A team of researchers led by Prof Rohini Nair, assistant professor at Gujarat Biotechnology University, Gandhinagar, will be working on affordable, scalable and minimally invasive RNA-based diagnostic and therapeutic tools for Heavy Menstrual Bleeding (HMB) as part of funding by Gates Foundation.
With the target to enable earlier detection, personalised treatment and improved menstrual health management, particularly for women in underserved regions, the project has been accepted under the Gates Foundation Grand Challenges Support with a financial support of around Rs 1.3 crore.
“The Gates Foundation launched its ‘Grand Challenges’ funding call in February 2025, inviting innovative approaches to address Heavy Menstrual Bleeding (HMB) – a critical yet often overlooked women’s health concern. The Foundation follows a two-step evaluation process, beginning with a Concept Note or Letter of Inquiry (LOI), followed by a full proposal from shortlisted candidates to ensure alignment with global health priorities and scientific rigour. Our proposal was approved for the support last month and the official letter is expected to be issued on December 2,” Prof Rohini Nair told The Indian Express.
The study will be carried out in collaboration with Dr Rohina Aggarwal, Dean and Head, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the Institute of Kidney Diseases and Research Centre (IKDRC), Ahmedabad.
As part of the research, Dr Aggarwal will play a key role in patient identification and clinical evaluation while Prof Nair’s laboratory will focus on women’s health research, including Repeated Implantation Failure and Endometriosis, and is actively developing Ribonucleic acid (RNA)-based affordable, scalable and minimally invasive RNA-based diagnostic and therapeutic tools for HMB.
“Today, HMB affects millions of women worldwide, leading to anaemia, reduced productivity, chronic fatigue and poor quality of life. The impact is particularly severe in low-resource settings where access to timely diagnosis and effective treatment remains limited. The project will also look at identifying ways to increase acceptability and access to treatments such as the hormonal intrauterine device for women in low-resource settings. Despite its high prevalence, the underlying biological mechanisms of HMB remain poorly characterised, resulting in delayed care and persistent stigma. This is not limited among elderly women but also reported among the younger generation. However, women do not open up due to the social structure and normally handle this with pain killers,” Prof Nair told The Indian Express.
Explaining the issue, Prof Nair said, “Abnormal uterine bleeding, of which HMB is a subset, is caused by various factors. Structural abnormalities include polyps, adenomyosis, fibroids, and malignancy, while non-structural factors include bleeding disorders, ovulatory and endometrial dysfunction, and other factors.”
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The project aims to close these gaps by mapping the cellular and molecular drivers of HMB using single-cell RNA sequencing to generate a comprehensive atlas of the endometrial microenvironment. Insights from this work are expected to reveal key pathways and biomarkers associated with abnormal menstrual bleeding.
“Gujarat Biotechnology University acknowledges this achievement as a significant milestone in India’s contribution to global women’s health research and reaffirms its dedication to fostering impactful and science-driven innovations,” Dean Research Prof Sudhir Pratap Singh of Gujarat Biotechnology University said.
Focus area of the research project on HMB:
-Advancing understanding of the fundamental biology of HMB
-Assessing disease burden, patterns, and impact on gynaecological health and quality of life in women in low-resource settings
– Developing and validating improved methods for measuring HMB and establishing standardised research protocols
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-Innovative diagnostics or piloting the use of existing technology to identify causes of HMB in low resource settings, including the use of artificial intelligence
-Evaluating the effectiveness, acceptability, and ways to increase access to treatment
