Dementia Researcher

In this episode of the Dementia Researcher - Xxplored Women’s Brain Health podcast, host Dr Laura Stankeviciute speaks with Professor Claudia Barth from Charite University and Dr Gillian Coughlan from Harvard Medical School to examine the midlife transition, menopause and its significance for women’s brain health. Together they outline what the menopause truly involves across the early, late, and post stages, and explain how hormonal change affects brain structure, energy use, mood, and cognition. They also explore why this period may coincide with greater vulnerability to later Alzheimer’s disease and discuss the role of early or surgical menopause, symptom severity, and gaps in existing research cohorts. The episode highlights the need for richer reproductive data, real time biomarker studies, and closer collaboration with digital health tools to better capture women’s lived experiences. It reflects a growing wave of research and public interest aimed at improving understanding, support, and evidence bas