Since hormonal contraceptives were introduced in the 1950s, there have been no major developments in the field. Polina Lishko wants to change that.
The molecular biologist is working on what could become the first unisex, nonhormonal birth control. “This is a time to introduce something new, to offer an option when contraception would be safe, reversible, and without the plethora of side effects,” she said in 2020.
Lishko is an associate professor of cell and developmental biology at the University of California, Berkeley, and an adjunct professor at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging. In addition to studying contraception and fertility, she investigates the possible link between menopause and an increased risk for Alzheimer’s disease. In December 2022, she will become a BJC Investigator at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.
Lishko grew up in Kyiv, Ukraine. Both of her parents were chemists. The MacArthur fellow said advancements in contraception will be a vital empowerment tool.
“It’s not a cure for cancer,” she said, “but it will mean increased quality of life for billions of people.”
