Bronwyn Graham: Cracking the XX code: the hidden science of how the female brain regulates fear

Abstract

Women have a twice greater lifetime prevalence of anxiety disorders than men. The reasons underlying this imbalance are poorly understood. Moreover, current knowledge on anxiety and its treatment is based on studies conducted almost exclusively in males, a bias that is evident across almost all areas of biomedical research. As a consequence, the role of female-unique factors, such as differential exposure to sex hormones across the lifespan (e.g., puberty, the menstrual cycle, peri-partum, and peri-menopause, as well as exposure to synthetic hormones in contraceptives), is overlooked in the clinical care of women. In this talk, I will present evidence that illustrates the crucial roles of these female-unique factors in the onset of anxiety symptoms, their severity, and even the effectiveness of psychological and pharmacological treatments for anxiety. I will also highlight how recent changes to research policy and practice are propelling sex- and gender-tailored healthcare for all people.

Bio

Bronwyn Graham is the Director of the Centre for Sex & Gender Equity in Health & Medicine (CSGEHM) at the George Institute for Global Health, and a Professor in the School of Psychology at UNSW Sydney. A clinical psychologist and behavioural neuroscientist, Bronwyn has dedicated her career to improving women’s mental health by researching how the female brain regulates emotions and translating the findings to clinical settings and beyond.

At the CSGEHM, Bronwyn’ team has led policy changes to improve the quality of medical research and healthcare by accounting for the influence of sex and gender on health outcomes. Bronwyn is funded by the Australian Research Council, the National Health and Medical Research Council, the Wellcome Trust, and she has held numerous national and international fellowships. She has published over 80 peer-reviewed research articles and chapters, and has supervised over 40 honours and postgraduate students.