Women could soon track their hormones from home using a device the size of their palm and a daily sample of saliva.  A Micro Lab is being developed by Unravel Health, a company that grew out of more than a decade of research at the University of Glasgow.

Supporting this ground breaking work is Professor Joan Condell from Ulster University, who has been seconded into Unravel through an Academy of Medical Sciences Zinc Innovation Fellowship. Bringing expertise in AI, community digital health and funding development, Professor Condell is helping to turn cutting-edge research into a practical healthcare solution.

“Women have been diagnosed for too long from a single blood test that misses how hormones change from day to day, and this fellowship allows me to help build the first long-term, real-world hormone dataset to change that. I’m delighted that my data analysis and AI expertise will help turn daily at-home hormone readings into fair, trustworthy insights that support earlier diagnosis and more personalised care for women.” Professor Joan Condell

Hormones shape women’s health at every stage of life, from periods and fertility to PMOS (formerly PCOS), perimenopause and menopause. Yet blood tests capture hormone levels on a single day, even though they can swing widely from one week to the next.

Dr Alexandra Oti, Unravel’s co-founder and chief medical officer, said:

“I’ve worked as a doctor for years and know the problem first-hand: women coming back time and time again with difficult-to-pinpoint symptoms.  There are very few areas of healthcare where doctors are asked to make so many decisions based on symptoms and anecdotal declaration…. without data.”

Around the menopause, three in four women experience distressing or debilitating symptoms, a UK survey of more than 5,700 women found. One in 10 women who have worked through the menopause have left their jobs because of them, according to the Fawcett Society.  Used daily, the Micro Lab builds a record across many cycles, showing how hormone levels relate to symptoms, conditions and treatments such as HRT, which women can share with their doctor.

Unravel’s all-female founding team was recently named among the 100 most promising start-ups at Slush, one of Europe’s biggest technology events. The same technology has already been shown to measure markers linked to heart disease and prostate cancer.  
The fellowship Professor Condell has with Unravel supported by Zinc Innovation Partners highlights how Ulster University researchers are able to apply their expertise beyond academia to help tackle real-world health challenges.

Zinc’s Chief Scientist Rachel Carey said:

"There are too few opportunities for leading researchers to work hands-on inside early-stage ventures, despite the clear benefits on both sides. Zinc's Innovation Fellowships are designed to change that, and Professor Condell’s work with Unravel demonstrates what it can unlock. Her expertise in digital health and AI is helping to accelerate Unravel's progress towards transforming our understanding of women's health."

By combining research excellence with industry innovation, the project has the potential to improve how women’s hormone health is understood, monitored and managed.