Sex differences in the brain

Recent articles

Sex differences are an important and often understudied aspect of brain research. These essays explore new advances, issues and insights in the field.

Abstract illustration of a feminine face in structural flux.

Revisiting sex and gender in the brain

To conduct scientifically accurate and socially responsible research, it is useful to think of “sex” as a complex, multifactorial and context-dependent variable.

By Marija Kundakovic
28 January 2025 | 8 min read
Illustration of men’s and women’s faces.

Males and females show different patterns of risk for brain-based conditions. Ignoring these differences does us all a disservice.

Although studying sex differences in the brain is complex, technically awkward and socioculturally loaded, it is absolutely essential.

By Armin Raznahan
9 December 2024 | 9 min listen
A collage illustration of a woman’s face fragmented by a mosaic of X chromosomes, lines and shapes.

Brains, biases and amyloid beta: Why the female brain deserves a closer look in Alzheimer’s research

New results suggest the disease progresses differently in women, but we need more basic science to unpack the mechanisms involved.

By Rachel Buckley
22 October 2024 | 8 min listen

Get notified every time a new essay in this series is published.

Explore more from The Transmitter

Alison Preston explains how our brains form mental frameworks for interpreting the world

Preston discusses her research examining differences in how children, teenagers and adults integrate new information into their memories.

By Paul Middlebrooks
12 March 2025 | 90 min listen
A dropper above a row of beakers against a background of blackboard calculations.

Calculating neuroscience’s carbon cost: Q&A with Stefan Pulver and William Smith

The two scientists discuss how to estimate a research project’s carbon emissions, from supply procurement to energy usage.

By Calli McMurray
12 March 2025 | 7 min read

U.S. BRAIN Initiative set to lose $81 million this year

A government spending bill, which was approved today by the House of Representatives and heads next to a Senate vote, allocates 20 percent less funding for the program than last year.

By Angie Voyles Askham
11 March 2025 | 3 min read