The WHAM Report is a series of studies that examine the impact of accelerating sex–based health research on women, their families, and the economy. WHAM commissioned the RAND Corporation to study these impacts for: rheumatoid arthritis (autoimmune), coronary artery disease (heart), Alzheimer’s disease (brain) and lung cancer (cancer).

This report models the societal impact of doubling the share of NIH Alzheimer's disease and related dementias research funding devoted to women's health. It shows that even small health improvements can reduce nursing home costs and the burden on informal caregivers, and it points to hormonal, pregnancy-related, and cultural factors as key areas for new research.

This report models the impact of doubling the share of NIH coronary artery disease research funding devoted to women's health. It shows that even very small health improvements can produce large returns in health outcomes and labor productivity, and it lays out a research agenda on how sex and race shape heart disease risk and care.

This report models the impact of doubling the share of NIH rheumatoid arthritis research funding devoted to women's health. It finds the returns are strongest when research improves outcomes for women more than for men, and it highlights early diagnosis and work productivity as priorities for future study.

This report models the societal impact of doubling the share of NIH lung cancer research funding devoted to women's health. It shows that small improvements in incidence and mortality can yield significant gains in life years and productivity, and it calls for research on how sex and lifestyle factors shape lung cancer risk, detection, and outcomes.
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Women are 51% of the population but receive only a fraction of biomedical research funding. Sex differences are still often ignored, even in diseases that hit women hardest. Advancing sex-based research closes that gap, sparks innovation, and delivers more precise care for everyone. Support the future of health—for women, and for all.
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Four out of five Americans with autoimmune disease are women—40 million lives impacted—yet the science hasn’t kept up. In 2019, only 7 % of the NIH’s rheumatoid arthritis budget focused on women. Dedicated funding can pinpoint why women are so vulnerable and drive better diagnostics, therapies, and quality of life. Fuel research that will change lives.
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Women make up two-thirds of Alzheimer’s cases and are twice as likely to suffer depression—yet we still don’t know why. Targeted, sex-specific studies can reveal the biological and clinical differences that unlock earlier diagnosis, smarter treatments, and healthier minds. Your gift drives that discovery.
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Most cancer studies still default to male models, overlooking critical sex differences in how cancers start, spread, and respond to therapy. Lung cancer now kills more women than breast, ovarian, and cervical cancers combined, and rates are soaring among young, non-smoking women. Boosting sex-based cancer research will reveal why—and lead to breakthroughs in screening, care, and survival. Help us accelerate that work.
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Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women, but it remains underfunded, under-researched, and underdiagnosed. Nearly half of women over 20 have cardiovascular disease, pregnancy heart risks are widespread, and women are 50% more likely to die after a heart attack. Focused research can rewrite those odds—changing how heart disease is detected, treated, and prevented in women. Invest in saving women’s hearts.
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