We are excited to announce our inaugural 4M conference is taking place June 20-21st 2024 at the University of Exeter, UK.
Key dates
Abstract submissions open January 8th 2024
Abstract submissions close March 1st 2024
Registration for 4M Members will open 26th March 2024
Registration for non-members will open May 1st 2024
Conference will take place June 20-21st in Exeter
Theme: Menstrual & Mental Health in Society
For our inaugural conference the overarching theme is “Menstrual and Mental Health in Society“.
We are looking forward to hearing about research and practice relevant to menstrual, menopausal and/or mental health. The provisional programme for the conference can be found below:
Themes include:
- bidirectional relationships between socioeconomic position and menstrual health and wellbeing
- the role of education in improving menstrual health awareness and reducing negative impacts on mental health in schools
- menstruating or undergoing menopause in the workplace
- menstruation in humanitarian crises
- digital health and femtech
- the gender data/health gap
- the impact of menstrual health on social wellbeing
- And much more!
Non-academic stakeholders
The conference is reflective of the 4M mission to foster collaborative interdisciplinary work within the 4Ms. This means we will be showcasing work beyond academic research and will be joined by a variety of non-academic stakeholders, including representatives from:
- Clue
- Bloody Good Period
- Wellbeing of Women
- drip
- Irise International
- The Lowdown
- Period Positive
- Office for National Statistics
- South West International Development Network
- Emm
- And more…
Early Career Researchers
We are also very pleased to be able to support early career researchers to attend. The ESRC SWDTP kindly provided us with a small grant to facilitate this, so we were able to waive registration fees for some stakeholders and ECRs who submitted an abstract [please note that all free places are now confirmed].
Abstract submissions have now closed.
Keynote Speakers
We are delighted to welcome three global experts in menstrual health as our keynote speakers.
Professor Hilary Critchley
Professor Hilary Critchley is a Professor of Reproductive Medicine at the University of Edinburgh and has made significant contributions to our understanding of menstrual health.
Her research focusses on local mechanisms within the womb-lining (endometrium) involved in menstruation and abnormal uterine bleeding. In particular, she has conducted research on the local endometrial response to withdrawal of progesterone, and the process involved in blood vessel growth and repair in the endometrium which occurs during each menstrual cycle.
Professor Martha Hickey
Martha Hickey is a Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the University of Melbourne. Her clinical and research interests are in menopause, particularly menopause after cancer.
After delivering a very well-received 4M Seminar on Menopause, we are excited to be joined again by Professor Martha Hickey. She led the first Core Outcome Set for menopause (COMMA) and is now leading an international Priority Setting Partnership in menopause (MAPS). She is the NICE guidelines topic expert on menopause. She has a strong commitment to evidence based medicine and is an Editor for the Cochrane Collaboration. She is also an advocate for normalising the menopause and developing a new approach to menopause which focuses on supporting and empowering women to effectively transition through this normal life stage.
Dr Mandikudza Tembo
Dr Mandikudza Tembo is a public health specialist and public engagement expert in menstrual and women’s health. She is the founder of The Bleed Read, an online platform amplifying the voices of menstruators.
Dr Mandikudza Tembo is a public health specialist having worked on research focusing on menstrual health, adolescent sexual and reproductive health service delivery. She is a Reckitt Global Health Institute post-doctoral fellow leading an innovative project focusing on menstruation across the life-course and the co-creation of a menstrual health toolkit with women, healthcare providers, and other relevant stakeholders in rural and urban communities across Zimbabwe. She is also an expert at public engagement in women’s health and is currently the Public Engagement Lead and Social Scientist at The Health Research Unit Zimbabwe (THRU ZIM). Dr Tembo is also the founder of The Bleed Read, a dynamic and comprehensive website that covers all things related to menstruation on a mission to amplify the voices the menstruators everywhere and improving the menstrual experiences of menstruators worldwide.
How to register
We aim to keep costs for the conference as low as possible, while providing a high quality and enjoyable experience for attendees. For a low fee of £100, attendees will get:
- Access to the conference for the full two days
- Refreshments, pastries and lunch for two days
- Attendance at an evening event on the 20th, which will include dinner and entertainment
More information
Information for conference attendees and presenters is available here:
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