Winona Launches Menopause Research Initiative

Every day, about 6,000 women in the U.S. reach menopause, yet there’s very little funding for research on the condition. That’s what Winona, a telehealth company focused on menopause, hopes to change.

The company offers personalized treatment plans for common menopause symptoms like hot flashes, sleep disruption and brain fog. On Monday, it launched the Winona Research Initiative, a program that aims to make menopause research more accessible for clinicians, medical students and more. 

The initiative selects “Winona Scholars” and provides them with funding and support to pursue research focused on menopause and women’s health. Scholars receive a $3,000 stipend, financial support for conferences, mentorship and publication support, published research opportunities and media visibility.

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Applicants must be “currently enrolled in, affiliated with, or recently graduated from a U.S. undergraduate, medical school, residency, fellowship, or early faculty program and have five to ten hours per week available for a six-to-eight-week rapid-cycle research project,” according to the announcement. Those who apply will be contacted within two to four weeks of submitting their application, and scholars must begin their projects within four to six weeks of acceptance.

The launch of the initiative comes after a report from the National Academies showed that just 8.8% of NIH grant spending from 2013 to 2023 focused on women’s health research. The report also notes that women-specific life stages — like menopause — are not a priority for the NIH.

“As a company, Winona’s mission has always been to take the confusion out of menopause and get women the information and solutions they need, providing compassionate, evidence-based care that empowers, educates, and supports women throughout their entire menopause journey,” said Dr. Cathleen Brown, medical director at Winona, in an email. “We need more dedicated professionals armed with the latest medical findings to provide this care, which means anything we can do to encourage this kind of research serves both our patients and the greater good.”  

She added that in launching the Winona Research Initiative, the company ultimately hopes to stimulate more research and encourage meaningful publications in women’s health.

“Ideally, over time we would like to direct the focus of future research into women’s health issues that specifically focus on midlife and beyond, but all women’s health research is important and should be prioritized now,” Brown said.

Other telehealth companies focused on menopause include Midi Health, Gennev and Evernow.

Picture: DrAfter123, Getty Images