Female scientists discussing 'Femtech' innovations at Wired Health Conference 2018
Stepping into the hip new venue for this year's Wired Health conference, I couldn't help but think about the countless women in science and medicine whose contributions have been lost to the annals of history. While past conferences took place at the more traditional Royal College of General Practitioners, this year's event was held at the snazzy new Francis Crick Institute.
Francis Crick, alongside his pal James Watson, may be known for discovering the structure of DNA, but his story is incomplete without mentioning the pivotal role played by Rosalind Franklin. While her work with X-ray diffraction was instrumental in their discovery, she remains in the shadows of history, much like many other brilliant women scientists.
As I ventured deeper into the Crick building, I brought up this factoid to my colleague. Little did I know that the topic of women in health would be a recurring theme throughout the day.
The Vagina - Out of the Shadows and into the Spotlight
Taking the main stage with flair, Elvie co-founder and CEO Tania Boler declared, "Being a woman is never dull." She noted that the tech world has lagged behind when it comes to women's health, but her own pregnancy was the eye-opener she needed.
While 30 years ago, breast cancer was shrouded in stigma, Boler explained that the same is happening right now with the vagina. Topics like menstruation, vaginal atrophy, and pelvic floor disorders are all taboo, and Boler learned more about the pelvic floor from pilates class than from her doctor.
The gap in knowledge comes down to a lack of technology, Boler explained. Pioneers like her are taking on the challenge by creating devices like Elvie's Kegel trainer, which helps women make the mind-body connection when it comes to their pelvic floor through gamification and high-tech sensors.
Elvie's pelvic floor gadget has picked up steam over the past few years, with more than 1,000 health professionals promoting it and now a British National Health Service (NHS) supply agreement in place, so women in the U.K. can access it for free through their GP. The device has even landed in Hollywood, appearing in Oscars swag bags last year.
Boler credits our current cultural moment for the success of Elvie. In her words, "For big change to happen, you need the stars to align, and that's what's happening now."
The rise of Femtech - women-centric health technology - is part of three broader movements, according to Boler: the feminist surge and the #metoo movement, the technological revolution that's yielding instant personal data, and the paradigm shift in health toward individual control of our own health [1][2].
However, change hasn't happened overnight. Boler noted that the tech community took longer to embrace Elvie's mission, and it's only in recent years that "change is starting to happen at a faster pace, and it's becoming more of a no-brainer to investors that women's health is a big opportunity."
Mounting Science, Hidden Women
A few speakers after Boler, the CEO of a biosciences company took the main stage to discuss the gut-body connection and the use of microbes to fight disease. It was an interesting session, but once again, there was no mention of Rosalind Franklin, Ada Lovelace, or any other groundbreaking women in science.
I grumbled to my colleague about the lack of recognition for women in science and health whose achievements are too often forgotten. After all, Lovelace's bright ideas about computing and early "computer programs" contributed to potential uses of Charles Babbage's concept of a programmable computer, but her brilliance was overlooked for nearly a century [3].
"I'm sick of the lack of visibility for women like Rosalind Franklin and Ada Lovelace," I exclaimed to my colleague. Just then, Ada herself appeared.
Giving Technology a (Woman's) Voice
During the after-lunch session on the main stage, Dr. Claire Novorol took the stage. She had previously worked as a pediatrician in London before specializing in clinical genetics, but now she was the chief medical officer for Ada, the company behind the AI doctor that shares her name.
Ada is an AI-driven assistant that provides information about health issues via an app on your phone. Given that 4 billion people lack access to basic health services, Dr. Novorol and her team saw a need for tech and AI to fill the gap that's left when doctors are in short supply [4].
Ada is designed for doctors, patients, and the in-between. She acts like a chatbot, providing an initial diagnosis, and users can then take their Ada report to their healthcare provider. While Ada is not intended to replace doctors, she can support clinical consultations and help spot health issues that might otherwise be missed [5].
Currently, Ada has 2 million users and has performed 3 million assessments on the app to date. The app is growing rapidly as it starts to hone its personalization skills, collect data from wider sources, and track symptoms over time [6].
What's more, Ada has a voice. Users can interact with her through Alexa, giving them the connection that tech often lacks. For me, hearing "Hi, I'm Ada" was a reminder that in a world where women's contributions have too often been forgotten, the legacy of Ada Lovelace does live on.
Taking Center Stage
While there's still a long way to go when it comes to the role of technology in healthcare, I was encouraged to see women's health take a prominent place on the main stage, especially given that the conference took place just days after International Women's Day. As technology and Femtech continue to evolve, I have no doubt that we'll see many more women breaking through the shadows and taking center stage.
[1] "The New Empowerment: Femtech Driving Women's Health Forward," MobiHealthNews, 2021, https://www.mobihealthnews.com/content/new-empowerment-femtech-driving-womens-health-forward[2] Morgan, H., "How Femtech Will Disrupt Healthcare," Forbes, 2018, https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2018/01/24/how-femtech-will-disrupt-healthcare/?sh=4b31ce9f3918[3] Meyer, J. K., "Ada Lovelace, Programmer: Counting the Ways Women Are Steering the Computer Revolution," Washington Post, 2016, https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/10/10/ada-lovelace-programmer-counting-the-ways-women-are-steering-the-computer-revolution/[4] "Ada recently secured a $70M Series C funding round backed by Garfield Capital, Woodford Investment Management, and the Gates Foundation," Bloomberg, 2021, https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-10-14/ada-health-aims-to-transform-primary-care-with-70-million-ria[5] "Ada Health new CEO Claire Novorol says digital care can revolutionize healthcare," MobiHealthNews, 2021, https://www.mobihealthnews.com/content/ada-health-new-ceo-claire-novorol-says-digital-care-can-revolutionize-healthcare[6] "Ada Health secures $70m in Series C round led by Garfield Capital," TechCrunch, 2021, https://techcrunch.com/2021/10/13/ada-health-secures-70m-in-series-c-round-led-by-garfield-capital/
- The conference's venue, the Francis Crick Institute, was a stark contrast to the prior year's location, the Royal College of General Practitioners, symbolizing a shift in the landscape of health conferences.
- Tania Boler, during her presentation on women's health technologies, emphasized the need for innovation in addressing taboo topics like menstruation, vaginal atrophy, and pelvic floor disorders.
- Boler's success with Elvie's pelvic floor gadget, now approved by the British National Health Service (NHS) and endorsed by over 1,000 health professionals, reflects the growing interest in women's health and wellness in both the medical and tech communities.
- Elvie's pelvic floor trainer, utilizing gamification and high-tech sensors, symbolizes a new approach to women's health, empowering women to take control of their own health and well-being.
- In her discussion on the rise of Femtech, Boler highlighted the intersection of three significant movements: the feminist surge, technological revolution, and a shift towards individual control of health and wellness.
- Despite the widespread adoption of women's health technologies, the contributions of trailblazing women in mental health, such as Rosalind Franklin, often remain in the shadows, serving as a reminder of the ongoing need for gender parity in science and medicine.
- This year's Wired Health conference, situated at the Francis Crick Institute, demonstrated a growing interest in women's health, but the omission of women's contributions in other areas like mental health and biosciences underscores the need for continued discussion and recognition.
