BSPH Alumna Markets the First Hormone- and Copper-Free IUD – Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Upsilon Health: Innovating for Reproductive Health and Sustainable Development Goals

Introduction: Addressing Systemic Gaps in Healthcare

A report on the work of Antonella Sturniolo, MPH ’22, founder and CEO of Upsilon Health, reveals a commitment to addressing systemic issues in healthcare through preventative innovation. Her initial experiences in clinical settings highlighted a need to shift from reactive treatment to proactive health solutions, a principle that directly supports the aims of Sustainable Development Goal 3 (Good Health and Well-being).

An Innovation Aligned with SDG 3 and SDG 5

Inspired by a family legacy in reproductive health research, Sturniolo identified a critical gap in the contraceptive market. The subsequent development of the Upsilon IUD, a hormone- and copper-free long-acting reversible contraceptive, is a direct contribution to key global health targets. The project’s mission is aligned with the following SDGs:

• SDG 3, Target 3.7: By 2030, ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health-care services, including for family planning, information and education, and the integration of reproductive health into national strategies and programs. The Upsilon IUD aims to expand the range of safe and effective contraceptive options available.
• SDG 5, Target 5.6: Ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights. By providing a contraceptive that does not require the body to adapt to hormones or copper, Upsilon Health seeks to empower individuals with greater choice and bodily autonomy, a cornerstone of gender equality.

Fostering Innovation and Partnerships (SDG 9 & SDG 17)

The establishment of Upsilon in 2019 exemplifies SDG 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure) by translating public health research into a tangible innovation. The venture’s success has been built on a foundation of strategic collaboration, reflecting the importance of SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals). Key partnerships included:

• Collaboration with an engineer, now chief technical officer, to realize the device’s vision.
• Integration of clinical expertise from a chief medical officer.
• Leveraging the academic and mentorship network at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health to formalize research and build credibility.

During her MPH program, Sturniolo actively promoted the link between public health and entrepreneurship by creating a practicum and organizing panels to help students commercialize their research, further strengthening the innovation ecosystem.

Project Development Timeline

1. 2015–2018: Identified problems with current contraceptives and gaps in the market.
2. 2018: Partnered with an engineer to begin technical development.
3. 2019: Designed improvements in IUD insertion, removal, and sizing.
4. 2019: Began filing patents and formally incorporated Upsilon.
5. 2020–2021: Enrolled in the Bloomberg School MPH program to formalize research and build a public health framework.
6. 2025–2026: Upsilon prepares for preclinical trials.

Overcoming Barriers to Advance Gender Equality (SDG 5)

The report highlights significant fundraising challenges, which underscores a systemic barrier to achieving SDG 5 (Gender Equality). As a female founder in the women’s health sector, Sturniolo notes that such companies receive only 2% of all venture capital funding. Overcoming this disparity is essential for fostering innovations that directly benefit women’s health and well-being. Upsilon’s journey illustrates the resilience required to advance women’s health solutions in an inequitable funding landscape.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being: The article’s central theme is the development of a new contraceptive device (IUD) to improve reproductive health options for women. This directly aligns with ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being.
• SDG 5: Gender Equality: The article highlights the challenges faced by the female founder, Antonella Sturniolo, in securing funding, specifically pointing out the disparity in investment for women’s health companies. This connects to the goal of achieving gender equality and empowering all women.
• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure: The entire narrative focuses on innovation within the medical device industry. It details the process from research and development (“independent research,” “partnered with an engineer”) to commercialization (“filing patents; incorporated Upsilon,” “preclinical trials”), which is central to this SDG.
• SDG 4: Quality Education: The article emphasizes the role of education in Sturniolo’s journey, particularly her Master of Public Health program at Johns Hopkins. Furthermore, it details her contribution back to the educational system by creating a practicum to teach students practical entrepreneurial skills.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• Target 3.7: “By 2030, ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health-care services, including for family planning, information and education…” The development of the Upsilon IUD is a direct effort to expand family planning options. The article identifies a gap in the market by asking, “Why don’t we have a hormone- and copper-free contraceptive option that is long-acting, reversible…?” This innovation aims to provide a new choice within family planning services.
• Target 5.5: “Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life.” Antonella Sturniolo, as the “founder and CEO of Upsilon Health,” exemplifies a woman in a key leadership position in the economic and public health sectors. The article highlights the barriers to this target by noting the difficulty in fundraising “as a female founder.”
• Target 9.5: “Enhance scientific research, upgrade the technological capabilities of industrial sectors… encouraging innovation…” The article is a case study of this target in action. Sturniolo’s journey involves “independent research,” partnering with an engineer to design “improvements in insertion, removal, and sizing,” filing patents, and preparing for “preclinical trials,” all of which constitute enhancing scientific research and innovation in the health-tech sector.
• Target 4.4: “By 2030, substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship.” Sturniolo directly contributes to this target by creating “a practicum during her time at Hopkins that exposed students to grant writing, investor pitching, and storytelling with data.” These are critical skills for entrepreneurship in the public health field.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• For Target 3.7: While no official indicators are cited, the article implies progress towards Indicator 3.7.1 (Proportion of women of reproductive age who have their need for family planning satisfied with modern methods). The creation of a new “hormone- and copper-free IUD” is intended to satisfy an unmet need identified through “in-depth market analyses,” thereby increasing the options available to women.
• For Target 5.5: The article provides a specific data point that functions as an informal indicator of the challenges in achieving economic equality for female leaders: “Women’s health companies get 2% of all funding.” This statistic directly measures the financial disparity and barriers faced by female founders in a specific sector, which is a key aspect of ensuring equal opportunities.
• For Target 9.5: The article implies several indicators of innovation and R&D activity. These include the filing of patents, the incorporation of the company (Upsilon), and the progression towards preclinical trials. These are concrete milestones that measure progress in research and development expenditure and activity.
• For Target 4.4: An implied indicator is the successful operation and recruitment for the practicum Sturniolo created. The article notes that “The practicum has been working with Hopkins students for three years and is currently actively recruiting for the current cohort,” suggesting a measurable output in the number of students trained in entrepreneurial skills.

4. SDGs, Targets, and Indicators Table

Source: publichealth.jhu.edu