jacobs said. “By taking a comprehensive, longitudinal approach, we’re gaining a deeper understanding of the unique experiences women go through in their lifetime.”

A National Call to Action

The Bowers WBHI’s impact is gaining national recognition. In March 2023, Jacobs visited the White House to celebrate the launch of the first-ever White House Initiative on Women’s HealthResearch. 

“It felt like one of those moments I’ll tell my grandchildren about,” she recalled. “This is the moment where we, as a nation, decided to invest in women’s health and ensure that research supports all of society, not just half.”

Leading the National Conversation

Bowers WBHI has also been a driving force in discussions on women’s brain health, with widespread media coverage in Nature, National Geographic, The Washington Post, Scientific American, and The Wall Street Journal. Their studies on neuroanatomical changes during pregnancy, the cognitive effects of menopause, and menstrual cycle-driven brain shifts have not only gained public attention but have also shaped policy discussions at the highest levels. 

Impact of UCNI Funding

According to researchers, Bowers WBHI’s progress would not have been possible without UC Noyce support.In 2023-24, Bowers WBHI researchers authored or co-authored 21 peer-reviewed publications in Nature Neuroscience, ScienceAdvances, Nature Communications, eLife, andHuman Brain Mapping. This surge in research has established WBHI as a leader in women’s brain health. Beyond publications, UCNI funding has helped secure $2.5 million of dollars in new grants and philanthropic support. The NIH is reviewing over $15 million for proposals on perinatal depression and hormonal influences on brain aging.“We're thinking about how public-private partnerships and consortium science can drive innovation,” Jacobs said. “It’s not just about the money; it’s about bringing the right people together to tackle these complex challenges.”At the event, Jacobs contributed expertise to White House initiatives focused on the underrepresentation of women in neuroscience. 

“Less 0.5 percent of brain imaging articles have studied female specific experiences” she said. “It's a staggering statistic, and one we’re determined to change.”

The Making of a Movement 

In collaboration with the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), Bowers WBHI curated a special issue on women's health for Science Advances journal (International Women's Day 2025 release date). The initiative has also partnered with the Women’s Brain Health Coalition, and the WHAM Research Collaborative to drive the national and international agenda on women’s health research. Additionally, Bowers WBHI has worked with organizations like the 51Foundation, Women in Data Science, and MIT’s DHIVE program, ensuring the next generation of scientists and entrepreneurs can tackle pressing questions in women’s brain health. Locally, Bowers WBHI is advising Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara on expanding its women’s health service line, with plans to feature female brain health in their 2026 research symposium. Building off its 2023-24 successes, WBHI’s momentum continues to grow. 

“If we do this right, this won’t just be a moment for women’s brain health,” Jacobs said. “This will be a movement.”