Universities across the United States are getting more involved in FemTech. | Unsplash photo
What you probably already know: The University of Miami’s Miller School of Medicine recently launched a FemTech program that it says could “revolutionize women’s health.” Johns Hopkins and Cornell increasingly emphasize FemTech in both their teachings and research. Florida International University offers an undergraduate course called “Introduction to FemTech: Innovations in Women’s Health.” England’s Cambridge University even launched a Femtech Society consisting of students and alumni that organizes talks, panel discussions and networking events. Universities across the globe are increasingly getting involved in FemTech to advance research, drive commercialization and train the next generation of FemTech innovators. Cornell University notes that FemTech initially focused on menstrual tracking apps and fertility solutions, but has expanded to include menopause care, sexual wellness, chronic disease management and a host of other areas.
Why it matters: Research related to women’s health has long been neglected in studies and health funding, with only 5% of global R&D allocated for women’s health as recently as 2020, and even most of that went toward cancer, pregnancy and fertility. Women weren’t even included in NIH clinical trials until 1993. But awareness and investment is increasing, as the World Economic Forum says women’s health represents a $1 trillion opportunity for the global economy by 2040, and Deloitte predicts the FemTech market will crest $100 billion as soon as 2032 as women themselves demand action after decades of historical dismissal over health concerns.
What it means: When Washington University launched the Center for Women’s Health Engineering three years ago, it added what it calls “a unique twist: engineering.” “Other fields, such as cardiovascular science and neuroscience, have benefited from collaborating with engineers,” says Sarah England, a professor of medicine and director of the university’s Center for Reproductive Health Services. “When we get more diversity, we start broadening the questions we study. I look at things differently when I talk to engineers.” The Center focuses on areas including maternal health, preterm birth, pelvic floor disorders and cancers of the reproductive system.
What happens next: The University of Miami says it is working to identify apps, devices and online platforms designed specifically for women’s health needs, train the “next generation of innovators” to recognize opportunities and to connect researchers with companies to commercialize new technology. “FemTech has never been more needed,” says Mairead Moloney, Ph.D., an associate professor in the Department of Informatics and Health Data Science at the Miller School and the program lead. “We see this as a call to action and think technology is the answer to bridge the gap between what women need and what is available to them.” Major health systems across the United States, including the Cleveland Clinic, are also launching programs focused on women’s health.
