The Hormonal Podcast

Through medicine, science, economics, and policy, the conversation around women’s health is far broader than we’ve allowed it to be. Yet for decades, the word “hormonal” has often been used to dismiss women’s symptoms rather than investigate them. Behind that label lies one of the most complex biological systems in the human body—one that remains significantly underfunded and understudied.

Despite affecting half the global population, women’s health research receives a disproportionately small share of biomedical funding. Many conditions that affect millions—endometriosis, polycystic ovary syndrome, infertility, and pregnancy-related complications—remain poorly understood, with limited datasets, delayed diagnoses, and few effective treatments. Historically, clinical research has often excluded women or failed to account for sex-specific biology, leaving major gaps in the scientific evidence that guides care today..

On Hormonal, Zarah Khondoker speaks with scientists, clinicians, policymakers, and investors working to close these gaps. Together, they explore the biology, the data, and the capital shaping the future of women’s health—examining why the science has fallen behind, and what it will take to fund the research that half the world depends on.