SEATTLE, WA, May 18, 2026 (EZ Newswire) -- The Institute Advancing Women’s Health (InAWH), a new global nonprofit focused on improving women’s health in midlife, today announced the appointment of Paula Schneider as its chief executive officer and introduced its founding medical advisory board.

Nearly 1.4 billion women worldwide are 45 and over, yet the gap between what is known about women’s midlife health — from perimenopause through postmenopause — and how care is delivered in practice fails to meet their needs. A Cleveland Clinic study released on May 7 found that more than half (52%) of U.S. women surveyed say menopause is not discussed enough.

InAWH will help close this gap by working with clinicians, researchers, and partners to make existing evidence more accessible and easier to apply.

“Too many women feel left to navigate midlife health on their own,” said Schneider. “Women deserve clearer information, a better understanding of their health risks, and more informed conversations with their doctors.”

Schneider previously served as president and CEO of Susan G. Komen, where she led the organization through significant transformation and expansion in research, advocacy, and patient support. She brings deep experience in women’s health, organizational leadership, and building partnerships at scale.

InAWH’s priorities will be guided by a medical advisory board of leading experts across a range of disciplines involved in midlife health, including endocrinology, cardiology, obstetrics and gynecology, epidemiology, and genomics, with representation from the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and South Africa. The medical advisory board initially consists of:

• Barbara Gulanski, MD, MPH — Endocrinologist and Board-Certified Internist, Yale University School of Medicine
• Mary Jane Minkin, MD, FACOG — Clinical Professor, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Yale University School of Medicine
• Erica S. Spatz, MD, MHS — Associate Professor of Cardiology and Epidemiology, Yale University School of Medicine; Director, Preventive Cardiovascular Health Program
• John Eden, MB, BS, MD, RCOG, RANZCOG, CREI — Conjoint Professor, School of Women and Children’s Health, University of New South Wales; Head of the Menopause Unit, Royal Hospital for Women, Sydney
• Nicole Jaff, PhD, MSCP — Board of Trustees, International Menopause Society; Executive, South African Menopause Society; Honorary Lecturer, University of the Witwatersrand and University College London