Episode Summary

AI is everywhere — from apps on our phones to tools shaping clinical care. But what does it really mean for women’s health? Could AI finally close the health gap — or will it reinforce the same frustrations women already face in the doctor’s office?

In this episode of Fempower Health, Georgie Kovacs sits down with Dr. Nikita Patel, a pharmacist, biomedical engineer, and healthcare innovation leader with 15 years of experience across biopharma, digital health, and AI. Nikita has held leadership roles including Director of Clinical Research & AI at Function Health, and she brings a multidisciplinary perspective on how data, diagnostics, and emerging technologies can transform health and human performance.

Together, Georgie and Niki unpack what’s misunderstood about AI in healthcare, why women’s health needs its own data lens, and how clinicians and patients alike can use AI responsibly today.

• What is AI in healthcare really doing behind the buzzword?
• Why is women’s health data missing — and how does this bias impact AI tools?
• How can women use AI to better advocate for themselves in doctor visits?
• Can AI improve clinical trials and drug development for women?
• What privacy risks should women and clinicians know about when using AI apps?
• How can healthcare providers evaluate whether an “AI-powered” tool is credible?
• What’s the future of personalized care — could digital twins and AI change everything?
• Who is responsible for setting standards for AI in women’s health?

1. Help others discover Fempower Health:

Leave a quick review on Apple or Spotify. It’s the easiest way to support our mission and amplify women’s health voices.

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**Top 50 Health Podcast of 2024**

**The information shared by Fempower Health is not medical advice but for informational purposes to enable you to have more effective conversations with your doctor. Always talk to your doctor before making health-related decisions. Additionally, the views expressed by the Fempower Health podcast guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent.**

**May contain affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links**

Originally Published May 2024. Re-sharing in honor of Chronic Pain Awareness Month

Are there ways to find pain relief for endometriosis? Listen as Dr. Allyson Shrikhande shares her expert insights on a whole-person approach to pain management.

Episode Summary

In this episode of Fempower Health, Georgie Kovacs hosts Dr. Allyson Shrikhande, a specialist in pelvic rehabilitation medicine. They explore the important topic of managing pelvic pain associated with endometriosis.

Dr. Shrikhande discusses the complex symptoms and challenges of diagnosing endometriosis, which often go beyond typical menstrual discomfort and can even affect areas such as bladder function and sexual health. They discuss innovative, non-surgical approaches to pain management, incorporating targeted treatments and lifestyle modifications. Listen to gain insights into holistic, patient-centered methods that make significant relief possible for those battling chronic pelvic pain.

Key Discussion Points:

• The diverse and often misunderstood symptoms of endometriosis
• Endometriosis’ impact on the menstrual cycle, bladder, bowel functions, and pain during intercourse
• Non-surgical methods for pelvic pain management when living with endometriosis
• Why detecting endometriosis early can change the course of treatment and potentially lessen the need for invasive procedures
• Nerve and muscle rehabilitation treatment options that provide relief without the complications associated with surgery
• Benefits of a whole-person approach to managing endometriosis, which includes nutritional support, behavioral health, and physical therapy
• Dr. Shrikhande emphasizes the need for greater awareness and education about endometriosis among both healthcare providers and patients

Related to this episode:

• Resources on Pelvic Health
• Read Beating Endo
• Try Your Pace Yoga
• Learn more about Pelvic Rehabilitation Medicine and follow them on Instagram.
• Stay in touch with Dr Allyson Shrikhande and follow her on Instagram and LinkedIn.

1. Help others discover Fempower Health:

Leave a quick review on Apple or Spotify. It’s the easiest way to support our mission and amplify women’s health voices.

2. Stay connected:

Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram and TikTok, YouTube for real-time updates, expert insights, and relatable conversations.

Or join...

Women’s health faces systemic challenges that too often leave women without answers — especially in midlife, when care becomes fragmented and reimbursement models make solutions hard to scale.

In this episode of Fempower Health, Georgie Kovacs speaks with Joanna Strober, CEO and co-founder of Midi Health and a seasoned entrepreneur who previously founded Kurbo Health (acquired by Weight Watchers). Joanna shares her journey from personal struggles with perimenopause symptoms to building solutions that confront the structural barriers in women’s health.

Together, we explore why women are left to self-navigate, how venture capital and philanthropy are shaping the field, and what it will take to close the gap between research and real-world care.

If you’re a woman seeking answers about your health, or a clinician striving to better serve your patients, this episode will give you a candid look at the truth: the system isn’t designed for women — but with insight and bold action, change is possible.

• Why do midlife women often “fall out” of the healthcare system?
• How do insurance and reimbursement barriers prevent women-centered care from scaling?
• Why does it take an average of 17 years for clinical evidence to become standard practice?
• How should innovators responsibly use emerging research in women’s health?
• What role did Pivotal Ventures and Wellcome Trust’s $100M commitment play — and why isn’t it enough?
• How do venture capital investors view women’s health innovation — is it bias, or a need to show scale?
• What cultural factors lead women to tolerate suffering instead of pushing for better care?
• Where does Joanna Strober see hope for the future of women’s health innovation?

