Sex and gender have specific factors that influence the risk, presentation, progression and treatment of neurological diseases. Neurological disorders affect both men and women, with differences in hormonal milieu, immune response, vascular biology and shape outcomes. Organisation in this space is advancing global education, with a formal focus on INSIGHT (Integrating Neurological Sex and Gender Issues in Global Health Teaching), launched in 2025.
One additional point is the important difference between sex and gender. Sex refers to biological factors—reproductive organs and hormones. Gender is also important.
Leaders in women’s neurology recognised that sex- and gender-informed perspectives had historically been combined effectively into neurological training and practise.
Esther Bui and Mary Angela O’Neill are two women figures in the program’s development, and are the founder and director of the Disorders Division at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Centre. Both women are founding members of INSIGHT and continue to help expand its educational reach and global engagement.
Bui and O’Neil described the network as a collaborative hub uniting women’s neurology programs through free webinars, online meet-ups, international journal clubs, and modular lectures focused on pregnancy, menopause, and reproductive health. The main aim is to close educational gaps and cultivate the next generation of leaders in women’s neurology worldwide.
Leaders like Dr O'Neill, Dr Janet Waters, and Dr Autumn Klein have really pushed for the prioritisation of women's health in neurology. The main drawback in sex and gender issues is particularly differentiating between female and male factors, including pregnancy, postpartum, and now the more emerging themes of ageing, perimenopause, and menopause.
The INSIGHT Network recognises a team effort toward a unified principle of prioritising women's health in neurology, using education as a platform and catalyst. This program was operating individually bur due to these there was a clear gap across residency training, fellowship training, and among neurologists in practice. That gap was related to education and the online platform, and now the community has been self-inspiring and regenerative in many ways.
Mansi Kadam is a market research writer with over 3 years of experience analyzing trends in the healthcare industry. At Towards Healthcare, she covers innovations in medical sector, sustainability initiatives, and the evolving regulatory landscape.
