DR. VONDA WRIGHT AND THE BUCK INSTITUTE FOR RESEARCH ON AGING ANNOUNCE THE MOVE THE MOUNTAIN CAMPAIGN

One Million Dollars Per Mile To Close the Biggest Gaps in Women's Aging Research

NOVATO, Calif., July 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Buck Institute for Research on Aging and renowned orthopedic surgeon, researcher, and women's health advocate Dr. Vonda Wright have joined forces to launch Move the Mountain, a landmark philanthropic campaign and endurance challenge designed to transform the future of women's health research. The campaign seeks to raise $79 million – one million dollars for every mile of Dr. Wright's 79-mile mountain challenge – establishing The Vonda Wright Women's Health Foundation at the Buck Institute's Center for Healthy Aging in Women, a permanent home for the study of women's unique biology and its impact on healthspan.

Beginning September 16–20, 2026, Dr. Wright will undertake the 29029 Trails Race in Park City, Utah, a grueling mountain endurance event, followed by the 29029 Everesting Race in 2027. Together, the two races constitute her 79-mile challenge, with every mile representing another step toward funding the research women have deserved for generations. 

Women live longer than men, yet spend more years living with poor health. Despite this reality, many of the biological systems that shape women's aging remain dramatically understudied and underfunded. Among the most significant gaps is the ovary, which influences cardiovascular, neurological, metabolic, immune, hormonal, and musculoskeletal health throughout a woman's life. Yet its role in aging has never been comprehensively mapped.

"For more than twenty-five years, women have been asking the same question: why are we experiencing these profound changes in our bodies, and why are there still so few answers?" says Dr. Vonda Wright. "The truth is that the data does not exist because the research was never funded at the scale women deserved. We cannot solve problems we have never adequately studied. The ovary may be one of the most important organs in female longevity, yet we still do not fully understand it. This is not charity. This is infrastructure."

Move the Mountain was created to change that. Through philanthropy, scientific innovation, and public engagement, the campaign will provide catalytic funding for high-impact and ambitious research that has historically been difficult to fund through traditional channels, helping generate the discoveries needed to attract larger-scale investment and accelerate new approaches to women's healthspan.

"Vonda's mission and the Buck Institute's scientific strengths are a natural fit," says Dr. Eric Verdin, President and CEO of the Buck. "The Vonda Wright Women's Health Foundation will give this movement a permanent home, anchoring a trusted public voice to world-class research infrastructure and ensuring that the momentum Vonda builds on the mountain translates into lasting scientific impact for women everywhere."

Initial Foundation priorities include creating one of the first comprehensive scientific maps of the aging ovary, advancing research into the Musculoskeletal Syndrome of Menopause, accelerating innovation in female sexual health, and supporting women-led pilot research designed to generate future scientific breakthroughs. Every project funded through the Foundation will be selected for its potential to deliver measurable scientific progress, clinical application, and meaningful public impact.

Campaign giving opportunities begin at $79, allowing individuals and supporters like those in Dr. Wright's community to participate in helping reshape the future of women's health. For philanthropic leaders seeking to accelerate the Foundation's impact, naming opportunities range from $1 million Mile Champion gifts to a transformational $79 million Mountain Builder investment supporting the Foundation's long-term scientific vision.

To learn more or support, visit buckinstitute.org/lab/move-the-mountain or contact Lisa Palma, Director of Philanthropy, at [email protected].

About Dr. Vonda Wright: Vonda Wright, MD, is a double board-certified orthopedic surgeon, researcher, speaker, and New York Times bestselling author dedicated to advancing women's health and longevity. For more than two decades, her work has focused on helping women build strength, mobility, and resilience through evidence-based approaches to musculoskeletal health, performance, and aging. A leading voice in women's health, Dr. Wright has cared for elite athletes, conducted pioneering research on active aging, and inspired millions through her books, speaking engagements, and educational platforms.

About the Buck Institute: Our success will ultimately change healthcare. At the Buck, we aim to end the threat of age-related diseases for this and future generations by bringing together the most capable and passionate scientists from a broad range of disciplines to identify and impede the ways in which we age. An independent, nonprofit institution, our goal is to increase human healthspan, or the healthy years of life. Globally recognized as the pioneer and leader in efforts to target aging, the number one risk factor for serious diseases including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, cancer, macular degeneration, heart disease, and diabetes, the Buck wants to help people live better longer. Learn more at: https://buckinstitute.org 

Media contact: [email protected]

SOURCE Dr. Vonda Wright