OSSD 19th Annual Meeting
Hotel Albuquerque at Old Town
Albuquerque, NM
June 1-5, 2025

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OSSD President’s Message

Current events have left many of us feeling unsettled, uncertain, and perhaps even overwhelmed. As we face complex challenges both in our research and in the world around us, be reassured that we are a community, and our collective vision is grounded in the belief that together we can make meaningful progress through our work towards optimizing health for everyone. Our mission to advance the understanding of sex and gender differences in health is not only about science; it is about coming together as a scientific community, sharing ideas, and making lasting change in how we approach health research and care for everyone.

In these uncertain times, it is especially important that we foster an environment that feels safe, inclusive, and supportive—where all scientists across all career stages, regardless of background, feel empowered to share their knowledge and learn from each other. By embracing diversity, in all its forms, we believe we can navigate the complexities of sex and gender differences and develop innovative health solutions that truly benefit all people.

We are also deeply committed to ensuring that the knowledge we generate has a tangible and positive impact on health and well-being. By translating our research into real-world solutions, we can make a difference in how individuals across the sex and gender spectrum are cared for, ensuring that every person is treated with the respect, understanding, and dignity they deserve.

As we look ahead, we are equally passionate about fostering the next generation of researchers and advocates. Through education, mentorship, and outreach, we can help ensure the future of this important field is bright, inclusive, and ready to work together in solving serious health challenges around the world.

While the path forward may feel daunting at times, our collective expertise, passion, and resilience will support a strong and more equitable community. Together, we can shape a future where sex and gender differences are better understood and applied to improve health and care for all.

Thank you for your continued dedication to this vital work, and we look forward to seeing you at the 2025 OSSD meeting in Albuquerque, New Mexico. We are grateful for each of you, and we look forward to the impact we will make together.

Sofia Ahmed MD MMSc FRCPC
OSSD President 

Women's Health Research Satellite Event

We will be hosting a satellite event on Sunday, June 1 prior to the start of the OSSD Meeting on Monday, June 2.  RSVP is required to attend. Brought to you by Women's Health Research Cluster, SWHR, Womenmind at CAMH and Elsevier.

Beyond Sex Differences: A Spotlight on Women’s Health Research
Recently a number of initiatives have emerged to spur greater research into women’s health to improve disparities in women’s health outcomes delaying diagnoses, and minimizing earlier interventions which are key to improved treatment outcomes. Although it is important to study and acknowledge the contribution of sex and gender across disorders in terms of diagnoses, manifestation and treatments of disorders. It is also important to acknowledge that more research is needed within sex and within gender.  Otherwise we do not understand how women’s health variables can influence health outcomes and disease risk. Further intersectional approaches are needed. This pre-meeting satellite to the 19th annual meeting of Organization for the Study of Sex Differences has brought together experts asking questions specifically about women’s health from mental to cardiovascular health. We have gathered speakers world-wide who will delve into topics related to obesity, metabolism, perinatal mental health, cognition, hormonal contraceptives, and brain health. Our keynote speaker is Catherine Bohannon, PhD., author of Eve: How the Female Body Drove 200 Million Years of Human who will speak on “How we tell the story of ourselves matters: on the evolution of sex differences, from lab to clinic”. There will also be a highly anticipated annual session from the Society for the Women’s Health Research. We hope by providing time to spotlight women’s health research we can show that understanding women’s health is needed outside of the requirement to study possible sex and gender differences. Please join us to learn more and join the growing movement to turn the dial towards greater understanding of the need for specific research focusing on women and gender-diverse individuals.