Apple hires famous OB-GYN to boost women’s health efforts

Apple might be planning to come out with some new health features that are specifically geared toward women, based on the company’s newest big hire.

Dr. Christine Curry — an obstetrician-gynecologist that made a name for herself by treating women with the Zika virus — has reportedly been hired by Apple to bolster its women’s health projects.

Tim Cook has recently said that healthcare will be the area Apple makes the most important impact on humanity. The company has already developed a number of health features with Apple Watch with more on the way. Apple has also created health clinics for its employees and could bring more services to the healthcare industry.

According to a report from CNBC, Dr. Curry will work on both women’s health and other projects at Apple. Curry rose to prominence during the Zika Virus outbreak in 2016. Her practice in South Florida screened nearly half of all pregnant women with the Zika virus.

Cosmopolitan ran a profile on Curry for her efforts treating the Zika Virus. Before joining Apple, Curry worked at a women’s prison facility in Massachusetts and was the head obstetrician at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. She also worked with Kaiser Permanente in Redwood City, California.

Women’s health has been an overlooked and underfunded area of healthcare. Even Apple has neglected it at times, like when it launched HealthKit in 2015 without any reproductive health tracking options. The company quickly corrected that problem. Hopefully, even more tools specifically for women are on the way.