This week, the podcast associated with the journal Neuropsychopharmacology, “Brainpod,” released an episode entitled, “Sex as a Biological Variable: Who, What, When, Why and How.” The podcast discusses the eponymous article penned by Drs. Tracy Bale and Neill Epperson from University of Pennsylvania [1]. The authors provide guidance on sex-based study design and rationale for incorporating sex as a biological variable within both biomedical and clinical research. They debunk common misconceptions surrounding the use of female rodents, provide context as to what would be considered an appropriate “single-sex” study, and briefly discuss the organizing effects of estrogen and testosterone in brain development.

 Click here to listen to the podcast.  

 Want to learn more about sex-inclusive science? Visit Sex Inclusion at NU!   

 References:
1. Bale and Epperson., Neuropsychopharmacology (2017); 42:386–396.