From the White House to Women’s Health—Dr. Jill Biden is making moves in her post-First Lady era, and this time, she’s headed to California.
Just months after closing out her historic time as First Lady, Dr. Jill Biden has officially stepped into a brand-new spotlight—this time as the chair of the Milken Institute’s Women’s Health Network.
The California-based think tank, known for bringing together global leaders in finance, healthcare, and policy, is launching an ambitious initiative to revolutionize the way women’s health is researched and funded.
“I am honored to join the Milken Institute as we unite leaders around a shared mission: for women everywhere to benefit from the lifesaving, world-changing research we know is possible,” Dr. Biden said in a press release.
From Teaching to Trailblazing
After more than a decade of teaching at Northern Virginia Community College—including while serving as First Lady—Jill Biden wrapped up her final semester in late 2024. Now, she’s shifting her energy toward something she championed from the East Wing: fixing the gender gap in medical research.
“Too many medical studies have focused on men and left women out,” she said during a keynote at the Milken Institute’s 2025 Global Conference in Beverly Hills. “That information doesn’t always apply to women—and we’re changing that.”
A Presidential Push: “Let’s Infuse the Government With Money”
At the conference, Dr. Biden didn’t hold back—offering rare behind-the-scenes insight into how she and her husband, President Joe Biden, launched the White House Initiative on Women’s Health Research in 2023.
“Joe said, ‘Let’s infuse the federal government with money,’” she recalled, revealing that the administration poured $1 billion in just one year to fund studies specifically focused on women.
“We worked with NIH, the Department of Defense, and we even stepped in where private equity wasn’t willing to take the risk.”
Now, through the Milken Institute, Dr. Biden will work to keep that momentum alive in the private sector—rallying scientists, investors, health systems, and global partners to prioritize women’s health like never before.
The Mission Ahead
As Chair of the Women’s Health Network, Jill Biden will help “galvanize participation, collaboration, and shared action” across industries, according to the Milken Institute. The network will focus on everything from endometriosis and menopause to healthy aging—areas that have long been underfunded or overlooked in traditional medical research.
“We want women everywhere to benefit from the innovations we know are possible,” Dr. Biden said. “It will take collaboration across industries to make that happen.”
Life After the White House? Still Making Headlines
With two bestselling books, a doctorate in education, a 45-year marriage to President Biden, and now a groundbreaking health mission under her belt, Jill Biden is proving that retirement isn’t in her vocabulary.
Her presence at the Milken Institute’s Global Conference—alongside world leaders like Tony Blair, Mehmet Oz, and Scott Bessent—only cemented her status as a powerhouse advocate, even after her time in the White House.
