Bloomberg Businessweek has been featuring Media Lab researchers in its live Women’s Health segment, highlighting perspectives on emerging technologies, scientific breakthroughs, and the systemic challenges shaping women’s health today. This collection brings together recent interviews that showcase the breadth of research and ideas being shared across the Media Lab.
- Rosalind Picard — Wearable Tech to Improve Women's Health Research
Rosalind Picard discussed how wearable devices and affective computing can capture continuous, objective data on stress, pain, and sleep—areas historically under-measured in women. She noted that current commercial wearables represent only a fraction of what’s possible, with new Lab work exploring conformable sensors for early disease detection.
- Canan Dağdeviren — AI, Wearable Tech Helping Treat Women's Health Issues
Canan Dağdeviren described how soft, body-molding devices and AI can support earlier, more personalized care. Her team’s wearable ultrasound patch fits into a bra and enables comfortable, radiation-free breast cancer screening at home. She emphasized the importance of tools designed specifically for women as part of WHx’s mission.
- Deblina Sarkar — Microscopic Tech at Forefront of Treating Women's Health Issues
Deblina Sarkar outlined how microscopic, non-surgical implants travel through body fluids, locate diseased brain regions, and deliver targeted stimulation. Demonstrated in animal models, the technology is moving toward human trials. She highlighted its potential impact on conditions that disproportionately affect women, including Alzheimer’s and aggressive brain cancers.
- Susan J. Blumenthal — Systematic Inequities in Women's Health and How Innovation can Close the Gap
Susan J. Blumenthal reflected on long-standing inequities in women’s health and the historic exclusion of women from major research studies. She emphasized priorities such as improved maternal health, expanded telehealth, and earlier detection of conditions like preeclampsia. As Honorary Chair of WHx, she stressed the need to treat women’s health as a national priority.
Hugh Herr discussed the evolution of prosthetics from passive devices to today’s sensor-rich, computer-controlled bionic limbs. His team is working toward systems that more fully integrate with human biology to restore movement after limb loss or neurological injury. He also highlighted the need to address gender disparities and eliminate male bias in prosthetic design.