Women's Health Science Leaders

WHSL is the philanthropic arm of Her Biorhythm, a nonprofit organization recognized under section 501c3 of the United States tax code, dedicated to fostering substantial improvements in the quality and inclusivity of health research and education - both domestically and internationally.

As a society grounded in evidence-based principles, we understand the paramount importance of constructing our systems, policies, and societal frameworks upon robust data. However, the current landscape is marred by a glaring disparity in female representation within research endeavors. This deficiency has resulted in a global database that is heavily skewed toward male-centric perspectives, presenting multifaceted challenges not only for women but for the collective advancement of humanity.

Our organization actively engages in collaborative efforts with educational institutions, research entities, policymakers, industry leaders, and catalysts for change across the globe. Through these partnerships, we are steadfastly committed to enhancing data and research standards, advocating for equitable representation of women in research initiatives, and bolstering support for women pursuing careers in the STEM fields.

By championing these endeavors, we strive to rectify existing imbalances, foster inclusivity, and cultivate a research landscape that truly reflects the diversity and needs of all individuals. We implore you to join us in this crucial mission to shape a more equitable and impactful future for women's health research worldwide.

Current Initiatives:

The Women’s Health Research Reform: A Tool to Assess & Improve the Quality & Applicability of Research for Women

Despite decades of policy reform and recent gains, women’s health research remains fundamentally flawed. A persistent male-default bias continues to compromise the quality and applicability of clinical research. This bias stems not only from the historical underrepresentation of female participants, but also from the failure to account for critical physiological sex differences in study design, data collection, and reporting.

Even when women are included in clinical studies, essential female-specific variables—such as hormonal status, menstrual cycle phase, and sex-specific disease patterns—are frequently overlooked. This leads to data that is scientifically diluted, often misleading, and poorly suited to guide care for female populations. The result? Widespread misdiagnoses, inappropriate treatments, and substandard health outcomes for women across nearly every medical specialty.

We can no longer afford to treat the female body as a deviation from a male norm. The female body is a biologically distinct system that demands its own standards of scientific rigor.

Introducing the Women’s Health Research Scale (WHRS)

To address this urgent issue, we created the Women’s Health Research Scale (WHRS)—a groundbreaking quality assessment tool designed to:

Evaluate the rigor and relevance of clinical research for women

Elevate the standards of women’s health research across disciplines

Provide practical, evidence-based benchmarks for methodological rigor, inclusivity, and transparency

The WHRS systematically assesses research across three critical dimensions: Sex-specific inclusion, data collection & methodology, reporting.

A Tool for Systemic Reform

The WHRS is more than a scoring system. It’s a strategic tool for research equity that empowers:

Researchers to design better, more inclusive studies

Funders to prioritize high-quality, sex-specific science

Policymakers to close data gaps and correct structural bias

Journals to ensure transparency and reproducibility

By setting clear and actionable standards, the WHRS enables institutions to drive meaningful reform from within the research ecosystem.

What’s Next

We are actively working to implement the WHRS across academic, federal, and clinical research systems through:

Strategic partnerships with public health and research institutions

Integration into AI-powered research review and scoring platforms

Development of open-access data repositories for hormone-informed, sex-disaggregated research

A comprehensive manuscript detailing the WHRS framework and methodology—developed by a national consortium of leading women’s health scientists (including Dr. Kayla Osterhoff)—will be published in 2025. This publication will lay the scientific groundwork for institutional adoption of the WHRS.

Join the Movement

As the White House advances a national initiative on women’s health, the WHRS stands ready as a timely and transformative lever for systemic reform. It offers the opportunity to dramatically improve research quality, clinical relevance, and health outcomes for women everywhere.

Learn more. Support the cause. Be part of the solution.