In 2001, IOM published a landmark report from this committee, , Exploring the Biological Contributions to Human Health: Does Sex Matter? And subsequently answering the question with a resounding, “yes.” This IOM report established that:
• “Every cell has a sex,”
• “Sex begins in the womb,” and
• “Sex affects behavior and perception…”
The report concluded that “There is now sufficient knowledge of the biological basis of sex differences to validate the scientific study of sex differences and to allow the generation of hypotheses with regard to health. . . Naturally occurring variations in sex differentiation can provide unique opportunities to obtain a better understanding of basic differences and similarities between and within the sexes.”
Following the release of the IOM report, Exploring the Biological Contributions to Human Health: Does Sex Matter?, SWHR sponsored regional Scientific Advisory Meetings (SAMs) to educate scientists and policy makers about the IOM report.
From 2000-2006, SWHR hosted innovative conferences on Sex and Gene Expression (SAGE),which explored how sex influences the expression of genetic information from embryonic development through adulthood. SAGE conferences assembled leading researchers as well as outstanding new researchers in biochemistry, genetics, and molecular, developmental, and cellular biology. After realizing their unique and invaluable work necessitated more than an annual conference, SAGE scientists worked with SWHR staff to found the Organization for the Study of Sex Differences (OSSD) in 2006. This scientific community promotes the field of sex and gender differences research.
Another product of the 2001 IOM report, Exploring the Biological Contributions to Human Health: Does Sex Matter?, was the establishment of SWHR’s Interdisciplinary Studies in Sex-differences (ISIS) Networks. The SWHR ISIS Networks promote scientific collaborations through interdisciplinary networks focusing on distinct areas. The first network, established in 2001 and concluded in 2007, concentrated on “Sex, Gender, Drugs, and the Brain.” This network also published Sex Differences in the Brain: From Genes to Behavior. Other networks address sex differences in metabolism, musculoskeletal health, and cardiovascular disease.
In May 2005, SWHR released the groundbreaking Crisp report, showing that NIH’s support of research on biological differences between women and men was lower than the growing evidence of the importance of sex differences warranted. It also suggested that the Institutes with the largest budgets supported the least research on sex differences. SWHR discussed this report with many NIH leaders and pushed for the necessary changes., several of the Institutes comprising NIH, including the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the National Institute for Mental Health, the National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences, the National Institute on Aging, and the National Institute for Dental and Craniofacial Research, have recognized the need for sex differences research and have installed programs to fund-related research largely because of SWHR.
Many of SWHR’s endeavors have proven successful. Increasingly, those who fund biomedical research have included sex as a biological variable. Researchers have found sex differences in every tissue and organ system. The field has advanced so much that in 2006, SWHR and the Medtronic Foundation established an annual Prize for Scientific Contributions to Women’s Health to recognize a female scientist or engineer for her contributions to women’s health. The prize is intended to encourage research on issues uniquely related to women’s health and mentorship of scientists considering sex differences research.