UCL Women’s Health Week 2024

To celebrate International Women’s Day 2024, we are showcasing some of our research and division-wide initiatives that focus on women’s health, as part of UCL Women’s Health Week, 4 – 8 March 2024.

You can find out more about how UCL is transforming the future of women’s health and events that are happening across the week on the UCL Population Health website. #UCLWomensHealthWeek

Divisional Event

Women and Mental Health

Professor Sonia Johnson co-host’s this term’s Institute of Mental Health Symposium on mental health during pregnancy, the perinatal period and menopause.

Our research in Women's Mental Health

Dementia Risk Linked to Age of First Period

Divisional researchers study the protective effects of Estrogen on developing dementia, using UK Biobank data.

Body dissatisfaction linked with depression risk in children

Body dissatisfaction at age 11 is linked to increased risk of depression by age 14, finds a new longitudinal study led by UCL researchers.

The gender dimensions of mental health during the Covid-19 pandemic

UCL study shows that the early months of the pandemic had a more pronounced impact on the mental health of women.

Access to perinatal mental health services for ethic minorities

This paper explores Black and South Asian women's experiences of help-seeking and engagement in perinatal mental health services in the UK.

Loneliness is central to perinatal depression

Loneliness can often contribute to depression in expectant and new mothers, finds a new review of evidence led by UCL researchers.

Division of Psychiatry Gender Equity Team

The Division of Psychiatry Gender Equity Team aims to address the loss of women across the career pipeline and the lack of women in senior academic, professional and support roles, and to remove obstacles faced by women, especially at major points of career development and progression. We also consider the intersection of gender with other factors.

We were awarded the Athena Swan Silver Award in 2022 because of the progress made in the Division over the previous 5 years:

Increased proportion of women Professors to 50%
Increased the promotion and retention of women academics – a 28% increase in the number of non-clinical women at Associate Professor level
Increased leadership positions occupied by women – the proportion of leadership positions held by women increased to 53%
Four new leadership roles were awarded to early or mid-career women
More women and men now discuss promotion during appraisals – an 18% increase since 2018

Recent UCL Profiles

Dr Natalie Marchant on creating an inclusive research culture

Dr Natalie Marchant is an Associate Professor in the Division of Psychiatry and Chair of UCL’s new Research Culture Community Steering Group.

Reducing the rising burden of adolescent depression and anxiety

Dr Gemma Lewis (UCL Psychiatry) shares her extensive research into the causes and prevention of adolescent depression and anxiety in The Lancet.