In 2015, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced policy changes to ensure sex as a biological variable is considered in vertebrate animal and human studies. The 2017 Sex as a Biological Variable (SABV) Workshop took place October 26-27, 2017, at the NIH campus in Bethesda, MD. This one and one-half day workshop addressed the advantages of incorporating SABV into biomedical research.

The workshop highlighted the scientific insights from a select number of researchers who received supplemental funding through the NIH Office of Strategic Coordination (Common Fund) and the Office of Research on Women's Health to address sex differences in brain function and behavior, sex effects/interactions with external influences, sex differences in animal models, and sex differences in gene expression. Researchers presented their scientific results. They also shared challenges and approaches to inclusion of SABV in research design spanning the continuum from basic through translational to clinical research analyses and reporting. The workshop included a panel discussion on accounting for SABV in biomedical research. Workshop materials and video recordings are below.

Please view a summary of the SABV workshop which includes research findings from the speakers and key conclusions that were developed

Please download a copy of the Sex as a Biological Variable program booklet from the workshop. This booklet includes:

• Meeting Agenda
• Speaker and Moderator Biographies 
• Oral Presentation and Poster Abstracts
• Participant List

Videos for each session can be viewed below. Click the link on individual speakers to jump to a specific presentation in a new window.