Tracing the Path of a Pioneer: Dr. JoAnn Manson’s Lasting Influence on Women’s Health

The Foundation funds oral history collections at institutions looking to better preserve and promote the experiences of women in medicine. Oral histories enable women to share their stories in their own words and better shape the legacy they leave behind. This oral history project highlights a recipient of the Foundation’s Alma Dea Morani, MD Renaissance Woman Award. This is a unique opportunity for medical pioneers to share their story in their own words, and for future generations to listen to them tell it.

Dr. JoAnn E. Manson MD, MPH, DrPH, MACP, is a physician, epidemiologist, and endocrinologist recognized as one of the most highly cited medical researchers in the world. She serves as Professor of Medicine and the Michael and Lee Bell Professor of Women’s Health at Harvard Medical School, Professor of Epidemiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, and Chief of the Division of Preventive Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.  

JoAnn Manson oral history was captured over four virtual sessions in August 2024. Here are some highlights from those conversations: 

From Loss, Purpose 

Excerpts from Video Part 1 of 4

Her mother’s aspirations and her early death from ovarian cancer during Dr. Manson’s medical training became a defining influence, fueling Dr. Manson’s lifelong dedication to women’s health and exposing the gaps in knowledge around female-specific and sex-based differences in medicine. 

The Male Patient Paradigm 

Excerpts from Video Part 2 of 4

Dr. Manson notes that while she did not face gender discrimination in medical school, her training consistently centered on the “70-kilogram male,” a default model that shaped nearly every lesson. What seemed striking at first eventually became routine—highlighting how deeply male-centric assumptions were embedded in medical education at the time.  

The Staggering Power of Prevention 

Excerpts from Video Part 2 of 4

Realizing early in her career that the American health care system was more accurately a disease care system, Dr. Manson became increasingly convinced that chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and cancer were far more preventable than previously thought. Her work has shown the profound impact of physical activity, heart-healthy diets, sleep, stress management, and other behavioral factors on reducing chronic disease risk. At the same time, she acknowledged the broader social and environmental barriers, such as limited access to affordable, healthy food and walkable communities, that affect individual choices. 

HRT: Lessons from the Frontlines 

Excerpts from Video Part 3 of 4

Dr. Manson emerged as a leader in some of the most important studies of women’s health over the past four decades, including the Nurses’ Health Study and the Women’s Health Initiative. She described the excitement of conducting large-scale randomized clinical trials and the insights gained into hormone therapy decision-making and lifestyle recommendations.