Rethinking Menopause
A Multi-Organ Approach to Women’s Health (with BME Lens)
Menopause is often framed as a hormonal shift, but new research is challenging that narrow view, especially for Black and minority ethnic women. A pioneering initiative, the MODEL Programme (full name: Multi-Organ Approach to Address Diseases Following Estrogen Loss), is set to transform how we understand menopause-related health issues across multiple body systems.
The MODEL Programme is a new research initiative launched by Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in partnership with the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai through their joint Centre for Engineering and Precision Medicine.
The programme is designed to uncover how ovarian aging and the loss of estrogen increase chronic disease risk across multiple organs, MODEL moves beyond studying isolated symptoms to map complex system-wide changes that occur during and after menopause.
Researchers will use a “physiome-on-a-chip” platform to replicate interactions among tissues from the brain, bone, heart, gut, ovary and liver, while combining preclinical models and clinical data from Mount Sinai patients.
By applying artificial intelligence to identify biomarkers of menopausal transition, the team aims to create early diagnostic tools and targeted therapies.
Supported by a gift from RPI trustee Mary Humiston, the Programme me emphasises translating discoveries from lab to clinic and market, advancing women’s health through integrated engineering, computational science and precision medicine.
This work carries particular urgency for Black women. According to the landmark SWAN study, Black women reach menopause nearly nine months earlier than white women and face more severe symptoms. Hot flashes, depression, disrupted sleep, while receiving less access to hormone therapy and mental-health support.
These differences are not merely biological, they are rooted in structural inequities and chronic stress that can intensify the biological changes of menopause. For MODEL to achieve its promise, its research cohorts and data must reflect these realities, embedding racial health equity into every stage of discovery.
The MODEL Programme’s innovation, a “physiome-on-a-chip”, offers hope for personalised care. But to truly serve all women, it must integrate racial health equity into its design and data.
For Black women, this multi-organ approach must also account for structural racism, chronic stress and healthcare inequities that compound biological changes. Without inclusive research cohorts, the science risks reinforcing the very disparities it seeks to solve.
For Black and ethnically diverse women, menopause is not just a health milestone, it is an intersectional experience shaped by cultural expectations, medical mistrust and social inequalities. This is why culturally competent care and inclusive research are essential.
Equity in the Next Chapter of Menopause Research
Menopause, especially for ethnically diverse women, is not just a health milestone but an intersection of culture, medicine and society.
By moving the conversation from stigma to strategy and from silence to science, the MODEL Programme signals a future where inclusive research drives personalised care and real solutions.
Let’s ensure that Black and minority ethnic women are not only included but centred in this next chapter of women’s health.
Let’s move the conversation from stigma to strategy, from silence to science and ensure that Black and minority ethnic women are not just included, but centred in the future of menopause research. Like, comment and share to keep this vital conversation moving.
Reference:
The MODEL Programme from RPI: “New Research Initiative Seeks to Map Hidden Connections Between Menopause and Chronic Conditions
The official SWAN (Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation)
