Wellcome Leap, a nonprofit that builds and executes unconventional programs for pressing global health issues, recently announced its support for Mount Sinai around two transformative projects that will lead to a new frontier in Alzheimer’s prevention in women and expand the boundaries of menstrual health research.
Natalie Rasgon, MD, PhD
Since its founding in 2020, Wellcome Leap has regularly identified areas where their bold initiatives can support impactful research. Most recently, women's health underpins the two programs that have selected Mount Sinai as a funding recipient. Cutting Alzheimer’s Risk through Endocrinology (CARE) is a Wellcome Leap program with funding distributed across a global collective of researchers studying Alzheimer's disease (AD), which disproportionately affects women. Another program is The Missed Vital Sign, which aims to reduce the time it takes for women to receive effective treatment for heavy—and often dangerous—menstrual bleeding.
Both programs are not only advancing research but will shape a healthier future for women and girls for generations to come.
Cutting Alzheimer’s Risk through Endocrinology (CARE)
Among the 55 million individuals with AD, women constitute nearly two-thirds of all cases. The CARE program seeks to reduce women's lifetime risk of AD by half, potentially preventing 54.5 million new cases by 2050.
Current statistics and emerging research suggest that hormonal fluctuations during menopause may significantly influence this phenomenon. By harnessing the power of a global network of leading experts in neuroscience, endocrinology, and data science, CARE will investigate the relationship between estrogen decline, insulin resistance, and brain aging to develop personalized preventative strategies and treatments for AD.
Among those distinguished experts is Natalie Rasgon, MD, PhD, who recently joined the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai as a Professor of Psychiatry, and is Professor Emerita at Stanford University and Director of the Stanford Center for Neuroscience in Women’s Health. Dr. Rasgon’s recruitment marks an exciting development for Mount Sinai, enhancing our reputation as a leading academic research center focused on the neurobiology of menopause.
“What I think is unique about this specific program established by Wellcome Leap is to develop a state-of-the-science study of menopausal transition, with the lens on estrogen effects in mitigating risk for Alzheimer’s Dementia,” says Dr. Rasgon, who has studied the neurobiology of menopause since 1996.
To accomplish this, Dr. Rasgon’s Mount Sinai team is utilizing multimodal neuroimaging, cognitive testing, and in-vivo assessment of neuronal biomarkers of neurodegeneration in deep phenotyping women who undergo surgical menopause. The objective is to identify biomarkers and therapeutic targets that can enable early intervention and effective AD risk mitigation.
“It's an exciting opportunity to see some of what’s happening in individuals within the in-vivo model. There are plenty of animal and in-vitro models of estrogen effects in the brain that have been acquired over the past few decades, yet understanding brain reaction to abrupt discontinuation of exposure to endogenous estrogen remains elusive,” Dr. Rasgon explains.
Collaboration is a cornerstone of CARE. Here in New York City, Dr. Rasgon joins forces with Lisa Mosconi, PhD, a neuroscientist at Weill Cornell Medicine / New York-Presbyterian, and the CARE program director.
Another aspect of the Wellcome CARE project lies in the extrapolation of knowledge about menopause as a phase of life. The opportunity to enhance women’s education about the menopausal transition, addressing its psychosocial, cognitive, and emotional aspects, will have a profound impact on the quality of life. “Women now live on average, about 30 to 35 years post menopause, often they are at the peak of their personal and professional lives,” Dr. Rasgon emphasized. Arming women with knowledge about menopause hopefully will enhance their quality of life and health.
Eugenia Alleva, MD, MSc
The Missed Vital Sign
Every minute in the US, a woman needs a blood transfusion due to heavy menstrual bleeding (HMB). This is an often-overlooked issue that affects approximately one in three women in the US, leading to serious health concerns, including anemia. While it is more common than asthma or diabetes among women of reproductive age, many endure the symptoms for an average of five years before getting the help required. The emotional and financial toll of HMB can be immense—girls cannot attend school, and women miss work, causing disruptions to quality of life.
By improving our understanding of how menstruation is a critical aspect of health—one that should be considered a “vital sign”—Wellcome Leap’s new program The Missed Vital Sign (MVS), aims to reduce the time it takes for women to receive effective treatment for HMB from five years to five months.
Mount Sinai’s Eugenia Alleva, MD, MSc, an Assistant Professor in the Windreich Department of AI and Human Health and the Raquel and Jaime Gilinski Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences at the Icahn School of Medicine, received a contract with The Missed Vital Sign program to develop two innovative screening tools for detecting heavy menstrual bleeding early, that will be accessible to patients and care providers.
“For me, personally, it’s very exciting because we are doing research in AI and having a real impact—to build something that is useful and not just to have a model that lies there,” said Dr. Alleva. “Wellcome Leap really pushes you to have a mindset where you say, ‘OK, I am going to build these models, and these models need to arrive to the patient.’”
The models she is building are a patient-friendly screening tool that helps women assess their risk of HMB and associated iron deficiency through simple self-reporting and mobile sensor data; and a clinician-focused tool integrating electronic health records and other multimodal data to alert health care providers to menstruating patients at risk for heavy menstrual bleeding-associated iron deficiency and iron deficiency anemia, ensuring timely screenings during routine visits.
Developed using data from a diverse group of patients at the Mount Sinai Health System, and program affiliates around the world, these tools aim for more than 80% accuracy in identifying individuals at risk. It is a considerable challenge to transform the lives of menstruating individuals by addressing unrecognized and stigmatized challenges, but it can be done. And Dr. Alleva will be there, having empowered women and girls to reach their full potential with the integration of science and technology developed by pioneering human spirit.
The breadth and scope of these Wellcome Leap contracts with Mount Sinai reflect the diverse research and advancements that we stand for. They emphasize collaboration within the global scientific community and within our institution, where research and clinical practice inform each other to advance our understanding of human health. In this, Wellcome Leap and Mount Sinai are aligned in mission and aspiration, and we remain grateful for their support and our shared interest in solving some of the most pressing issues facing women’s health.
