Fixing the Funding Gap in Women’s Health with Laura Minquini from Athena BIO

In this episode, tech entrepreneur Aldo de Pape sits down with Laura Minquini, founder of Athena BIO (formerly Athena DAO), to explore one of the most overlooked problems in modern medicine: the massive funding gap in women’s health research.Laura explains how decentralized science (DeSci) can help fund translational research—the critical stage where discoveries in the lab turn into real treatments and drugs. Despite women driving enormous economic value globally, research focused specifically on female health conditions receives only a tiny fraction of global medical funding.The conversation dives into why diseases like endometriosis, menopause-related conditions, and polycystic ovarian syndrome remain under-researched—and how new funding models could finally change that.Key Topics Covered:Why women’s health is dramatically underfundedOnly a small percentage of global biomedical funding goes toward female-specific conditionsEven common conditions like endometriosis affect millions yet lack effective treatmentsMany drugs historically were not properly tested on female bodiesThe “Valley of Death” in biotech funding. Laura explains the funding gap between:Early scientific discoveryTranslational researchActual drug developmentThis gap prevents promising women’s health research from becoming real treatments.What Athena BIO Is Trying to ChangeAthena BIO is building a new model for funding scientific research by:Supporting early translational women’s health researchFunding scientists working on reproductive and hormonal healthUsing decentralized science models to involve a global communityTheir goal is simple but ambitious: move scientific breakthroughs out of the lab and into real treatments for women.Why Women’s Health Is Still a “Frontier Market”Laura shares a striking insight:Despite women driving massive consumer spending globally, investors still hesitate to fund women’s health innovation.Reasons include:Lack of historic data and market validationA biotech funding ecosystem that follows trends rather than creates themLeadership structures historically dominated by male decision-makersYet Laura believes the opportunity is enormous—comparable to the early days of other major industries.The Future of Decentralized Science (DeSci)The conversation also explores how decentralized science could transform research funding.Key ideas include:Removing traditional funding bottlenecksEnabling communities to support scientific breakthroughsAccelerating innovation in neglected medical fieldsWhile crypto and blockchain tools are still evolving, the mission remains clear: fund better science faster.Books MentionedThe Art of Thinking Clearly – on cognitive bias and decision-making in businessThe Business of the Vagina – a deep look at innovation and opportunity in women’s healthFinal TakeawayReal change in women’s health will require long-term vision, funding, and persistence.As Laura puts it, the mission may take a decade or more—but the potential impact on global health could be enormous.This episode was brought together by AlphaWire: https://alphawire.xyz/