Women’s Health Summit 2026

Ashley Abel, PhD, is Co-founder and CEO of Metri Bio, developing targeted therapeutics for endometriosis. Based at Lilly Gateway Labs in Boston, her work builds on research from Yale School of Medicine. She was named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 Healthcare list.

Vanessa Barth is Associate Vice President, Regional Head of Lilly Gateway Labs U.S. She also serves as the site head for Lilly Gateway Labs’ Boston Seaport location, supporting the local biotech ecosystem by accelerating drug discovery and development through early engagement with companies and providing tailored offerings to meet their needs.

During her more than 20-year career at Lilly, Vanessa has held several leadership and scientific positions of increasing responsibility across research and drug development, including Strategic Competitive Intelligence, Lilly Research Labs Operations, Loaned Executive and Chief Scientific Officer, BioCrossroads, Head of Search & Evaluate for Genetic Medicines, and Lilly-Chorus Clinical Development Asset Manager & External Innovation. She is passionate about her role as a mentor and advisor and helped establish the AXIS mentoring program at the Indiana Biosciences Research Institute to support life sciences entrepreneurs.

Vanessa joined Lilly after earning her B.A. in Neuroscience from the Claremont Colleges, Pomona, and obtained her Ph.D. in Medical Neurobiology from Indiana University while working full-time at Lilly. Her career at Lilly began at the bench on pioneering work to evolve how the imaging field identified and evaluated potential novel positron emission tomography (PET) tracers leveraging mass spectrometry coupled with liquid chromatography (LC-MS/MS).

Physician-scientist and engineer at MIT, Dr. Sangeeta Bhatia leads the Marble Center for Cancer Nanomedicine and is an HHMI Investigator. She has co-founded multiple biotech companies and is a member of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. She serves on boards including Vertex Pharmaceuticals and advises numerous biotech firms.

Rear Admiral Susan J. Blumenthal, M.D., M.P.A. (ret.) provided distinguished service as a leading national government health expert in the Administrations of four U.S. Presidents. An internationally recognized medical authority, she has been a major force in bringing important health issues including women’s health, global health, and mental illness, to increased scientific and public attention. After working to expose longstanding inequities in women’s health, in recognition of her pioneering leadership, Dr. Blumenthal was appointed as the country’s first ever Deputy Assistant Secretary for Women’s Health in 1993 where she coordinated a $4 billion budget across agencies including NIH, CDC, and FDA and developed many innovative initiatives including the National Centers of Excellence in Women’s Health program and the Healthy Women Conference and Television Series, served as the Director of a Presidential Plan on Breast Cancer, as well as built government infrastructure that moved these issues to the forefront of America’s health agenda. She also served as Assistant Surgeon General of the United States, as a White House Health Advisor, and as a Research Branch Chief at the National Institutes of Health.
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Throughout her career, she has made the application of technology to advance health a top priority establishing the first government health website (for women’s health), the “Missiles to Mammograms” initiative that transferred CIA, DOD, and NASA technology to improve breast cancer detection resulting in computer assisted diagnosis (an early
application of AI) and is the founder of the new field of public health technology. Dr. Blumenthal serves as a Visiting Professor at the MIT Media Lab and Honorary Chair of WHx initiative aimed at accelerating breakthroughs in women’s health, as Provost Distinguished Professor at Northeastern University, as a Clinical Professor at Tufts University School of Medicine, and as Ambassador for the Institut Curie, France’s leading cancer research center and hospital. She has written many scientific articles, op-eds, and edited books on health issues, was the health columnist for US News and World Report and the Medical Director and Host of an award-winning television series on women's health.
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Rear Admiral Blumenthal is the recipient of numerous awards, medals, and honorary doctorates. Last year, she was appointed a Knight in the French Legion of Honor, the country’s highest award for civilian and military achievement, in recognition of her pioneering leadership and landmark contributions to improving health in the United States and worldwide.

Dr. Bouxsein received her BS degree in General Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University, studying the effects of exercise on the skeleton with Dennis Carter, PhD and Robert Marcus, MD. She then completed a post-doctoral fellowship at the Orthopedic Biomechanics Laboratory at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School under the mentorship of Wilson C. Hayes, PhD.

She currently holds joint appointments as an Assistant Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at Harvard Medical School, adjunct Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Boston University, and is also a faculty member in the MIT-Bioastronautics Program. Her research focuses on understanding skeletal fragility from a biomechanics viewpoint, and includes studies using animal models and human cadaveric tissue, as well as clinical investigations. She also has a strong interest in the use of novel non-invasive imaging techniques to predict fracture risk and monitor response to osteoporosis therapies. Dr. Bouxsein serves on the committee of scientific advisors for the International Osteoporosis Foundation and is a board member of the International Bone and Mineral Society. Dr. Bouxsein has published over 145 peer-reviewed articles and 25 book chapters and invited reviews.

