המרכז לחקר וקידום בריאות האישה

Huge congratulations to our doctoral graduate, Dr. Lior Deray Turjanski! Supervised by Professor Julie Cwikel, Lior is now a Deputy Major and Head of the Senior Mental Health Officers branch in the IDF. Her incredible role perfectly combines dedicated military service, hands-on professional work, and cutting-edge academic research.

Lior recently completed her doctoral studies at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. Her research focused on the adaptation of combat soldiers-examining the factors that support their transition, the challenges they face, and the underlying causes of crisis and breakdown.

We are incredibly proud of you, Lior, and wish you continued success in your professional and academic path!

Incredible insights coming out of the 12th World Conference on Women’s Studies in Thailand! 🇹🇭🌱

It was an absolute privilege to watch both Prof. Julie and Dr. Amal Nagammy take the stage to share their powerful, individual research projects:

🎙️ Prof. Julie Cwikel delivered a vital lecture on utilizing women's political positions to develop concrete strategies for rehabilitation in Gaza. Based on a collaborative survey of Palestinian women leaders, her research highlighted a profound consensus on how to prioritize the psychological and physical needs of women and children. Rebuilding must start with the absolute fundamentals of human survival- clean water, electricity, and sewage infrastructure-before scaling up to housing, healthcare, and education.

🎙️ Dr. Amal Najami presented a fascinating, deep-dive qualitative analysis into exactly how women fought for, built, and established their political power and voice within the Palestinian Authority.

Beyond these brilliant presentations, connecting with visionary women leaders from across Asia and the Global South has been an eye-opening experience. Gaining these diverse, firsthand perspectives on global women’s health and political voice is an invaluable reminder of why cross-border dialogue matters so deeply.

So incredibly proud of both of them for bringing such essential, human-centered work to the international stage! 🌍💼✨

TIIKM Campus TIIKM

https://tiikm.com/conference

“I’m Strong, I’m Stable, I’m Balanced” - יוגה נשית

This is Orit Cohen, our incredible yoga instructor with our new moms and their newborns practicing self care, pelvic floor strengthening, breathing, and relaxation of the mind.

Meirav Hochman
אם לאם באוניברסיטת בן גוריון

🌾 Chag Shavuot Sameach from the Center for Women’s Health Studies & Promotion! 🌾

Shavuot-also known as Chag Ha'Katzir (The Harvest Festival)-is a beautiful season of renewal, growth, and community.

This holiday, we are reflecting on the powerful biblical narrative of Ruth and Naomi, which reminds us of the profound impact of female solidarity, mutual care, and resilience. At the Center, we see this spirit alive every day in our research, our community programs, and the incredible network of women supporting women across the Negev.

Just as the harvest represents the culmination of shared effort and dedication, we celebrate the growth of our research and community initiatives that cultivate a healthier, safer, and more collaborative future for women and families.

Wishing our entire community, partners, and friends a peaceful, healthy, and happy holiday! 🤍✨

We were honored to participate in the School of Brain Science and Cognition’s annual research retreat. Our Director, Prof. Julie Cwikel, joined a panel of judges to review the incredible work being done by the next generation of scientists.

It was a privilege to witness the high level of achievement on display, particularly the groundbreaking research from Prof. Jennifer Reznick and her students.

Partnerships like these underscore the vital connection between brain science and women’s health-a synergy we are proud to champion within the Ben-Gurion University community.
Congratulations to all the researchers for an inspiring day of discovery! 👏

Ben-Gurion University of the Negev

🎙️ Deep Dives into Women’s Health: Our Podcast Collection
At the Center for Women’s Health Studies and Promotion, we believe that bridging the gap between academic research and community care starts with a conversation.

Our 2024–2025 Podcast Series brings together top experts, researchers, and advocates to discuss the most pressing issues facing women today. From maternal wellness and trauma-informed care to the latest in health equity research, these episodes offer vital insights for professionals and the public alike.

