Women’s Health Interdisciplinary Research Collaborative (WHIRC)

Women have long been underrepresented in health research and clinical trials, creating critical knowledge gaps about health conditions that uniquely or disproportionately impact more than half the population, while also introducing bias into artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms due to insufficient data on women’s health. Following a 2025 National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) report on women’s health that highlighted inadequate funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), multi-sector investment has accelerated across government, industry, and philanthropy to advance a more comprehensive and interdisciplinary approach to women's health research. Accordingly, there is a substantial and urgent need to expand women’s health research across the lifespan.

In response to this need, the Women’s Health Interdisciplinary Research Collaborative (WHIRC) will foster interdisciplinary research, educate future leaders, and inform policy and practice to drive actionable and transformative change and improve the lives of women across their lifespan. Harnessing a community of nearly 100 faculty, staff, and trainees across the University of Maryland campus, WHIRC will advance cutting-edge translational research in areas uniquely or disproportionately impacting women and foster innovative methods to integrate divergent fields using AI and community-engaged approaches, serving as a campus-wide coordination hub that integrates research and learning for public impact. The team will educate and support investigators and trainees through career development initiatives, inclusive mentorship, and experiential learning to build a women’s health innovation ecosystem. WHIRC will inform policy and practice by translating evidence into actionable insights for policy makers, federal agencies, foundations, the biomedical industry, and communities. WHIRC will advance translational research from preclinical discovery to population health through intentional interdisciplinary research.

WHIRC is built on three interconnected threads that will drive impact on women’s health. Research will ensure that scientific breakthroughs translate into real-world solutions. Interdisciplinary training and workforce development will cultivate a diverse, skilled, and future-ready talent pipeline equipped to tackle complex women’s health challenges. Community outreach and dissemination will ensure that knowledge flows beyond academia, empowering communities and informing policy through collaborative partnerships. WHIRC will build interdisciplinary experiential education programs that enhance connections between students and faculty, developing women’s health researchers into national leaders in their fields, and expanding research practice partnerships that inform and strengthen local, state, national, and international women’s health initiatives.