$50M+ Investment from David and Jane Ott and Clara Wu Tsai Establishes Globally Collaborative Institute Uniting Research, Education, and Care Dedicated to Female Athlete Health Across the Lifespan
BOSTON, Jan. 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — For decades, female athletes have been treated based on male physiology. Now, the Women’s Health, Sports & Performance Institute (WHSP) is changing that. Launching today, WHSP is the first and only organization to unite leading-edge research, practical education, and world-class medical care under one roof to address the unique health needs of female athletes across all ages, sports, and abilities.
Co-founded by Dr. Kathryn Ackerman, an internationally recognized leader in female athlete health and founder of the international Female Athlete Conference, WHSP represents more than $50 million in investment from co-founders David and Jane Ott as well as Clara Wu Tsai. David Ott is a co-founder and Advisory Director of Viking Global Investors. Jane Ott serves on the Armory Foundation board and the University of Pennsylvania Athletics Board of Advisors. Both serve on the USA Track & Field Foundation board and have a lifetime of experience as athletes, parents, and coaches dealing with the issues WHSP will address. Clara Wu Tsai is Vice Chair of BSE Global and co-owner of the New York Liberty, Brooklyn Nets, and Barclays Center.
“Female athlete health has been my focus for decades, and for decades, women athletes have been asked to perform without the benefit of research designed for them,” said Dr. Kathryn Ackerman, WHSP co-founder. “As an athlete, I felt the gaps. As a physician and researcher, I’ve spent my career trying to close them. WHSP is the culmination of that experience and will help us make real progress.”
“WHSP was founded to increase the volume of research to drive advances in our understanding of female athlete health and performance. Better data means more actionable guidance. Our goal is to optimize the experience, performance, and longevity of the next generation of female athletes,” said WHSP co-founder, Jane Ott.
As the first institute dedicated exclusively to advancing female athlete health, research, and training across the lifespan, WHSP is a member institution and research partner of the Wu Tsai Human Performance Alliance, a $220 million collaborative research alliance. Dr. Ackerman serves as a founding member of the National Leadership Council and leads the Alliance’s focus on scientific advancements for women.
“Over the last five years, Dr. Ackerman has led the Wu Tsai Human Performance Alliance’s research on female athletes, an area chronically understudied and underfunded,” said Wu Tsai. “Through both the Alliance and WHSP, I’m thrilled to continue supporting this important area of research for female athletes—both professional and recreational—around the world.”
The Need
Women’s sports are on the rise, yet female athlete health is stuck in a male-first model:
- Revenue grew 4.5 times faster than men’s sports between 2022-2024 and women’s sponsorships alone grew 50% faster than men’s during the 2024-2025 seasons.
- Ten years ago, less than 10% of sports science and sports medicine research focused solely on women and that percentage has not increased. In a 2025 analysis of nearly 1,500 studies in three major sports medicine journals, fewer than 1 in 20 (<6%) included the menstrual status of female participants in the study design.
- Relative energy deficiency in sport (REDs) is a syndrome of negative health and performance consequences for athletes who consume too few calories in relation to their exercise energy expenditure. All athletes are susceptible, but many medical providers don’t ask the right questions when female athletes present for care with REDs signs and symptoms.
- Female athletes have 2-8x greater incidence of ACL injuries vs male athletes participating in the same sports.
Girls’ participation in sport still lags behind boys and despite the mandates of Title IX 54 years ago, equal resources for female and male athletes are still not the norm. This and other factors lead to higher dropout rates of girls during the teenage years. Women are studied less, injured more, and left waiting for change.
The WHSP Difference
Unlike organizations that specialize in research, education, or care in isolation, WHSP stands alone in uniting all three in one integrated engine. Research informs real-world education. Education furthers knowledge of athletes and their care teams. Clinical insights inform future studies. Research moves from labs to athletes faster than ever before, creating real-world impact.
The WHSP Institute research agenda includes addressing issues specific to adolescent athletes, collegiate and professional competitors, postpartum athletes, and women navigating perimenopause and beyond. WHSP also develops education and protocols for coaches, trainers, and clinicians caring for female athletes.
WHSP Medical, partner organization to the WHSP Institute, opened its doors in Boston in September 2025. After completion of its shared research and training facilities, WHSP Institute marks its official opening January 29th, 2026. For more information, visit whspinstitute.org.
About WHSP: The Women’s Health, Sports & Performance Institute is the first organization to unite leading-edge research, action-oriented education, and world-class medical care in one integrated engine dedicated to advancing female athlete health and performance across the lifespan. Co-founded by Dr. Kathryn Ackerman and David and Jane Ott, with additional support from Clara Wu Tsai, WHSP serves female athletes across all sports, ages, and levels, from elite professionals to recreational athletes to emerging young players. Through groundbreaking research, practical education, and comprehensive clinical care, WHSP is transforming the state of women’s health within and far beyond sport. Learn more at whspinstitute.org.
Media Contact:
Chris Hamilton
Chris.Hamilton@OMC.com
(518) 307-9904
Maggie Sadowski
connect@whspinstitute.org
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