Did you know that $2.5 billion in women’s health research was cancelled in 2025?
On Thursday, December 4, the Gibson Showroom in Los Angeles hosted Women Who Rock and the Magee-Womens Research Institute (MWRI) for an evening focused on truth, advocacy, and action for women’s health. The event, presented by Gibson Gives, brought together artists, industry leaders, and members of the press to spotlight the urgent need for greater investment in women’s healthcare research.
Michael Annichine, CEO of MWRI, shared remarks about the work of the institute and the importance of coming together to raise awareness around the urgency for this important cause. Music icon Sheila E. also addressed the audience, sharing why advocacy for women’s health matters. Her remarks set the tone for an evening that blended advocacy, awareness, and artistry, culminating in an intimate acoustic performance by Alex Ritchie.
MWR is the nation’s largest research institute dedicated to women’s health. Their current research includes 319 active studies spanning 292 different conditions and 162,000 clinical trial participants worldwide. Proceeds from Women Who Rock™ will support MWRI’s research on breast and gynecologic cancers, heart health, infectious diseases (including HIV & COVID-19), infertility, maternal & infant mortality, pelvic floor & vaginal health, pregnancy and newborn medicine, substance use disorders, and more.
Women Who Rock was founded by Melinda Colaizzi after 15 years working as a singer-songwriter and music industry professional with Live Nation and witnessing gender imbalance across the field. After navigating her own women’s health challenges and those of close family members, Colaizzi connected with MWRI and recognized a parallel disparity: women are underrepresented not only in the music industry but also in healthcare research. Women Who Rock now partners closely with the institute to raise both awareness and funding while celebrating women in music through their flagship fundraisers.
Learn more about Magee-Womens Research Institute, Women Who Rock, and Gibson Gives.
