Dr Jill Biden visits Imperial College and NHS Trust
The former First Lady of the US was presented innovations in women’s health.
On February 9th, Imperial College London and NHS trust received a visit from Dr Jill Biden, a retired teacher and former First Lady of the United States. Hosted by Professor Ara Darzi, co-director of the Imperial Global Health Initiative, the trip focused primarily on current issues in women’s health and the Imperial-led innovation in this area.
Dr Biden’s background in education and leadership – she holds a doctorate in Education Leadership from the University of Delaware – as well as her experience as founder of the Biden Breast Health Initiative, an education programme, were reflected in her visit. Her tour of the Flemming Lab focused on the role of women in the production of penicillin during World War II, and the disproportionate threat women face from anti-microbial resistance due to antibiotic overprescription.
An ensuing round table centred on women’s health, which brought together Imperial medical experts, covered topics including unequal representation of women on clinical trials, the developing role of AI in the diagnostic process, and the growing need for research into menopause treatments. Dr Biden was also introduced to several women-focused health initiatives, including BoobyBiome, a group of scientists integrating the benefits of the breast milk microbiome with infant medicine, and Hertility Health, creators of the largest global dataset on women’s health.
This visit occurred against a backdrop of staggering cuts to reproductive healthcare funding under the current US administration, with international aid termination leading to the closure of over 1000 family-planning clinics in countries such as Bangladesh and Mozambique.
