The American Heart Association, through its American Heart Association Ventures' Studio Red, announced on September 22, 2026, the recipients of the Redefining Women's Health: From Heart to Head to Hormones translational research grant awards. Each of the five selected projects will receive $100,000 to accelerate high-potential research designed to move promising discoveries toward real-world application. The announcement highlights a growing push to address persistent disparities in women's cardiovascular and related health, where conditions often remain underdiagnosed, undertreated, and underfunded.
The grants are part of a broader effort to close significant gaps in women's health research, diagnosis, and treatment, as documented in a report published by the American Heart Association and the McKinsey Health Institute. Despite decades of progress in cardiovascular science, women continue to face poorer outcomes for many conditions. The selected projects focus on priority areas including ischemia with non-obstructive coronary arteries (INOCA), autoimmune disease, and heavy menstrual bleeding.
Among the recipients, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center will develop a safer, non-invasive MRI technique to detect hidden heart blood vessel problems in women without drugs, injections, or invasive procedures. Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine is creating a novel blood test for earlier and more accurate diagnosis of systemic autoimmune diseases in women, while also predicting risk for severe illness. The Regents of the University of California, Los Angeles, will use artificial intelligence to analyze medical records, heart images, and lab tests to identify women at risk for INOCA and coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD) earlier. University of Maryland, Baltimore, is building an AI-powered tool to quickly identify causes of heavy menstrual bleeding and recommend effective tests and treatments. University of Pittsburgh is testing an ultrasound-based therapy using tiny bubbles and sound waves to improve blood flow in the heart's smallest vessels and relieve chest pain in women with often-overlooked heart disease.
"Too often, conditions that uniquely or disproportionately affect women are overlooked or misunderstood in clinical care," said Annabelle Volgman, M.D., American Heart Association volunteer and chair of the peer review committee. "The projects we selected to fund stood out based on scientific rigor and the potential to translate into meaningful improvements in diagnosis, treatment and outcomes for women."
During the one-year award period, Studio Red will provide grantees with support and education on intellectual property, regulatory, reimbursement, and commercialization strategies. At the conclusion, one to two awardees may be selected for company incubation in Studio Red, with the goal of creating at least one company ready for follow-on funding. This model aims to bridge the funding gap between research and real-world impact, a key mission of heart.org/ventures.
The implications for women's health are substantial. These projects could lead to earlier detection of silent heart conditions, more accurate diagnoses of autoimmune diseases, and personalized treatments for heavy menstrual bleeding—areas where innovation has lagged. For example, Ischemic Heart Disease and Silent Ischemia | American Heart Association remains a critical concern, and Women with common autoimmune diseases may face higher death rate from heart disease, stroke than men | American Heart Association underscores the need for better risk prediction. Moreover, a Call to Action for Cardiovascular Disease in Women: Epidemiology, Awareness, Access, and Delivery of Equitable Health Care: A Presidential Advisory From the American Heart Association | Circulation has outlined systemic changes needed, and American Heart Association News brings you the latest information women's health continues to track progress.
"Many heart, brain and related conditions that disproportionately, differently or distinctly impact women remain underdiagnosed, undertreated and underfunded," said Mariell Jessup, M.D., FAHA, chief science and medical officer of the American Heart Association. "Through this grant program, the American Heart Association is investing to advance groundbreaking research and novel solutions that will close critical gaps in health for women."
For more information, visit heart.org or stroke.org. The original release is available at www.newmediawire.com.
