Women in Reproduction – 2026

Despite the steady increase in women pursuing careers in STEM - rising from approximately 8% of the research workforce in 1970 to nearly 30% today - women remain underrepresented in senior academic roles and leadership positions. As highlighted by UNESCO, advancing science and gender equality is essential for sustainable development. In reproductive endocrinology, women researchers have made critical contributions to understanding fertility, pregnancy, and reproductive health, driving both fundamental discoveries and clinical innovation. However, their work continues to require greater visibility and recognition.

This Research Topic aims to highlight and celebrate the scientific excellence and leadership of women working across the field of reproductive endocrinology, with a particular focus on mechanisms underlying reproductive success and failure. This collection seeks to promote cutting-edge research addressing the endocrine regulation of reproductive processes, as well as the complex interplay between hormonal, immunological, genetic, and environmental factors influencing fertility and pregnancy outcomes.

Building on collaborative efforts across international research teams, this Topic will explore reproductive health across the full continuum - from conception and implantation to placentation and pregnancy pathologies. Special emphasis will be placed on reproductive failures, including infertility, implantation defects, pregnancy complications (such as preeclampsia), and fetal developmental disorders, integrating both endocrine and non-endocrine perspectives where relevant to hormonal regulation and reproductive physiology.

The articles included in this Research Topic will reflect the breadth of contemporary reproductive endocrinology, spanning molecular, cellular, translational, and clinical approaches. By bridging basic science with clinical applications, this collection aims to advance understanding of reproductive disorders, improve diagnostic and therapeutic strategies, and contribute to global goals related to reproductive health and gender equality.

We welcome submissions including Original Research, Reviews, Mini-Reviews, Perspectives, Methods, and Systematic Reviews addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:

• Endocrine regulation of fertility, implantation, placentation, and pregnancy

• Mechanisms of reproductive failure, including infertility, implantation defects, and pregnancy complications (e.g., preeclampsia)

• Hormonal, immunological, and genetic interactions in reproductive pathophysiology

• Gametogenesis, embryo development, and early pregnancy endocrinology

• Endocrine aspects of fetal development and prenatal diagnostics

• Environmental, genetic, and endocrine disruptors affecting reproductive outcomes

• Advances in assisted reproductive technologies and endocrine interventions

• Molecular signaling and hormone action within the reproductive system

• Multi-omics and innovative methodologies in reproductive endocrinology

• Mechanisms of neuroendocrine reproductive axis development and regulation

Please note: To be eligible for inclusion in this collection, the first or last author of each manuscript must be a researcher who identifies as a woman. Co-authors of all genders are welcome.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Clinical Trial
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Clinical Trial
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Policy and Practice Reviews
• Review
• Study Protocol
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: reproductive endocrinology, women in STEM, fertility and pregnancy, reproductive failure mechanisms, hormonal regulation, reproductive health research, gender equality in science

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.