On Monday evening, May 19, 2025, a group of women leaders got a look at the future of women’s health—and it’s a bright one, thanks to renowned women scientists and innovators like the ones who spoke at Seneca’s Salon Series on Women’s Health & Longevity, co-hosted by P&G. Held at MoMA’s The Modern, the Salon featured legendary women’s health pioneer Dr. Susan Blumenthal, former US Assistant Surgeon General, and neuroscientist Dr. Fanny Elahi, in conversation with Sharon Bowen, Chair of the New York Stock Exchange and Partner, Seneca Women, and Kim Azzarelli, Seneca Women Co-Founder and Director’s Fellow, MIT Media Lab.

Dr. Blumenthal, who served for more than two decades as a top government health official under four U.S. presidents, has been at the forefront of exposing gender inequalities and ensuring that women’s medical conditions are studied and treated. “We used our passion, our purpose, and our perseverance to really shine a spotlight on the health of 51 percent of the population who make 80 percent of the health decisions for themselves and their families,” she said. One key to better health is better data, she added. “Data drives decision-making and we need to have that data on women's health.” Dr. Blumenthal carries many titles: Rear Admiral, former Assistant Surgeon General of the United States, Ambassador, Institut Curie, and the first-ever Deputy Assistant Secretary for Women’s Health. Among her many other titles and honors, she was recently appointed a Knight in the French Legion of Honor for her landmark contributions to improving health and the fight against cancer.
One “women’s disease” that’s finally getting the attention it deserves is Alzheimer’s—two-thirds of people with this condition are women. Dr. Fanny Elahi’s work includes investigating the effect of sex hormones on dementia and her latest research, Menopause Minds Matter, focuses on the link between menopause and brain health. A groundbreaker in the use of blood biomarkers to detect vascular disease, Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases, Dr. Elahi is a physician-scientist and Associate Professor of Neurology, Neuroscience, and Pathology, Molecular and Cell-Based Medicine, and Director, Elahi Lab at Mount Sinai. “At Mount Sinai…we have brought the blood biomarkers into the clinic and they've been absolutely game-changing,” she said. Using blood biomarkers for detection is cheaper and easier than previous methods, she said. “More people are going to seek diagnosis, and that means we're going to be able to detect disease early, at a time when treatments can have their highest impact.”