Annual Lecture 2025: Why Sex Matters

On Tuesday 2 December, we were delighted to host Prof. Meital Oren-Suissa in London for our Annual Lecture.

Meital delivered a compelling presentation exploring her groundbreaking research into the biological differences between the male and female brain, and what these reveal about behaviour and sexual selection. She highlighted the powerful potential of this work to deepen our understanding of neurological conditions, such as Parkinson’s disease, where prevalence and symptoms differ between men and women. A central theme of her lecture was the crucial need to study these variations at the most fundamental, molecular level. Only by uncovering the basic science behind these conditions, she explained, can researchers develop treatments that are not only effective, but also appropriately tailored to the biological differences between the sexes. 

We were also joined by her former PhD student, Dr Sonu Peedikayil-Kurien, now a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Cambridge. Sonu spoke about his path to the Weizmann Institute and his experience in Meital’s lab, highlighting what a remarkable and genuinely special place the Institute is.