HEAL-Women

With the global population of menopausal women projected to reach 1.2 billion by 2030, menopause represents a critical yet understudied period in women's health. Hormonal changes during this transition pose significant risks to brain health, cognitive function, and emotional well-being, while increasing vulnerability to age-related diseases such as Alzheimer's disease. Despite its profound societal relevance, menopause-related brain changes remain poorly understood, with limited biomarkers and evidencebased interventions available.
MenoBrain aims to fill this gap by training a new generation of 15 doctoral candidates to address the pressing challenges of menopause-related brain health.

Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) are characterized by psychological and physical symptoms that intensify during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle and gradually subside with the onset of menstruation. The prevalence of PMDD ranges from 1.6% to 8% of menstruating individuals (Reilly et al., 2024). PMDD disrupts daily activities and interpersonal relationships, causes chronic stress, and is associated with poor quality of life (Carlini et al., 2022; Henderson et al., 2025). Those with PMDD face a higher risk of suicide (Yan et al., 2021) and are more likely to exhibit impulsive, risky behaviors, such as self-harm (Eisenlohr-Moul et al., 2022). However, due to the lack of detailed diagnostic criteria, limited engagement from the medical and research communities, and the absence of biomarkers, PMDS is often undiagnosed or misdiagnosed as a non-cyclical mood (affective) disorder (Kaltsouni et al., 2024).