What happened in 1993 still affects medicine today. That was the year women were required to be included in NIH-funded clinical trials, a shift that helped begin correcting decades of male-centered medical research. In this powerful conversation, Sharon Kedar CFA sits down with Jessica Federer, former Chief Digital Officer at Bayer and Managing Director of The Women’s Health Fund, to explore why this moment matters not only for women’s health, but for human health, innovation, and the future of medicine.

They discuss how exclusion from research shaped diagnostics, drug dosing, autoimmune disease, heart health, cancer care, and why one of the world’s largest multi-trillion dollar industries still has enormous opportunity ahead.

This Episode Is For You If:

- You want to understand why women’s health impacts everyone

- You’re curious how clinical trials shape modern medicine

- You care about innovation, investing, longevity, and better healthcare outcomes

What You’ll Learn:

- Why women were historically excluded from many clinical trials

- How 1993 changed medical research standards

- Why better science creates better care for everyone

Key Takeaways

- Clinical research has historically relied heavily on male data, creating downstream gaps in care.

- Including women in research improves diagnostics, treatment, safety, and outcomes across medicine.

- Women’s health may be one of the greatest innovation opportunities of our time.

Connect with Sharon:

Connect with Sharon on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharonkedar/

Learn more about Innovate and Elevate: https:// innovateandelevatepodcast.com

Subscribe to Innovate and Elevate on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuWi1O9RBaPMYuCkKszPYVA

Join the newsletter to receive the latest episodes in your inbox: https://innovateandelevatepodcast.com/email

Connect with Jessica Federer:

- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jjfeds

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicafederer

- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jessica.federer?_r=1&_t=ZP-95ZSDLDRyyF

- YouTube: https://youtube.com/@jjfeds?si=bX8_ii-GccsfXHN8

Organizations, resources and citations referenced:

Bayer: https://www.bayer.com/en/

National Institutes of Health (NIH): https://www.nih.gov/

U.S. Food and Drug Administration: https://www.fda.gov/

Jennifer Doudna: https://vcresearch.berkeley.edu/faculty/jennifer-doudna

The content shared in this episode is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical, financial, or investment advice. Please seek guidance from your own qualified professionals before making decisions.

Timestamps

(00:00) Welcome Jessica Federer

(00:50) Why Jessica cares deeply about women’s health

(02:10) Why 1993 was a turning point in clinical trials

(04:33) NIH rules requiring women in funded research

(08:28) Why women spend more years in poorer health

(12:08) Mammograms, heart disease, and missed opportunities

(15:36) Why cancer treatment may look barbaric in hindsight

(18:53) Why top talent is moving into women’s health

(21:13) Autoimmune disease and the need for better systems

(25:29) The next frontier: brain health and hormone science

About Our Guest: Jessica Federer is a trailblazer and market builder. She was the first female chief digital Officer in the global pharmaceutical industry. She now sits on public and private boards, convenes the Health of Women Investor Summit and is the managing director of the Women’s Health Fund. She also serves on the Yale IRB and the Yale Blavatnik Fund advisory.

About Sharon: Sharon Kedar is a co-founder and partner at Northpond Ventures, a multi-billion-dollar science-driven venture capital firm. Her extensive career includes leadership roles at Sands Capital and McKinsey & Company, and she is a published author on personal finance. As the host of the Innovate and Elevate podcast, she passionately advocates for menopause care and HRT (hormone replacement therapy), challenging the silence around human health XX (also known as women’s health). She aims to help women navigate midlife and achieve longevity by aging with power. Sharon holds an MBA from Harvard Business School and is a CFA charter holder. She lives in the Washington, DC area with her husband, Greg, their three kids, and their dog Bo.

This podcast is produced by Brave Moon Podcasts: https://www.bravemoonpodcasts.com/