Endocrine Abstracts

Sex and gender are fundamental dimensions of human biology and experience – yet they remain among the most systematically neglected variables in neuroscientific research. This talk addresses the gender data gap in neuroscience: the persistent omission of sex and gender from basic and clinical research designs, the blind spots this creates in our understanding of brain function and mental health, and the steps needed to close them. Sex and gender shape the prevalence, symptomatology, and clinical course of mental disorders, as well as individual responses to prevention and treatment. Women are particularly vulnerable during hormonal transition phases – the menstrual cycle, hormonal contraception, pregnancy, and menopause transition – periods accompanied by profound neurobiological changes that are insufficiently captured by research designs built around male-default assumptions. Drawing on work from the DFG-funded International Research Training Group “Women’s Mental Health across the Reproductive Years” (IRTG 2804), conducted in collaboration with Uppsala University (Sweden), this talk illustrates how hormonal fluctuations modulate emotion, stress processing, and social behavior – and why these dynamics matter for clinical practice. Moving beyond the biological, the talk argues for a neuroscience that integrates both sex and gender – including non-binary variation, longitudinal hormonal transitions, and the interaction between biological and sociocultural determinants of brain health. While reporting frameworks such as the SAGER guidelines have catalyzed progress, sex- and gender-sensitive recommendations remain largely absent from clinical practice guidelines for mental disorders. This is a critical gap: failing to account for sex and gender in diagnostic and treatment pathways means that a substantial proportion of patients may receive care that was never designed with them in mind. Bridging this gap requires optimal study designs, adequately powered and diverse samples, standardized assessment of sex and gender, and strong stakeholder involvement. Ultimately, making sense of sex in neuroscience means embracing the full diversity of human development – including differences in sexual development – as a source of scientific insight rather than a methodological inconvenience. This is not only a scientific imperative, but a prerequisite for individualized medicine and equitable care for all.