Despite affecting every woman, perimenopause and menopause (peri/menopause) remain shrouded in stigma and silence, and mothers working in STEMM are no exception. Peri/menopause can significantly impact women at work, with symptoms such as fatigue, anxiety, disrupted sleep, brain fog, and mood changes affecting concentration, performance, and overall well-being. These challenges are often compounded by a widespread lack of awareness of the symptoms of peri/menopause, both in medical settings and in the workplace. 

Many women struggle to access appropriate hormonal treatments due to misinformed or untrained healthcare providers, leading to frequent misdiagnosis or dismissal of their symptoms. As a result, they may experience a loss of confidence and feel isolated and undervalued during a critical stage of both their personal and professional lives. In this event, we’ll unpack:

• What’s really happening in our bodies during peri/menopause

• Often-overlooked cognitive and emotional symptoms such as brain fog, anxiety, and mood changes

• Why access to proper medical care is still out of reach for so many

• How cultural and medical biases deepen the challenges for mothers in STEMM

Guest Speaker: Crystal Schiller, Associate Professor at University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

This special event was FREE for all.

Speaker: Dr. Crystal Schiller is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at UNC School of Medicine and a licensed clinical psychologist specializing in reproductive-related mood disorders. She is Associate Director of the UNC Center for Women’s Mood Disorders and leads research on how reproductive hormones affect brain function and mood. Dr. Schiller also focuses on improving mental healthcare access for perinatal women and provides evidence-based therapy to women across the reproductive lifespan, as well as to healthcare workers at UNC Health.