The Structural Genomics Consortium Women’s and Children’s Health Program focuses on the advancement of the field of drug discovery in reproductive biology and disease, child development, and childhood diseases. 

Funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, this project focuses on the characterization of proteins that could potentially be the targets of new, safe, and effective non-hormonal contraceptive agents, with the broader goal of empowering women to make informed choices about family planning. The SGC aims to generate high-quality research tools -Target Enabling Packages (TEPs)-for a portfolio of proteins that are potential drug targets for new contraceptives. 

Increasing contraceptive options for women, through the development of new methods that better align with women’s preferences, can help vulnerable women in low-resource settings, and all women seeking non-hormonal contraceptives for health-related reasons. Drug discovery initiatives of this kind are leading the way toward achieving remarkable medical advancements. 

This initiative supports and connects post-doctoral scientists at all SGC academic research sites, including the University of Toronto, University of North Carolina and Chapel Hill, Karolinska Institute, Goethe University Frankfurt, McGill University and University College London.