WHAM Edge Awards 2025 to Fund Early-Career Researchers Addressing Women's Health Disparities

The WHAM Edge Awards for 2025 will provide unrestricted funding to early-career investigators exploring how biological sex influences health outcomes in four key areas that disproportionately affect women: autoimmune disease, brain health, cancer, and heart health. The program, an initiative of the WHAM Investigator's Fund, also welcomes proposals in emerging priority areas including healthspan, bone and muscle health, novel approaches to conditions like endometriosis and menopause, and innovative methodologies such as AI and secondary data analysis.

According to Dr. Anula Jayasuriya, Chief Scientific Officer of WHAM and Chair of the WHAM Scientific Advisory Board, "Too many promising research ideas go unfunded simply because they are too early-stage for traditional grantmaking. At WHAM, we believe that early investment in bold ideas—and in the brilliant minds behind them—is how we drive progress in women's health." The awards specifically target the funding gap that early-career researchers face when they lack preliminary data required by traditional grants.

Each awardee will receive $25,000 to pursue pre-clinical, clinical, or translational research, with recipients being notified on October 29, 2025, and a virtual presentation scheduled for November 18, 2025. Selection will be made by WHAM's Scientific Advisory Board comprising experts from leading institutions including Harvard Medical School, Yale, Northwestern University, and others. Nominations come through WHAM's partner organizations and the WHAM Research Collaborative, which includes over 100 scientists and physicians committed to advancing women's health research.

The initiative addresses a critical disparity in medical research where most studies historically treated men as the default, despite women being disproportionately affected by diseases such as lung cancer, heart disease, and Alzheimer's. Carolee Lee, Founder & CEO of WHAM, emphasized that "accelerating research into sex and biological differences can not only improve outcomes but also reduce healthcare costs and boost the economy." WHAM's research indicates that investing $350 million in women's health research generates a $14 billion return to the U.S. economy, highlighting both the urgency and economic wisdom of such investments.

Launched in 2022, the WHAM Edge Awards represent a strategic effort to catalyze private support for cutting-edge research, ensuring that women's health and the next generation of researchers receive the resources needed to drive innovation. By supporting early-stage investigations, WHAM aims to transform health outcomes and strengthen the economy through breakthroughs that benefit everyone.