There is much to learn about the biology underlying sex and gender development, and how sex differences result in higher or lower incidences of disease and responses to treatments. Check these links to learn about WashU investigators who study sex differences, published findings, and additional resources related to sex and gender.

Glossary

  • Assigned sex: determination made at a person’s birth based on an infant’s anatomy and/or sex chromosomes.
  • Cisgender: when one’s gender identity and assigned sex coincide with societal norms (e.g., man and male).
  • Gender identity: a label used to describe one’s identity within a given society’s understanding of gender.
  • Nonbinary: a person who does not subscribe to conventional gender categories but identifies with neither, both, or a combination of genders. Related terms include genderqueer, gender fluid, and more.
  • Transgender: when gender identity and sex do not coincide with societal norms.

*from Rubin JD, Atwood S, Olson KR, “Studying Gender Diversity” (2020), Trends in Cognitive Sciences


Resources

Nature, Collection of opinion articles on sex and gender in research

National Academies Consensus Study Report

Commentaries on sex and gender in neuroscience research

From the 2019 Transgender Spectrum Conference

Publications from WashU authors

Sex-dependent effects of acute stress on amyloid-β in male and female mice

Edwards HM, Wallace CE, Gardiner WD, Doherty BM, Harrigan RT, Yuede KM, Yuede CM, Cirrito JC. Brain, 2023;, awad05

The relevance of rich club regions for functional outcome post-stroke is enhanced in women

Bonkhoff AK , Schirmer MD , Bretzner M, Hong S, Regenhardt RW, Donahue KL, Nardin MJ, Dalca AV, Giese A-K , Etherton MR, Hancock BL, Mocking SJT, McIntosh EC, Attia J, Cole JW, Donatti A, Griessenauer CJ, Heitsch L, Holmegaard L, Jood K, Jimenez-Conde J, Kittner SJ, Lemmens R, Levi CR, McDonough CW , Meschia JF, Phuah C-L, Ropele S, Rosand J, Roquer J, Rundek T, Sacco RL, Schmidt R, Sharma P, Slowik A , Sousa A, Stanne TM, Strbian D, Tatlisumak T, Thijs V, Vagal A, Wasselius J, Woo D, Zand R, McArdle PF, Worral BB, Jern C, Lindgren AG, Maguire J, Wu O, Rost NS, the MRI-GENIE and GISCOME Investigators and the International Stroke Genetics Consortium. (2022) Human Brain Mapping

Sex-specific hypnotic effects of the neuroactive steroid (3β,5β,17β)-3-hydroxyandrostane-17-carbonitrile are mediated by peripheral metabolism into an active hypnotic steroid

Manzella FM, Cabrera OH , Wilkey D , Fine-Raquet B, Klawitter J , Krishnan K, Covey DF, Jevtovic-Todorovic V, Todorovic SM. (2022) British Journal of Anaesthesia

Sex-related differences in violence exposure, neural reactivity to threat, and mental health

Dark, HE , Harnett, NG, Hurst, DR, Wheelock, MD, Wood, KH, Goodman, AM, Mrug, S, Elliott, MN, Emery, ST, Schuster, MA, Knight, DC. (2022) Neuropsychopharmacology

Sex-Based Differences in Functional Brain Activity During Working Memory in Survivors of Pediatric Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

Gandy, K, Scoggins, MA, Phillips, N, Van Der Plas, E, Fellah, S, Jacola, LM, Pui, C-H, Hudson, MM, Reddick, WE, Sitaram, R, Krull, KR. (2022) JNCI Cancer Spectrum