Shannon Cohn is a filmmaker, lawyer and social impact producer who has worked globally on topics related to women’s health and gender equity. Her films have aired on PBS, Nat Geo, Discovery Channel, Amazon and Netflix in over 100 countries. Her latest PBS film, Below the Belt, executive produced by Hillary Rodham Clinton and Rosario Dawson, has screened on six continents, including over 20 US medical schools, at the NIH’s 27 Institutes for its 20,000+ employees and on Capitol Hill for members of Congress co-hosted by Senator Elizabeth Warren and Senator Mitt Romney. Before Shannon was a filmmaker, she practiced international law and was part of the team that prosecuted Enron Corp.in the largest white collar crime investigation in FBI history. Shannon has appeared on Good Morning America, The View, PBS NewsHour and spoken on women’s health at the United Nations, Gates Foundation, the Clinton Global Initiative and more. She is a member of the NIH NACHHD Advisory Council, WEF Global Alliance on Women’s Health, the SWHR Endometriosis Working Group and a recent two-term member of the Foundation Board of the AAGL.

Angelika Fretzen, PhD, MBA, is COO and Technology Translation Director at the Wyss Institute, leading commercialization of breakthrough science. She founded the Women’s Health Catalyst and has over 20 years in biotech, including work at Ironwood and Catabasis. She holds a PhD from the University of Geneva and an MBA from Suffolk.

Claire Gill is a respected leader in women’s health and serves on a variety of national and global coalitions and working groups promoting the needs of women at midlife. She joined the Bone Health and Osteoporosis Foundation (formerly the National Osteoporosis Foundation) in January 2013, after a 20+ year career in public relations for national nonprofit organizations and public relations firms serving Fortune 500 clients. BHOF is America’s leading health organization dedicated to preventing osteoporosis and broken bones and promoting strong bones for life through programs of public and clinician awareness, education, advocacy, and research. She was named CEO in May 2020 and then led the organization through an 18-month rebrand process. Ms. Gill hosts the Bone Talk podcast featuring a variety of experts and topics related to bone health and healthy aging.

Ms. Gill is also the founder and president of the National Menopause Foundation, a 501c3 organization whose mission is to be a trusted and relatable resource to raise awareness and understanding of menopause through education, activism, and community building. She hosts the monthly podcast, The Positive Pause, interviewing experts on a variety of topics impacting women’s health and well-being.

Yvonne Hao is COO and General Partner at Flagship Pioneering. Formerly Massachusetts Secretary of Economic Development, she has held leadership roles at PillPack (sold to Amazon), Bain Capital, and Cove Hill. She serves on multiple boards and holds degrees from Williams College and the University of Cambridge.

Madelyn joins Pillar VC from a biotech startup, Opentrons Labworks. She held multiple roles in the organization across sales, customer success, marketing, community management and product. She is passionate about empowering scientists and growing the life science community.

Madelyn graduated from Bates College and spent her first year after university teaching biology for the Spanish Government in Madrid, Spain.

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Dr. Tara Iyer is a physician at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Instructor at Harvard Medical School. She specializes in menopause and midlife care, is board-certified in Family and Obesity Medicine, and leads initiatives to expand access to evidence-based menopause care across Mass General Brigham.

Louise P. King, MD, JD, is an Assistant Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology at Harvard Medical School and a Surgeon within the Division of Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery at Brigham and Women's. Dr. King completed her juris doctorate at Tulane Law School before attending medical school at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. She completed her residency in obstetrics and gynecology at Parkland Hospital in Dallas Texas and her fellowship in Minimally Invasive Surgery with Dr. Camran Nezhat at Stanford University. Her areas of interest in medical ethics focus on questions of informed decision making and assisted reproduction as well as equitable access to advanced gynecologic surgery.

Kim McCleary has been at the forefront of patient engagement for nearly 30 years. She is a nationally regarded subject matter expert on patient-focused medical product development, patient-centered benefit-risk assessment, and organizational change. Kim has authored scores of publications, served on dozens of steering committees and advisory boards, is a sought-after speaker, and has an extensive network of leadership contacts. Her passion for this work is rooted in personal experience, lived and as a family caregiver.

Throughout her career, Kim earned respect as a servant leader with demonstrated success building consensus and achieving shared goals. She does this by employing exceptional communication, strategic planning, and program management skills, applying a strong work ethic, and leveraging an extensive network of leadership contacts.

