Men Are from Mars, Women Are from ????

Hello fellow neuroscientists. This week we will review the cells of the nervous system, and the structure and function of various parts of the brain. Did you know that very little is known about how the brains of men and women differ at a cellular or molecular level? Its true! For years, researchers shied away from using female subjects because, as one scientists said to me, 'why would you want to have all those hormones muck things up?'

Unfortunately, this oversight may have severe consequences. We know that men and women metabolize some medications differently (ex. this). What about our brains? How do the brains of men and women differ? This question isn't purely philosophical, as it has important implications for the treatment of diseases in men vs. women. Luckily, scientists are now beginning to recognize the importance of using females in basic science research. In fact, the National Institutes of Health (NIH)  now requires that animals of both sexes must be used in all new scientific research (you can read about the new NIH initiative here). Not to be cliché, but only time will tell whether this new scientific direction provides invaluable insights.