Hearst Magazines Hosts 3rd Annual Women's Health Lab in Partnership With Northwell's Katz Institute for Women's Health

With Title Sponsor Lilly

Featuring Jessica Capshaw, Laura Dern, Sutton Foster, Heather Gay, Chelsea Gray, Gracie Lawrence, Keke Palmer, Maria Shriver, Jenna Wolfe, and more in conversation with Hearst Magazines editors

NEW YORK, May 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Hearst Magazines hosted the 3^rd annual Women's Health Lab—an immersive event bringing together medical professionals, experts and advocates for in-depth discussions on the wide range of health issues impacting women and practical solutions to help women to live healthier, happier lives. The invitation-only event took place on Monday, May 18 at The New York Historical in New York City.

Curated and hosted by the editors of Women's Health and featuring editors from Cosmopolitan, Delish, ELLE, Oprah Daily, Prevention and Seventeen, the Women's Health Lab went deep with medical experts and thought leaders on topics including cognitive health, caregiving, longevity, healthcare industry innovation, mental health, lessons in sports leadership and more.

Following welcoming remarks from Women's Health Executive Editor Abigail Cuffey and Hearst Magazines EVP and Global Chief Revenue Officer Lisa Ryan Howard, the event featured speakers including actor and podcast host Jessica Capshaw; actor and interstitial lung disease caregiver Laura Dern; Tony Award-winning actor Sutton Foster; television personality, entrepreneur, and author Heather Gay; WNBA champion, Olympic gold medalist, and point guard for the Las Vegas Aces Chelsea Gray; musician and actor Gracie Lawrence; Google Global Director of Healthcare & Life Sciences Shweta Maniar; New York Sirens forward and 2025 Patty Kazmaier Award winner Casey O'Brien; actor and Founder of Practice by Palmer Keke Palmer; journalist, author, and women's health advocate Maria Shriver; and more, in conversation with Hearst Magazines editors. Women's Health Lab panels also featured doctors from Northwell Health's Katz Institute for Women's Health. Stacey E. Rosen, MD, Executive Director, Northwell's Katz Institute for Women's Health & Volunteer President, American Heart Association and Jennifer Oleksiw, Group VP, U.S. Neuroscience and Global Commercial Innovation Officer, Eli Lilly and Company also delivered remarks as part of the event.

"When women are informed, when women are believed, when women are heard, and when women have access to better science, better care, and better conversations, everything changes. Because in a world full of noise, half-truths, algorithms, and conflicting advice, women deserve reporting they can trust, experts who meet them where they are, and a community that reminds them they're not navigating any of this alone," said Abigail Cuffey, executive editor of Women's Health, in her closing remarks. "So don't let today stay in this room. Take one conversation with you. Take one fact that surprised you. Take one stigma you're now ready to challenge. Take one woman you care about—and share something you learned today. Advocate for yourself—or help someone else advocate for herself. Because that's how this moves from a one-day event to real change."

The 3rd annual Women's Health Lab was hosted by Hearst Magazines in partnership with Northwell's Katz Institute for Women's Health. Lilly served as title sponsor, with additional sponsors including Altra, Bayer, Boehringer Ingelheim, Ipsen, L'Oreal Paris, Organic Valley and WaterWipes.

2026 Women's Health Lab programming included:

• Moderate to Severe Hot Flashes Due to Menopause: A Conversation Worth Having – Women's Health Health Director Marty Munson moderated a discussion exploring the experience of moderate to severe hot flashes due to menopause through both personal perspective and medical expertise. Featuring actor, producer, bestselling author, and women's health advocate Garcelle Beauvais and television health educator, author, and speaker Barbara Dehn, NP ("Nurse Barb"), both Bayer paid spokespeople. (Presented by Bayer)
  
  
• The Science of Staying Strong: Longevity, Movement & Resilience – ELLE Senior Digital Director Claire Stern Milch led a conversation unpacking how movement practices like dance cardio, strength training, and mindful exercise supports both physical longevity and emotional resilience, diving into science and experience of managing stress and adversity, and how mindset, purpose, connection, and self-love play a critical role in recovery and growth. Featuring Tony Award-winning actor Sutton Foster alongside ABC News Chief Medical Correspondent and Associate Director of the Lenox Hill Women's Heart Program Tara Narula, MD.
  
