The secret power of menstrual blood | Jiabao Li | TEDxUTAustin

What if the most overlooked part of the human body could change the future of medicine?
In this talk, Jiabao Li takes us from a clitoris hidden in scientific neglect to one grown in a lab using stem cells from menstrual blood. She reveals how these cells—discarded monthly—hold the potential to grow sensory organs, regenerate hearts, and offer life-saving care without invasive procedures. Along the way, she blends humor, art, and science to challenge centuries of gender bias in research. From hyenas’ anatomy to OnlyFans-powered biotech activism, she reimagines body politics and power. At its core, this is a call to turn taboo into superpower—and to invest in research that helps women, because it helps everyone.

Jiabao Li is an Artist, Assistant Professor at The University of Texas at Austin, Founding Director of Ecocentric Future Lab, Co-founder and Chief Design Officer of Endless Health, and a Harvard graduate. She creates works addressing climate change, interspecies co-creation, humane technology, and perceptions. In Jiabao’s TED Talk, she uncovered how technology mediates the way we perceive reality. At Apple, she invented and explored new technologies for future products like the Apple Vision Pro. Jiabao is the recipient of numerous awards including Forbes China 30 Under 30 and the Outstanding Professor Award at MoMA. Her work has been exhibited internationally, at MoMA, Venice Architecture Biennale, Future of Today Biennial, SIGGRAPH, Milan and Dubai Design Week, ISEA, etc.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx