Jill Biden Engages Private Sector for Women’s Health Research as the U.S. ‘Seems’ Less Involved
‘We all have a part to play in every aspect of this,’ says the former first lady at the Milken global conference.
Former First Lady Dr. Jill Biden is hoping to catalyze the private sector to fund research into women’s health because she says “it doesn’t seem like the federal government is really going to be as involved as they were.”
The former first lady’s remarks Monday, on the second day of the 2025 Milken Institute Global Conference in Los Angeles, comes on the heels of her newly announced role as chair of Milken Institute’s Women’s Health Network just last week and in the wake of massive federal funding cuts and federal worker layoffs under the Trump administration. Biden joined Esther Krofah, Executive Vice President, Milken Institute Health, to talk about their joint effort to entice an audience full of stakeholders including potential investors.
Not all that long ago, during a moment on an “ordinary Saturday in the White House” while sitting in her East Wing office that the former first lady recalls reading a figure that she since hasn’t forgotten—businesses lose more than $2 billion a year because of the effects of menopause on women.
“I sort of tucked that in the back of my mind,” Biden says, until later when she had a conversation with Maria Shriver, former first lady of California, who first enlightened her about the state of women’s health research. Before 1993, Biden recalls at the time, women were not included in research studies and just last week she learned it was not until 2016 when female lab animals were used for research.
“I thought that was a little shocking,” Biden says. “It took that long that they were doing research on both sexes. It was really a revelation.”
Biden was invited to chair the Women’s Health Network, which was established by the nonprofit, nonpartisan think tank to bring together research institutions, start-ups and entrepreneurs, corporations and businesses, investors, payers, policymakers, patient and community organizations, health systems, and philanthropists to advance women’s health—an approach to solving understudied women’s health issues that Biden explored while first lady.
In fact, Biden led the first White House Women’s Health Research initiative, an executive order that was signed by President Joe Biden in 2023 that fundamentally changed the approach of how the country funds research on women’s health. That initiative was infused with $1 billion in federal funds, much of it committed from agencies across the government, including a sizable contribution from the Department of Defense. And in 2024 before leaving office, the Bidens hosted the first Women’s Health Research conference inside the White House.
The Women’s Health Network’s focus on stakeholders and private investors is notable when on the same day, European leaders made a public bid to disenfranchised researchers in the United States whose institutions’ funding have been slashed and as federal funding threats loom over universities including Harvard and Columbia. President Emmanual Macron of France, speaking at the Sorbonne University in Paris at the Choose Europe for Science event on Monday, called the United States’ action under the Trump administration to withdraw researchers’ visas unthinkable and an “error.”
The European Commission, the executive branch of the European Union, plans to double grants for researchers. Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, said during the Choose Europe for Science event that their first priority is to ensure that science in Europe remains open and free. “That is our calling card,” von der Leyen said, the New York Times reported.
To get her point across about women’s health research at the Milken conference, Biden used heart disease as an example. Heart disease is the number one killer of men and women globally, she says. Yet, the treatment for women has largely come from the research conducted on men.
“Men, they suffer because of the large artery. And women, it’s a small vessel disease. They didn’t know there were these differences,” Biden says. “That’s why women don’t feel this crushing pain when you have a heart attack. We feel it like nausea or different symptoms.”
She went on to describe the Women’s Health Network isn’t solely focused on issues that only impact women like ovarian cancer or menopause. Rather, it focuses on all diseases and the discovery of how studying women would lead to better outcomes for women.
In her role as chair, Biden is hoping to amplify the needs by maintaining the momentum supporting women’s health research that she helped fuel while in the White House. Those efforts over the next year include creating a digital platform to share research, to advocating for more women to participate in clinical trials, prodding stakeholders to invest in women’s health products and to support innovators, and setting up a fund to fund research.
“This is really an important opportunity for business, for private equity,” Biden says. “We need to look at this as a challenge. We all have a part to play in every aspect of this.”
This was the first of three appearances Biden is making this week.
On Wednesday, Biden will appear alongside author Isabel Allende who will speak about her new book “My Name is Emilia del Valle” at Sixth & I in Washington, D.C. And on Thursday, the former first lady is expected to make an appearance with her husband, former President Joe Biden on The View. It will be their first interview since leaving the White House. The Bidens are expected to talk about Joe Biden’s “legacy, their accomplishments, regrets and the current political landscape.”
First Ladies on the Book Festival Circuit
Calendar
May 7, 2025
Sixth & I Politics and Prose: Isabel Allende In Conversation With Jill Biden
Bestselling author and Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient Isabel Allende will speak with former First Lady Jill Biden on May 7 to speak about Allende’s new book, “My Name Is Emilia del Valle.” The book is a historical novel about a young writer who journeys to South America to uncover the truth about her father and herself. The event, held at 7 p.m., will take place both in-person at Sixth & I (600 I St NW Washington, DC) and online. Tickets start at $12 each. Read more
May 8, 2025
The White House Food History Symposium
The White House Historical Association in partnership with the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History is presenting the White House Food History Symposium on May 8. From 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET at the Historic Decatur House, the event will explore the evolution of food history, presidential and White House foodways, how White House staff and chefs have shaped presidential taste, and the role of food and wine in social diplomacy. Registration includes a continental breakfast, lunch, and reception. Guests will also receive a copy of the White House Historical Association’s latest publication, Asian Heritage Chefs in White House History: Cooking to the President’s Taste.
May 8, 2025
Sunnylands Series: Heath Lee on The Mysterious Mrs. Nixon
In partnership with the Rancho Mirage Public Library, the Sunnylands Series returns with a presentation about First Lady Pat Nixon with author Heath Lee on Thursday, May 8, from 2 to 3 p.m., local time at the Rancho Mirage Public Library, located at 71-100 CA-111, Rancho Mirage, CA 92270.This lecture will focus on Lee’s latest book, The Mysterious Mrs. Nixon: The Life and Times of Washington’s Most Private First Lady, the first biography of Pat Nixon in nearly 40 years. The book contrasts Pat Nixon’s elusive portrayal in the media with her Western, can-do spirit. It also examines her work on women’s rights during her time as second and first lady. Read more
May 9, 2025
Legacy Lecture: What Six Months Back Reveal About Melania Trump
Join Jennifer Taylor, editor and founder of East Wing Magazine, for a virtual lecture with the National First Ladies Library & Museum exploring the early days of Melania Trump’s return to the White House during the second Trump administration. On May 9 at noon EST, this in-depth discussion will explore how Trump has navigated her role as first lady this time around, the initiatives she has revived or introduced, changes in East Wing traditions and norms and the potential influence she may wield over the next four years. Tickets are $9. Read more
May 14, 2025
Talk with a Curator
The National First Ladies Library & Museum’s Michelle Gullion, Senior Director of Curatorial Services, is hosting a virtual behind-the-scenes adventure into first ladies history. Join Gullion at 7 p.m. on May 14 for a lively and exclusive look behind the scenes of the National First Ladies Library & Museum. She will cover fascinating artifacts from the first ladies collection, the stories behind the historical treasures and how the team preserves and shares these unique pieces of history. Tickets are $9. Read more
May 15, 2025
Third Thursday Wine & Cheese: Nancy Reagan's Designer Secrets Unveiled!
The National First Ladies Library & Museum in Canton, Ohio is hosting an evening dedicated to First Lady Nancy Reagan’s style and sophistication. On May 15 at 6:30 p.m. EST, they’ll showcase six of Reagan's rarely displayed and absolutely breathtaking designer handbags from Yves Saint Laurent to Valentino. The iconic accessories tell the story of how one first lady made elegance her signature and a powerful political statement. Tickets are $25. Doors open at 6 p.m. Read more
May 15, 2024
Celebrating VA’s First Ladies
Join First Lady of Virginia Suzanne Youngkin and Former First Ladies of Virginia Susan Allen, Anne Holton, and Pamela Northam as they discuss the role of FLOVA and its lasting impact on the Commonwealth. Their role of diplomacy, hospitality, and advocacy continues long after they move out of the Executive Mansion. Heath Lee, author of The Mysterious Mrs. Nixon and The League of Wives, will moderate this panel discussion. Read more
May 19, 2025
The Mysterious Mrs. Nixon: The Life and Times of Washington’s Most Private First Lady
The National First Ladies Library & Museum presents a thought-provoking discussion of The Mysterious Mrs. Nixon with author Heath Hardage Lee, which examines the life of one of America’s most private and enigmatic first ladies. Discover the real Pat Nixon, a woman of quiet strength, deep compassion, and progressive values who left a lasting impact on history. Read more
May 16, 2025
First Ladies: Their Enduring Impact on American Life
Throughout history, first ladies have had an enduring impact on both select policy and political matters, as well as on White House ceremonial traditions and broader American culture.
Join the University of Virginia’s Miller Center on May 16 at 2 to 3 p.m. EST for a conversation about the purpose and influence of the first spouse from Martha Washington to Melania Trump. This event will be led by the Miller Center’s Professor Barbara Perry, co-chair of the Center’s Presidential Oral History Project and author of Jacqueline Kennedy: First Lady of the New Frontier; Teri Finneman, professor of journalism and communications at the University of Kansas, founder and executive producer of the The First Ladies podcast and co-editor of The Cambridge Companion to U.S. First Ladies; Heath Hardage Lee, author of The Mysterious Mrs. Nixon; and Michael LaRosa, former press secretary for First Lady Jill Biden. Books will be available for sale and signing. Read more
May 21, 2025
Tudor Place Celebrates Champion of Preservation at Annual Spring Garden Party
The Tudor Place Board of Trustees and Co-Chairs Charlotte Grassi Ramirez and Gwendolyn Lohse Assey announced its Spring Garden Party will be held on May 21. Each year, the Spring Garden Party recognizes an instrumental figure, who has been stalwart in the support of Tudor Place and the community who inspires others to engage with and support historic preservation.
This year’s event will honor Mrs. Beverly Jost, a passionate advocate for conserving Georgetown’s history, according to a news release. Mrs. Jost served with distinction on the Board of Trustees of Tudor Place for nine years, including three as president. Beverly has shared a profound respect for the past, working tirelessly for over 35 years promoting historic preservation and the beauty of Georgetown.
The Spring Garden Party celebrates Tudor Place’s ongoing commitment to historic preservation, conservation and dynamic educational programming. As the institution’s most important fundraiser of the year, proceeds account for more than 20% of annual operating revenue, the news release said.
For tickets and information, please visit the website.
Submit calendar items, announcements and press releases to East Wing Magazine at jtaylor@eastwingmagazine.com.