Whether you’re catching up on an episode you missed or revisiting a favorite topic, this series remains a cornerstone of our mission to empower women through knowledge.

🎧 Listen to the full series here: https://open.spotify.com/show/6wRCX0evi1rftHKFAdH8FU?si=i2_b5cWFQmW5TiP2HOC3qg&nd=1&dlsi=7cef7b4171ea4207

When ‘Swiss Science’ Becomes Marketing: The New Face of Menopause Misinformation

Prof. Julie Cwikel, Director of the Center for Women’s Health Studies and Promotion

In recent days, I encountered an online advertisement that illustrates a broader and troubling development: the increasing use of scientific language, institutional authority, and even implicit references to Nobel laureates in the marketing of unproven health products.

The advertisement presents a “Swiss solution” for weight loss after menopause and features a supposed professor introduced in Hebrew as “Prof. Tzachanover”—a name strikingly similar to that of Prof. Aaron Ciechanover Nobel Laurate in Chemistry in 2004. The resemblance invites an association with scientific credibility that the product itself does not appear to warrant.

The structure of the presentation is equally telling. It follows a familiar digital marketing pattern: a promise to reveal a “secret formula in 30 seconds,” followed by a prolonged monologue lasting 10 to 15 minutes before any substantive information is disclosed. This is not incidental. It reflects a well-known engagement strategy designed to keep viewers within a persuasive environment long enough to increase the likelihood of conversion.

Along the way, the narrative expands. The “professor” claims that pharmaceutical companies are preventing him from publishing his discovery. He asserts that he conducted “200 experiments” to adapt the method specifically to Israeli women living under chronic stress. He suggests that the findings have already been covered by major Israeli media outlets, though no verifiable evidence is provided. Each of these claims reinforces a sense of exclusivity, urgency, and suppressed knowledge.

At the same time, there is a striking mismatch between the target audience and the imagery used. While the product is marketed to post-menopausal women, testimonials feature women in their 20s and 30s displaying dramatic weight loss. In another segment, an overweight woman describes her husband’s declining attraction and the threat of abandonment—an appeal that draws not on medical evidence, but on emotional vulnerability.

Taken together, these elements point less to scientific communication than to a structured sales funnel designed to maximize engagement, trust, and urgency.

It is difficult to ignore the broader context in which such messages are received. In recent weeks, Israeli civilians have been living under repeated missile alerts—from Iran and from Houthi forces in Yemen. Nights are interrupted, routines are unstable, and uncertainty is constant. In such conditions, the appeal of a simple, immediate solution—whether to anxiety, health, or weight—is not surprising. What is concerning is how precisely this vulnerability is being targeted. When an advertisement claims to have been “adapted to Israeli women under stress,” it is not offering science. It is leveraging lived reality to increase persuasion.

This would be less concerning if the underlying claims were supported by evidence. However, current scientific understanding of menopause and metabolism suggests otherwise. Weight changes during menopause are associated with hormonal shifts, particularly declining estrogen levels, which influence fat distribution, energy expenditure, and metabolic regulation. These processes are complex and not amenable to rapid modification through a single dietary component or supplement.

Decades of research in endocrinology—from the discovery of insulin by Frederick Banting to later work on hormonal regulators such as leptin—have consistently demonstrated that body weight is governed by integrated biological systems. These systems are adaptive and resistant to simple, short-term interventions.

Against this background, the promise of a “secret formula” capable of producing effortless and sustained weight loss is not merely optimistic—it is biologically implausible.

The broader concern is not any single advertisement, but what it reflects. Women in midlife often face significant physiological changes while receiving limited, fragmented, or insufficiently tailored medical guidance. In that context, the appeal of clear, simple solutions is understandable. However, this also creates a space in which marketing can appropriate the language of science without adhering to its standards.

If there is a lesson to be drawn, it is not only about skepticism toward specific claims, but about recognizing patterns. When messages combine urgency, secrecy, and borrowed authority, they merit careful scrutiny.