Did you know? A 2026 paper argues brains aren’t “born male or female”, they’re shaped by a constant loop between biology and a gendered world. Through neuroplasticity and social expectations, culture wires the brain. Nature + nurture! #ossd #humanhealth #sabv link.springer.com/article/10.1...

Mechanisms of entanglement: how a gendered world makes a gendered brain - Biology of Sex Differences

Abstract. Contemporary understanding of key neural processes has advanced the study of the dynamic, iterative influences between the brain and external events, contributing to a growing evidence base ...

link.springer.com

#OSSD2026 brought together 301 attendees from 13 countries 🌍. With 152 regular members and 149 trainees, the meeting reflects an investment in the next generation while staying rooted in expertise. Countries represented include

We are excited to announce the new #OSSD presidential lineup beginning at the close of #OSSD2026! Past President: Dr. Sofia Ahmed (Canada) President: Dr. Armin Raznahan (United Kingdom) President-Elect: Dr. Rebecca Cunningham (USA) (1/2)

#OSSD2026 attendees: Don’t miss this special Call for Papers celebrating the 20th Anniversary of #OSSD in @biologysexdiff.bsky.social ! Selected contributors will receive a 50% reduced publication price for this commemorative collection. Interested attendees should contact India for details.

Some highlights from Hawaii! Was a pleasure to present my work at @ossdcomm.bsky.social 😊🐢🌺

A huge thank you to our incredible sponsors for supporting #OSSD2026 and advancing research on sex differences and women’s health. Your support helps foster collaboration, innovation, and the next generation of scientists. We are grateful for your partnership!

Travel Awards were awarded to trainee members at institutions within the United States and were determined based on average abstract review scores. A big congratulations to our eleven Travel Award recipients, T. Ariel Yang, Cristel Portengen, Sydney Ku, Carlos Araujo-Menendez, Omid Rouzbehani (1/2)

Undergraduate Attendee Awards were awarded to undergraduate students who are from underrepresented minority groups who are interested in research in the area of sex differences and would like to attend the meeting. Awardees from the 2026 OSSD Annual Meeting are Cierra Guinn from Michigan (1/2)

Elizabeth Young New Investigator Award was awarded to trainee members at institutions within the United States that have a substantial story to tell regarding the effects of sex and/or gender on health and disease. A high point at OSSD annual meetings is the Elizabeth Young New Investigator (1/4)

SWHR Emerging Scholars in Women’s Health Research Awards were offered to trainees (master, PhD/MD student, or postdoctoral fellow/resident) whose abstracts demonstrated research excellence in addressing important knowledge gaps in health and disease areas that disproportionately, differently, (1/3)

The NIH Scholar Travel Awards program, coordinated by the Office of Research on Women’s Health (ORWH), supports the development junior investigators who are focused on sex differences and/or women’s health. For OSSD 2026, we want to give a big congratulations for Sara Stockman, (1/2)

The CIHR Institute of Gender and Health New Investigator Awardee for 2026 was Tallinn Splinter! Tallinn is a Ph.D. student at the University of Toronto who was the top scoring CIHR Travel Award recipient and therefore selected as the CIHR New Investigator Awardee. (1/2)

CIHR Institute of Gender and Health Travel Awards are offered to trainees at Canadian institutions to promote cutting-edge research that integrates sex as a biological variable and/or gender as a socio-cultural determinant of health. Give a big congratulations to our 2026 award winners: (1/2)

Next up on our awards announcements, the Biology of Sex Differences journal likes to highlight and support the work performed by young investigators, including assistant professors, attending our annual meeting. Winners are announced at the meeting and are featured in a blog post highlighting (1/2)

Each year at the annual meeting, OSSD presents the Florence P. Haseltine awards for the best poster presentations by new investigators (student, postdoc, or resident). A big congratulations to this year’s award winners from OSSD 2026: (1/3)

Art Arnold keynote speaker Boris Novakovic on hormones, genes and environment. Sex Differences in infection (male>) versus autoimmune diseases (female>). What can we learn from omics studies across individuals undergoing GAHT. See current Nature Medicine paper for more! #OSSD2026

Final day of #OSSD2026 - Lasting impact for sex differences research! Mahalo for being part of #OSSD2026. Safe travels to all attendees! We will see you next year in Killarney, Ireland for #OSSD2027! #SABV #sexdifferences

📅 Friday at #OSSD2026: ✔️ Arthur P. Arnold Distinguished Lecture: Boris Novakovic ✔️ Symposia on neural effects of hormone contraceptives, drug abuse, and stressors ✔️ NIH Travel Awards Session

See preprint on influence of endometriosis on brain in bioRvix. Showing mental and cognitive test influences of endometriosis. No changes in WHV or GMV.

Now from @emilyjacobs.bsky.social lab is Ella Murata. Endometriosis affects 10% of females and takes on 5-12 years to diagnosis. And it’s systemic not limited to reproductive system. How does it affect the brain. 85% have mental health issues.

📅 Thursday at #OSSD2026: ✔️ Symposia on sex differences across the lifespan, multisystem effects of exercise, estrogen beyond reproduction, and cross-species insights ✔️ Poster Session III ✔️ Award Symposium: SWHR's Emerging Scholars in Women’s Health Research ✔️ Awards Reception

Kundakovic lab past and present - everyone is killing their presentation at @ossdcomm.bsky.social meeting and we are having such great time! Love these guys ❤️ Devin Rocks @lailaouldibbat.bsky.social @luisadema.bsky.social #KonaHawaii #OSSD2026

📅 Wednesday at #OSSD2026: ✔️ Symposia on molecular insights, environmental toxicants, women's health, GLP-1 therapeutics, and Biology of Sex Differences Hot Topics ✔️ Poster Session II ✔️ Social Responsibility Lunch ✔️ Elizabeth Young New Investigator Awards ✔️ CIHR Canadian Research Reception

Up next is Shireen Sindi how does menopause and MHT influence risk factors for AD? A meta-analysis showed that Longer repo period, MHT & late menopause is associated with reduced risk. #OSSD2026 premeeting.

A fabulous start to the OSSD annual meeting in Waikoloa Hawai’i. 🌺🤩 A beautiful location for such an important event highlighting the importance of increased research in Women’s Health! Congrats 🎉 to Liisa Galea and her team organizing the WHRC pre-meeting and the excellent speakers. #OSSD2026

Aloha from Hawaii! Are you attending #OSSD2026? Share your photos on the Whova app and tag hashtag #OSSD2026 in your posts!

Aloha! Immensely enjoying my time in #KonaHawaii . The air, the ocean, the weather… and incredible sunsets! The @ossdcomm.bsky.social meeting is starting tomorrow… chairing a big meeting for the first time, so excited! ☀️💙🌴 #OSSD2026

📅 Tuesday at #OSSD2026 ✔️ Capstone Lecture ✔️ Poster Session I ✔️ Symposia on brain development, metabolism, stress & substance use disorders, & Alzheimer's disease vulnerability ✔️ Opening Reception & Trainee Social Share your photos on the Whova app and tag #OSSD2026 in your posts!

Up next #OSSD2026 premeeting. Ann-Christin Kimmig -understanding biosocial constructs of how sex hormones may influence mental health. Empathy -is it truly females> or is it context specific? Specific to affective not cognitive

DYK that heart rate increases by 3 beats per minute & HRV is lower in the luteal phase. These could affect emotional regulation with hormonal transitions. ER & PR are in heart as well as brain! #OSSD2026 premeeting. @jellinap.bsky.social