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Women account for almost two-thirds of people living with Alzheimer's disease. For years, the higher prevalence was largely attributed to the fact that women tend to live longer than men. But during a recent episode of The Progress Profile: Alzheimer's Research in Focus podcast, Phyllis Ferrell, DrPH, MBA, innovator, investor, and incubator for brain health and longevity, argued that explanation no longer tells the whole story.

In a conversation about the future of Alzheimer's research, moderator Dr. John Harrison, engaged Ferrell in conversation about the ways advances in biomarkers, cognitive testing, and precision medicine are revealing important biological differences between men and women. Their discussion highlighted an emerging area of research that could reshape everything from clinical trial design to early diagnosis and treatment.

“We're learning something that we've known in other disease states,” Ferrell said. “Women's brains are not just little men's brains.”