1. Help others discover Fempower Health:

Leave a quick review on Apple or Spotify. It’s the easiest way to support our mission and amplify women’s health voices.

2. Stay connected:

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**Top 50 Health Podcast of 2024**

Joanna Strober is a visionary healthcare leader and CEO/co-founder of Midi Health,...

Originally published March 2021. Resharing in honor of Perimenopause Awareness Month.

Dr. Lara Briden is a naturopathic doctor and author of the bestselling books Period Repair Manual and Hormone Repair Manual. She has more than 20 years’ experience in women’s health and currently has a consulting room in Christchurch, New Zealand, where she treats women with PCOS, PMS, endometriosis, perimenopause, and many other hormone - and period-related health problems.

In this episode, Dr Briden covers:

• Stages of perimenopause and menopause
• Truths about HRT and why they are no longer called that
• Symptoms women tend to fear and solutions for each
• Why women can and should embrace this stage of life

Resources:

• Period Repair Manual
• Hormone Repair Manual

• Resources and episodes on Perimenopause & Menopause and sign up for the Perimenopause and Menopause newsletter

• Fempower Health's Menopause Resources

1. Help others discover Fempower Health:

Leave a quick review on Apple or Spotify. It’s the easiest way to support our mission and amplify women’s health voices.

2. Stay connected:

Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram and TikTok, YouTube for real-time updates, expert insights, and relatable conversations.

Or join our newsletter to get curated women's health content—on your terms, in your inbox.

**Top 50 Health Podcast of 2024**

**The information shared by Fempower Health is not medical advice but for informational purposes to enable you to have more effective conversations with your doctor. Always talk to your doctor before making health-related decisions. Additionally, the views expressed by the Fempower Health podcast guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent.**

**May contain affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links**

Longevity isn’t just about living longer — it’s about living better.

In this episode of Fempower Health, host Georgie Kovacs sits down with Roma van der Walt, a sports scientist, women’s health strategist, and CEO of Vitelle, to unpack what longevity really means for women.

Roma explains why the biohacking trend often overlooks female physiology, how wearables misinterpret women’s health data, and why prevention must go beyond annual checkups and symptom management. Together, they discuss AI’s role in women’s health, how clinicians can better support patients, and why building an integrated health intelligence infrastructure is the future of personalized care.

If you’ve ever wondered:

• “Am I doing enough to stay healthy as I age?”
• “Why do wearables and trackers confuse me more than they help?”
• “How can I trust AI with my health data?”

…this episode is for you.

• What is the difference between lifespan vs. healthspan, and why does it matter for women?
• How does the current longevity conversation overlook women’s unique physiology?
• Are wearables and fitness trackers accurate for women, or do they misinterpret the data?
• What are the four pillars of longevity every woman should focus on?
• How can AI and health intelligence infrastructure improve women’s healthcare?
• Why is prevention more important than biohacking for long-term women’s health?
• How can clinicians better support women navigating fragmented healthcare systems?
• What supplements and lifestyle factors can impact women’s biomarkers unexpectedly?
• How can women make sense of biometrics, wearables, and lab results without feeling overwhelmed?
• What role should personalized healthcare play in improving women’s outcomes?

1. Help others discover Fempower Health:

Leave a quick review on Apple or Spotify. It’s the easiest way to support our mission and amplify women’s health voices.

2. Stay connected:

Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram and TikTok, YouTube for real-time updates, expert insights, and relatable conversations.

Or join our newsletter to get curated women's health content—on your terms, in your inbox.

**Top 50 Health Podcast of 2024**

About Roma van der Walt

Roma van der Walt is pioneering a new era of women's health. As a sports scientist and the founder of Vitelle, she's working on turning complex biological data into actionable insights for female longevity and performance.

Her work sits at the intersection of sports science and the power of system design to address that the field of female health has been

Originally Released October 2021

Dr. Mindy Pelz, D.C speaks about how women should incorporate intermittent fasting based on where they are in their cycle and over their life span of reproductive years, perimenopause, and menopause.

Dr Mindy is a best selling author, keynote speaker, nutrition and functional medicine expert who has spent over two decades helping thousands of people successfully reclaim their health.

In this episode, Dr Mindy covers:

• What is intermittent fasting, and how does it promote fat-burning and metabolic switching?
• How do blood sugar stabilization and dietary changes support a successful fasting transition?
• What is “dirty fasting,” and why is it counterproductive to health goals?
• How can women map fasting schedules to their menstrual cycles?
• What are the specific intermittent fasting strategies for women in perimenopause or post-menopause?
• What is the role of ketones in brain health, and should women consider exogenous ketones?
• How does intermittent fasting impact conditions like obesity, diabetes, and neurodegenerative disorders?
• What does “n of one” mean, and how can women customize fasting for their unique health needs?
• How can women use nutrition, mindfulness, and fasting to balance hormones during life transitions?
• Why are women hormonally driven to share health discoveries, and how does this influence health trends?

