Advancing Sex Differences Science in a Changing Advocacy Environment
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May 11, 2026 @ 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm EDT
This event is taking place on Monday, May 11 from 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. HST, live at the Organization for the Study of Sex Differences (OSSD) 2026 Annual Meeting. Find more information about the OSSD 2026 Annual Meeting here.
The Society for Women’s Health Research (SWHR) is committed to advancing women’s health through science, policy, and education while promoting research on sex differences to optimize women’s health. As the health policy and research landscape continues to evolve, advocacy for sex differences science has never been more important or more complex. While awareness of sex differences in health has grown, significant gaps remain in research funding, clinical translation, policy prioritization, and public understanding as it relates to women’s health. At the same time, shifting federal priorities, changing reimbursement environments, and increased pressure on health systems require advocates to be more strategic, coordinated, and outcomes focused.
This session will explore how the study of sex differences can strengthen and modernize its advocacy approach to ensure that women’s health is advanced through research findings and better health outcomes. This presentation will provide a broader framework for effective advocacy in today’s environment, grounded in science, responsive to policy realities, and centered on patient impact.
Using brain health as a key case example, including conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, migraine, and mental health, speakers will illustrate how sex differences shape disease risk, symptom presentation, diagnosis, and treatment across the lifespan. Brain health offers a powerful lens because it highlights longstanding research gaps, the burden of delayed diagnosis, caregiving implications, and the urgent need for more sex-specific evidence and policy solutions.
The session will also explore how effective communications can strengthen advocacy by translating complex science into clear, compelling messages for policymakers, clinicians, patients, and the public. Together, speakers will share practical approaches to coalition building, public engagement, and strategic storytelling that can help accelerate progress and advance a more coordinated future for sex differences research and women’s health advocacy.
Panelists
Kathryn G. Schubert, MPP, CAE
Kathryn G. Schubert, MPP, CAE
Kathryn (Katie) Schubert joined the Society for Women’s Health Research (SWHR) as President and CEO in April 2020. Under Katie’s leadership SWHR developed a strategic plan focused on fulfilling the organization’s mission of promoting research on biological sex differences in disease and improving women’s health through science, policy, and education. She previously worked for the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM), where she served as the organization’s chief advocacy officer, growing SMFM’s role nationally and building its reputation in women’s health.
Katie is a trusted leader and consensus builder among women’s health stakeholders, particularly in the policy arena. She has served in multiple Board roles for nonprofit organizations in the Washington, DC-area, including as Chair of the Board of the Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance and as advisor to the John E. Lewy Fund for Children’s Health. She is a past president of Women in Government Relations.
Prior to SMFM, Katie served as senior vice president at CRD Associates, where she advised clients — including nonprofit patient advocacy groups, medical professional organizations, and private companies — on government relations and public policy related to health and biomedical research issues, among others. She has also spent time working in key legislative roles on Capitol Hill. She received her BA from Mary Washington College and her Masters of Public Policy from George Washington University. Katie lives in Virginia with her husband, three children, and dog George.
Phone: (202) 496-5004
Syreen Goulmamine, MPH
Syreen Goulmamine, MPH
Syreen Goulmamine, MPH, is a scientist and public health expert with a passion for advancing equitable outcomes in women’s health. She currently serves as Science Programs Manager at the Society for Women’s Health Research (SWHR), where she leads multidisciplinary initiatives to address critical research gaps in women’s health. Goulmamine brings a unique perspective shaped by her experience in academia, the biopharmaceutical industry, and public health practice at the local and state levels. She previously worked as a clinical trials report writer and consultant for Fortune 500 companies and biotech startups before transitioning to public service roles in maternal health, infectious and noncommunicable disease epidemiology, and environmental health. She is also a proud Public Health AmeriCorps alumna.
A recognized leader in the field, Goulmamine serves on numerous advisory boards and working groups, including the FDA-CTTI Patient Engagement Collaborative, Virginia Diabetes Council Board, AcademyHealth’s Health Equity Interest Group, and the Rare Disease Diversity Coalition. She is also involved with alumni leadership at George Mason University and Randolph-Macon College and contributes as a Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Collaborator.
Goulmamine earned her Master of Public Health in Epidemiology from George Mason University and a Bachelor of Science from Randolph-Macon College. She is a member of the Beta Beta Beta Biological Honor Society and the Delta Omega Honorary Society in Public Health.
Monica Lefton
Monica Lefton
As the Communications Director at SWHR, Monica Lefton (she/her) conducts media relations, social media, and internal and external communications efforts including email and website updates for the organization. She works closely with the chief advocacy officer and all team members across SWHR to ensure that the organization’s key messages and its publications and other collateral materials are shared in a timely, clear, effective, and creative manner. She also provides general project management support to the SWHR team.
Prior to joining SWHR, Lefton worked in corporate public relations at FleishmanHillard, serving health systems, medical device companies, and health thought leader clients with media relations and strategy support. She has cultivated a love of research and writing in her time working there.
Lefton graduated from Emory University with a BA in English concentrated in literature of marginalized groups and a minor in behavioral economics. She cares deeply about access to education, health equity, and climate sustainability, with a special interest on how these areas overlap and affect women and children.