Dra. Marcela Blanco
Pharmacist | Postdoctoral Researcher in Neurology and Neuroscience
Ph.D. in Neurophysiology | M.Sc. in Pharmacology
Creator of the Plenopause Method for Women 40+
Pharmacist, researcher, and neuroscience specialist with more than 25 years dedicated to scientific research and evidence-based health promotion. She earned her Pharmacy degree from the National University of Misiones (Argentina), a Master’s degree in Pharmacology from São Paulo State University (UNESP), and both her Ph.D. and Postdoctoral training in Neurology and Neuroscience from the Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP).
Based in Brazil, she has built a distinguished academic and scientific career. As the creator of the Plenopause Method, she developed a neuroscience-based approach designed to help women over 40 navigate menopause with greater vitality, mental clarity, hormonal balance, and overall well-being.
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About Dra. Marcela Blanco
Pharmacist, M.Sc. in Pharmacology, Ph.D. and Postdoctoral Researcher in Neuroscience.
She graduated in Pharmacy from the National University of Misiones – Faculty of Exact, Chemical and Natural Sciences (Argentina) in 1997. She completed her Master’s degree in Biological Sciences (Pharmacology) at São Paulo State University “Júlio de Mesquita Filho” (UNESP) in 2000 and earned her Ph.D. in Neurology and Neuroscience from the Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP) in 2005, where she also completed her Postdoctoral training.
As a researcher at UNIFESP, she has more than 15 years of experience in scientific research in the fields of neuroscience, pharmacology, and toxicology. Her academic work has focused on neuropsychopharmacology and neurophysiology, with emphasis on temporal lobe epilepsy, experimental models in rats and marmosets, anti-epileptogenesis, behavior, memory, and gene therapy.
In recent years, she has expanded her work to women’s health, applying neuroscience principles to the understanding and management of the climacteric transition and menopause. She is the creator of the Plenopause Method, a structured program designed to help women improve sleep quality, neuroendocrine regulation, gut health, cognitive clarity, executive performance, and reduce the impact of menopausal symptoms on both personal and professional life.
She works as a mentor, speaker, and consultant for corporate programs focused on women’s health, talent retention, and productive longevity, contributing to the development of more inclusive and sustainable workplaces for women over 40.
Her mission is to translate science into practical strategies that promote health, autonomy, well-being, and happiness throughout the aging process, inspiring women to embrace this stage of life with fulfillment, purpose, and vitality.
Chapter Theme
THE BRAIN DURING CLIMACTERIC TRANSITION: THE NEUROSCIENCE OF HAPPINESS AND FEMALE LONGEVITY
In this chapter, Dr. Marcela Blanco invites readers to view the climacteric transition through an innovative lens grounded in neuroscience, evolutionary biology, and lifestyle medicine. Far beyond a simple hormonal shift, the climacteric is presented as a profound process of neurological, emotional, and existential reorganization—one that can pave the way for a stage of greater wisdom, purpose, and personal flourishing.
Drawing on recent scientific research, the author explains how hormonal changes affect the female brain, influencing memory, mood, sleep, motivation, and cognitive performance. At the same time, she challenges common myths surrounding menopause and presents evidence showing that maturity can represent a period of growth, fulfillment, and longevity with quality of life.
Through the lens of the Grandmother Hypothesis, the U-Shaped Happiness Curve, and the core pillars of the Plenopause Method, Dr. Blanco offers practical strategies to strengthen brain health, promote emotional balance, and cultivate a more fulfilling life after the age of 40. This inspiring chapter transforms scientific knowledge into hope, empowerment, and action, demonstrating that the climacteric is not the end of a chapter, but rather the beginning of one of the richest, most conscious, and most rewarding phases of a woman’s life journey.