  
• Beyond the Scars: Navigating Life with Interstitial Lung Disease – Prevention Executive Editor Stephanie Dolgoff guided a discussion centered on the emotional and physical toll of progressive lung disease, including the challenges of delayed diagnosis, the importance of self-advocacy, the new ways patients and caregivers can navigate life beyond the diagnosis, and the resilience it takes to keep finding meaning, connection and joy in the face of chronic illness. Featuring actor and interstitial lung disease caregiver Laura Dern, pulmonologist Rany Condos, MD, and a patient living with interstitial lung disease. (Presented by Boehringer Ingelheim)
  
  
• Real Talk: Mental Health, Identity & Showing Up Anyway – Cosmopolitan and Seventeen Editor-in-Chief Willa Bennett sat down with musician and actor Gracie Lawrence for an intimate conversation exploring ambition, identity and emotional resilience, including the power of honesty in art, the pressures of building a creative career in the spotlight, embracing vulnerability and how owning your imperfections can become your greatest strength.
  
  
• Listen to Your Body: Exhaustion Can Signal Something More – Actor and podcast host Jessica Capshaw led a discussion examining the chronic health conditions beyond burnout, mental load, daily stressors and hormonal symptoms that impact women in midlife and can cause life-changing physical and mental exhaustion. Featuring Margarita Oks, MD, who serves as Program Director, Lenox Hill Hospital/Northwell Health Pulmonary Critical Care Fellowship and Associate Program Director, Sleep Medicine Fellowship; and Sleep Medicine Medical Director, Lung Institute Western Region, Northwell Health, alongside a retired nurse living with Primary Biliary Cholangitis. (Presented by Ipsen)
  
  
• Skin in Transition: The GLP-1 Effect on Skin—Science, Stories & Solutions – Women's Health Beauty Director Brian Underwood moderated a discussion examining the emerging impact of GLP-1 medications on skin, including the stigma and public conversation surrounding GLP-1 use, how weight loss and related physiological changes can affect facial volume, skin laxity, hydration and overall skin quality, and the range of solutions available. Featuring television personality, entrepreneur and author Heather Gay, FAAD Board-Certified Dermatologic Surgeon and CEO & Founder, Skin & Aesthetic Surgery of Manhattan Michelle Henry, MD, and FACE Endocrinologist & Program Director, Northwell Health Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism Fellowship Avani Sinha, MD. (Presented by L'Oréal Paris)
  
  
• Protein, Decoded – Delish Digital Director Katelyn Lunders led a science-backed conversation breaking down how protein needs shift across life stages, from building muscle in your 20s to supporting hormones in midlife to protecting strength and metabolism as you age. Featuring Registered Dietitian and author of Live Nourished: Make Peace with Food, Banish Body Shame, and Reclaim Joy Shana Minei Spence and PWHL New York Sirens forward and 2025 Patty Kazmaier Award winner Casey O'Brien. (Presented by Organic Valley)
  
  
• Mastering Me: Strength, Boundaries & Coming Back to Yourself – Oprah Daily Editor-at-Large Gayle King led a fireside chat with actor and Founder of Practice by Palmer Keke Palmer for an intimate conversation about what it really means to take ownership of your well-being, from movement and mental health to boundaries, relationships and self-definition, the two explored how strength is built beyond the gym, through daily rituals, honest reflection and the courage to grow in real time.
  
  
• Would You Want to Know? Maria Shriver on Brain Health and Prevention – Women's Health Executive Editor Abigail Cuffey sat down with award-winning journalist, best-selling author, founder of the Women's Alzheimer's Movement at Cleveland Clinic and the co-founder of the Comprehensive Women's Health and Research Center Maria Shriver for a timely conversation about why brain health matters, how prevention fits into the overall health picture, and what women can do to feel more informed and empowered as they navigate cognitive health planning for themselves and their loved ones. (Presented by Lilly)
  
  
• Sport & Motherhood: The New Playbook – Women's Health Director of Special Projects Amanda Lucci was joined by four-time WNBA champion, 2-time Olympic gold medalist and point guard for the Las Vegas Aces Chelsea Gray for a candid conversation about what it means to lead at the highest level—on and off the court. The discussion also explored the evolving visibility of women's sports and the example she hopes to set for the next generation watching her navigate both the game and family life as she translates her elite basketball IQ into motherhood and advocates for stronger protections for parents in the WNBA.
  
  
• The Future of Women's Health: A New Era of Care – Television personality, fitness expert and author Jenna Wolfe facilitated a dynamic discussion exploring the wave of innovation—from AI-driven diagnostics to digital health platforms and personalized medicine—reshaping women's healthcare today, what the next generation of care could look like and what healthcare leaders must do now to build that future. Featuring Jill Kalman, MD EVP, Chief Medical Officer & Deputy Physician-in-Chief at Northwell Health and Global Director of Healthcare & Life Sciences at Google Shweta Maniar.

Conversations from the 2026 Women's Health Lab will be available for on-demand viewing in the coming weeks. See highlights from the event on Instagram at #HearstHealthLab.

SOURCE Hearst Magazines