Fraught societal debates, particularly surrounding gender identity, are raising questions about how to best take sex and gender into account in research, both in studies of human health and in other contexts. At the same time, scientists are increasingly recognizing that they must move past assumptions that findings from mainly male individuals will apply to everyone.

The articles in this special collection, with contributors who work in fields such as neuroscience, psychology, immunology, cancer and global health, explore the value of considering sex and gender in research, as well as the perils and pitfalls. They explain why progress in this long-neglected area of research is crucial — and consider how differences between individuals can be explored responsibly, inclusively and for the benefit of as many people as possible.

Editorial: Why it’s essential to study sex and gender, even as tensions rise

Podcast: Sex and gender discussions don’t need to be toxic