A new app with the potential to support millions of women living with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is in its final stages of development at the University of Aberdeen.
Devised through a partnership between the University of Aberdeen and created by Anji Sandhu. The PCOS Buddy app provides expert, evidence-based support and innovative tools including the world’s first male-pattern hair growth tracker.
Known as hirsutism, male-pattern hair growth, is a common and often distressing symptom of PCOS. Effective management of it can help women and gender diverse people track and manage their symptoms. The hirsutism tracker provides a private, consistent, and data-driven way to monitor changes over time, facilitating more accurate conversations with healthcare providers. The developers say that it helps 'turn a subjective, often stigmatized issue into measurable data, empowering users to take control of their care.'
PCOS affects one in ten women globally and is associated with a higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease, endometrial cancer, and diabetes. Women with PCOS also experience mental health challenges such as anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem.
The app was the brainchild of digital entrepreneur Anji Sandhu, inspired to take action after witnessing her close friend Carrie struggle with the debilitating symptoms of PCOS
Anji said: “My passion for supporting women with PCOS comes from personal experience. Having witnessed the emotional, physical, and social toll the condition can take.
“Hirsutism can have a profound impact on women’s self-esteem and mental health, and this new tracker will provide women with a way to track their symptoms, gain insights into their health, and receive much-needed support as they manage this challenging aspect of PCOS, all within the PCOS Buddy app.
“My goal has always been to help break the stigma surrounding PCOS and offer solutions that are both practical and empowering for women.
“The development of the PCOS Buddy App is the culmination of years of research, personal experience, and conversations with many women struggling with this condition. I’ve always believed that a holistic approach combining symptom tracking, emotional support, and community was the key to better managing PCOS, which is why I’m so excited to see it come to life.”
The partnership was established as part of the University’s commitment to increase business engagement and support new business creation for commercial and societal impact. It was led at the University by Dr. Nigel Beacham, Senior Lecturer in Computing Science and Dr Heather May Morgan, Senior Lecturer Social Sciences and Dean for Enterprise and Innovation.
Dr Heather Morgan said: “Working with Anji, her team and both colleagues and students here at the University, shows what we can achieve by collaborating, across disciplines and with industry partners.
“The impact this partnership will have for women’s quality of life, women managing PCOS every day, through this direct, handheld and empowering intervention, that is scientifically informed, easily accessible and PCOS-centered, is truly wonderful.
“Our work together demonstrates our everlasting foundational commitment here at the University to be ‘in the service of others’.
Anji adds: “The partnership with Aberdeen University has been instrumental in shaping this project. Their expertise in medical research and digital health has allowed us to refine our approach and ensure the app’s effectiveness for women living with PCOS. The collaboration has been smooth, and I’m really excited about the potential impact of this initiative.”
The PCOS Buddy app has been developed as part of a collaborative project funded by a Scottish Funding Council Innovation-Voucher, Interface-funded collaboration. This scheme funds several projects per year with University researchers and is instrumental in the onset and development of collaborations with industry partners that then have the potential to become long-term partnerships.