THE WHAM LIFE SCIENCES COLLABORATIVE

The WHAM Life Sciences Collaborative is a consortium of leaders committed to advancing the health of women by instituting biological sex considerations throughout the product development lifecycle.

COLLABORATIVE LEADERSHIP

  • Peter Pitts

    Strategic Advisor to The WHAM Life Sciences Collaborative; President and Co-Founder of the Center for Medicine in the Public Interest; Former FDA Associate Commissioner

    Peter Pitts

    Strategic Advisor to The WHAM Life Sciences Collaborative; President and Co-Founder of the Center for Medicine in the Public Interest; Former FDA Associate Commissioner
    Peter Pitts, President and co-founder of the Center for Medicine in the Public Interest and former FDA Associate Commissioner, joins WHAM with a wealth of experience in healthcare policy, regulatory affairs, and strategic communications. With a distinguished career that spans global healthcare policy, public health initiatives, and academic contributions, Pitts is uniquely positioned to guide the WHAM Life Sciences Collaborative in achieving its objectives.

    Pitts has served as a senior communications and policy advisor at the FDA, where he oversaw critical initiatives including the agency’s obesity working group and counterfeit drug taskforce. His global expertise is further evidenced by his contributions to healthcare policy discussions in over 30 countries, as well as his involvement with international organizations like the Council for International Organizations of Medical Sciences (CIOMS). He is also an accomplished author and educator, with a prolific career in both public and private healthcare sectors.

  • Marsha Henderson

    Associate Commissioner for Women’s Health, FDA (retired); WHAM board member

    Marsha Henderson

    Associate Commissioner for Women’s Health, FDA (retired); WHAM board member
    Marsha Henderson, the former Associate Commissioner for Women's Health at the Food and Drug Administration, is a nationally recognized innovative leader and change agent for the health of women and their families. During her decade-long tenure at the FDA, Henderson served as a voice to include women in research, education, and policy initiatives to build a better understanding of sex differences and health issues that disproportionately or uniquely impact women. She created the first FDA Women’s Health Research Roadmap, outlining seven priority areas for new or enhanced research across disease areas and new cutting-edge areas of science.
    Video

    WHAM Report Launch Event Highlight | Marsha Henderson, Former FDA Associate Commissioner

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FOUNDING MEMBERS:

WHAM is dedicated to funding women’s health research and investment to transform women’s lives.

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WHAM was created in response to the considerable funding gap, historical exclusion, and underrepresentation of women in health research.

CONTACT US

Marianne Foss-Skiftesvik
Chief of Staff & Strategic Partnerships
marianne@whamnow.org

Address
19 East Elm St
Greenwich CT 06830

Phone

914-645-5264

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© WOMEN’S HEALTH ACCESS MATTERS    |    2025

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Donate to Women's Health Research

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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Donate to Autoimmune Disease Research

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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Donate to Brain Health Research

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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Donate to Cancer Research

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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Donate to Heart Health Research

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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