Kathryn McDonough is Managing Director and Head of Life Sciences for J.P. Morgan’s Innovation Economy. She has 20+ years of experience across banking and capital markets, partnering with biotech companies from early-stage through commercialization and scaling, and advising investors across the healthcare ecosystem.

Jodi Neuhauser is a four-time founder who has raised $100M+ and generated over $1B in business. She founded In Women’s Health, a leading talent and education platform, and co-founded the bipartisan Women’s Health PAC. She now leads 51&, focused on civic engagement and healthcare equity.

Deborah Palestrant, PhD, MBA, is Partner at 5AM Ventures and Executive Chair of the 4:59 Initiative. She has 20+ years in life sciences across drug discovery and company building, with prior roles at Relay Therapeutics, Editas, and Novartis. She holds a PhD from Columbia and an MBA from Northeastern.

Dr. Frida Polli is an award-winning Harvard and MIT neuroscientist, entrepreneur, investor and inventor. She is currently at MIT as a Visiting Innovation Scholar and founding director of Female Medicine through Machine Learning (FMML), a new women’s health and AI initiative at

MIT. She was previously the CEO and founder of pymetrics, a company pioneering AI and behavioral science to improve workforce decisions. pymetrics was a World Economic Forum’s Technology Pioneer, an Inc 5000’s Fastest Growing company, and Forbes AI 50 company. Dr. Polli was awarded multiple patents for technology developed at pymetrics. Funded by Khosla Ventures, the company had a successful exit in 2022, after which Dr. Polli became Chief DataScience Officer. Frida and pymetrics successfully passed the first-in-the-nation algorithmic transparency law in NY. Prior to pymetrics, Frida was a neuroscientist at Harvard and MIT working on precision medicine brain imaging studies. She won numerous awards, including the MIT 100K Life Science track, and was published in over 30 peer-reviewed journals including the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science. She transitioned from academia to entrepreneurship through an MBA at Harvard Business School as a Robert Kaplan Life Science fellow. A member of YPO, Frida was named one of Inc.’s Top 100 Female Founders, Entrepreneur’s Top 100 Powerful Women and 100 Brilliant Women in AI Ethics. In addition to her role at MIT, she is a multi-year member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Councils, founder of Alethia to promote ethical use of AI, and Rosalind Ventures to invest in women science founders.

Dr. Kathryn Rexrode is the Chief Academic Officer at Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH), Chief of the Division of Women’s Health in the Department of Medicine at Mass General Brigham, and a Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. As Chief Academic Officer she supports and advances the research and educational missions of the hospital. Dr. Rexrode has broad and deep research experience in women’s health and is the author of more than 300 research publications. She is also Chief of the Division of Women’s Health and the Director of the Gretchen and Edward Fish Center for Women’s Health which provides comprehensive women’s health services, including 14 specialties and a dedicated clinic for menopause and midlife care. Building on its core mission of leading the field in state-of-the-art care for women, the Division of Women’s Health conducts translational women’s health research and leads innovative education programs for medical students, residents, and faculty to advance the health of Women.

Paula Soteropoulos is a biotech executive, investor, and board leader with 35+ years of experience. She is Chairman of Ensoma and has led companies including Akcea Therapeutics through IPO and product launches. A strong advocate for women’s health, she supports innovation across rare disease and personalized medicine.

Joanna Strober is CEO and Co-founder of Midi Health, a virtual care platform for menopause. She previously founded Kurbo (acquired by Weight Watchers) and spent 20+ years in private equity and venture capital. She is author of Getting to 50/50 and has been recognized by Forbes, CNBC, and TIME.

Ben Swanson, DDS, PhD, is Founder and CEO of Skeletalis, a biotech developing bone-targeted therapies for musculoskeletal disease. A clinician-scientist trained at the University of Michigan, his research led to Skeletalis’ core platform for precision drug delivery in osteoporosis and related conditions

Sarah Syed is a PhD student in Harvard and MIT's joint Health Sciences and Technology program and a Venture Associate at Pillar VC. Inspired by her grandmother's work as an OB-GYN across South Asia and Africa, she is passionate about understanding how the female immune system evolved to tolerate a genetically foreign fetus during pregnancy and what that means for female immunity across disease contexts. Beyond her scientific work, she serves on the Board of Directors of Ashiyanaa, a nonprofit supporting South Asian women affected by interpersonal violence.

Sarah graduated from MIT in 2024 with degrees in biological engineering and management and spent her first year after graduation as a healthcare growth strategy consultant in Washington D.C. before beginning graduate school.

Keenan Szulik is CEO of Slocum Management, a private investment firm. He has invested in women’s health initiatives and previously worked in early-stage ventures and professional baseball analytics. He serves on the boards of Book Harvest and the Mead Art Museum.