Referenced in the podcast & related episodes:

• Resources and episodes on Perimenopause & Menopause and sign up for the Perimenopause and Menopause newsletter

• The Menopause Reset by Dr Mindy Pelz
• Hormone Repair Manual by Dr Lara Briden
• New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) Article on the Science Behind Intermittent Fasting

1. Help others discover Fempower Health:

Leave a quick review on Apple or Spotify. It’s the easiest way to support our mission and amplify women’s health voices.

2. Stay connected:

Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram and TikTok, YouTube for real-time updates, expert insights, and relatable conversations.

Or join our newsletter to get curated women's health content—on your terms, in your inbox.

**Top 50 Health Podcast of 2024**

Guest Bio

Dr. Mindy Pelz, D.C is a best selling author, keynote speaker, nutrition and functional medicine expert who has spent over two decades helping thousands of people successfully reclaim their health. She is a recognized leader in the alternative health field and a pioneer in the fasting movement, teaching the principles of a fasting lifestyle, diet variation, detox, hormones,

TikTok banned my anatomy quiz. The reason? I showed an anatomically correct clitoris model and asked people to guess what it was. No explicit words. No graphic content. Just science.

This is exactly why Saundra Pelletier, CEO of Evofem Biosciences, launched #SayVaginaMonth —a movement to fight censorship, challenge stigma, and normalize medically accurate conversations about women’s bodies.

• Why female anatomy gets censored while male terms don’t
• How stigma in language leads to silence in the exam room
• Why even doctors avoid sexual health—and how to change that
• Why naming body parts correctly is critical for safety, consent & care
• What you can do to join #SayVaginaMonth and push back against bans

If we can’t say vagina or clitoris without fear of being banned, how can we expect healthcare, policy, or research to serve women properly? Words shape awareness. Awareness shapes care. Silence keeps us in the shadows.

• Connect with Saundra Pelletier on LinkedIn, Instagram and TikTok

1. Help others discover Fempower Health:

Leave a quick review on Apple or Spotify. It’s the easiest way to support our mission and amplify women’s health voices.

2. Stay connected:

Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram and TikTok, YouTube for real-time updates, expert insights, and relatable conversations.

Or join our newsletter to get curated women's health content—on your terms, in your inbox.

**Top 50 Health Podcast of 2024**

**The information shared by Fempower Health is not medical advice but for informational purposes to enable you to have more effective conversations with your doctor. Always talk to your doctor before making health-related decisions. Additionally, the views expressed by the Fempower Health podcast guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent.**

**May contain affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on my links**

With new conversations on longevity coming up, I wanted to bring back this interview so you can revisit (or hear for the first time) the key insights that are still shaping how we think about women and aging.

Originally Published October 2023

The ovaries play a key role in overall health, not just reproduction. More scientific findings are revealing that the ovaries even influence mood, behavior, and longevity. In this episode, Dr. Jennifer Garrison from the Buck Institute for Research on Aging explains the intricate relationship between the brain and reproductive organs. She covers topics including the science of aging, the “hypothalamus pituitary gonadal axis”, menopause and health, hormone replacement therapy, and the importance of understanding ovarian function.

Dr. Jennifer Garrison is a PhD scientist and the head of a research lab at the Buck Institute, an independent institute dedicated to studying aging as a risk factor for diseases. Listen as Dr. Garrison explores how age is the primary risk factor for most chronic diseases including cardiovascular disease, cancer, and neurodegenerative diseases.

Discussed in this episode:

• How the brain controls female physiology, including reproductive function
• Early menopause and POI/POF
• Menopause and how it relates to overall health
• The fascinating story women’s ovaries can tell us about aging
• Understanding hormones as messengers in the body
• The impact of diet and exercise on aging and fertility
• How understanding the aging process can help target and treat age-related diseases
• Hormone replacement therapy for hormonal imbalances during aging
• Physical and emotional symptoms associated with periods, motherhood, and menopause

Related to this episode:

• Related episodes: Primary Ovarian Insufficiency (POI) and Menopause | Dr. Mandy Leonhardt
• Related episode: Women’s Health and the Ovulation Cycle | Dr. Jerilynn Prior
• Dr. Garrison’s Lab at Buck Institute: www.buckinstitute.org/lab/garrison-lab
• Dr. Jennifer Garrison on Twitter and LinkedIn
• Find Global Consortium for Reproductive Longevity and Equality (GCRLE) on Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn

• Resources and episodes on Breaking Taboos

• Recommended Books on Hormones and Menstrual Health

• Resources and episodes on