$10 million gift from Emily and Malcolm Fairbairn puts spotlight on women’s health research

Women’s health is finally getting the kind of bold, headline-making investment it has long needed. Philanthropists Emily and Malcolm Fairbairn have pledged $10 million to launch the Fairbairn Menstruation Science Fund, a pioneering initiative housed at the MIT Health and Life Sciences Collaborative.

The fund’s mission is to transform how science understands the uterus—not just as a reproductive organ, but as a key player in immunity, healing, and chronic disease.

For Emily Fairbairn, this gift is deeply personal.

She has lived through both Lyme disease and endometriosis, conditions that are under-researched and often dismissed in clinical settings.

“Women’s health is too often sidelined or misdiagnosed,” she said in announcing the gift. “We need science that truly reflects female biology.”

Her husband, Malcolm, echoed the urgency.

A longtime supporter of biomedical innovation, he framed their philanthropy as a call to action: “We want this fund to be catalytic—not just for MIT, but for the broader scientific and philanthropic communities.”

The Fairbairns have also issued a challenge to other donors: they are seeking to match their $10 million with an additional $10 million in outside contributions, effectively doubling the resources devoted to this underfunded field.

Despite affecting half the population, menstruation and uterine health remain among the most neglected areas of medical research.

By focusing on how the uterus regulates immune function—through processes like “scarless healing” and immune tolerance during pregnancy—scientists hope to uncover insights relevant to conditions ranging from endometriosis and PCOS to lupus, anemia, and organ rejection.

One striking avenue of research involves “organs on chips,” tiny living-cell devices that mimic human tissue. MIT professor Linda Griffith, who leads the Center for Gynepathology Research, is building patient-specific models of uterine disease that could eventually guide personalized treatment.

Another thread, led by scientist Michal “Mikki” Tal, explores how infections like Lyme disease disproportionately affect women. Early findings point to enzymes such as JNK that might become new drug targets.

The Fairbairn Fund will also underwrite public education campaigns aimed at breaking taboos around menstruation and raising awareness about conditions like abnormal bleeding and infertility. The hope is that better science and broader cultural understanding will shorten the years-long delays many women face in getting diagnoses.

With their $10 million gift, the Fairbairns join a growing cadre of donors pushing women’s health to the top of the biomedical agenda.

Their approach—combining personal experience, scientific rigor, and a clear challenge to fellow philanthropists—signals a turning point.

“This is about bold, fearless science,” Emily Fairbairn said.

“And about finally giving women’s health the attention it deserves.”