Susan Reed, MD, on the future of menopause research and funding

Future menopause research must deliver evidence in ways clinicians and patients can act on, and it needs sustained funding to do so, according to Susan Reed, MD, MPH, MS, professor emeritus of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington Reed spoke in an interview at The Menopause Society Annual Meeting 2026 in San Diego, California.

One of the things The Menopause Society does, Reed said, is “educate clinicians on how to take evidence-based information and use it to have shared decision-making conversations with their patients.”

Funding and momentum for menopause research

Reed, who recently discussed the MsFLASH clinical trials network, said scientific research has historically not delivered information to the public in a way people can understand and use for their own health decisions, and she argued that future studies and their funding should prioritize that goal.

“Over the past 6 months or so, we’ve seen some glimmers of hope again,” Reed said, expressing optimism that the public will continue to demand more menopause research funding.

Philanthropy is contributing as well, she said. “Melinda French Gates gave an incredible gift to the Menopause Society and researchers, so I think there’s real momentum building. We should ride that wave,” Reed said.

Where future studies are needed

A clinical trials network would be valuable for examining menopausal hormone therapy and long-term outcomes, Reed said, noting that the therapies used in the Women’s Health Initiative differ from those used today. She called for study of newer transdermal products and a better understanding of the risks associated with different progestogens, a term that includes both natural progesterone and synthetic progestins.

Special populations remain understudied, Reed said, including women who experience menopause before age 40, who need more cohort studies and, where appropriate, randomized controlled trials, as well as people with comorbidities and disabilities.

She also urged more research on perimenopause. The Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation (SWAN) provided substantial information about this stage, Reed said, but early and late perimenopause need to be distinguished because their treatments can differ.