SWHR 2023 Gala Celebrates Progress, Recognizes Leaders Across Women’s Health Research

The Society for Women’s Health Research (SWHR) hosted its 33rd?Annual Awards Gala on April 26, 2023 in Washington, D.C. The evening is dedicated to honoring leaders who are advancing women’s health and bringing together providers, policymakers, researchers, and other leaders across health care to celebrate the progress that has been made in women’s health research and spotlight new opportunities and frontiers in the field.??

This year’s Gala coincided with the 30-year anniversary of the The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Revitalization Act of 1993. The Act, signed into law on June 10, 1993, directed the NIH to establish guidelines for inclusion of women and members of racial and ethnic minority groups in clinical research. “SWHR was fundamental to the creation and passage of this Act, and we continue to advocate for the inclusion and representation of women and minorities in clinical research today, and to ensure that the Offices of Women’s Health throughout federal agencies have adequate resources to fulfill their missions,” said SWHR President and CEO Kathryn Godburn Schubert , MPP, CAE during her remarks.??

SWHR was thrilled to welcome Julie Louise Gerberding, MD, MPH, Chief Executive Officer at the Foundation for the NIH, as the 2023 Keynote Speaker. During her remarks, Dr. Gerberding discussed the concept of “n of 1” women, some of whom have made immeasurable impacts on women’s health research and some, including her 90-year-old mother, who have impacted her own career in health care.?

SWHR recognized Kaveeta Vasisht, MD, PharmD, Horizon Therapeutics, and Pauline M. Maki, PhD as honorees at this year’s Gala.??

Dr. Kaveeta Vasisht, Associate Commissioner for Women’s Health at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ), was awarded SWHR’s Health Public Service Visionary Award for her long-lasting commitment to public health and women’s health. Meghan Feely, MD, FAAD, Board Certified Dermatologist and Executive Director at 礼来 , presented the award.?

Horizon Therapeutics was awarded SWHR’s Health Industry Visionary Award for its dedication to developing innovative medicines and providing compassionate support to patients. Keli Walbert, Executive Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer at Horizon Therapeutics, accepted the award on behalf of Horizon. Gretta Stone, Executive Vice President at Reservoir Communications Group and SWHR Board Chair, presented the award.?

Dr. Pauline M. Maki, Senior Director of Research?at the University of Illinois Chicago Center for Research on Women and Gender, was awarded SW?HR’s Health Education Visionary Award for her significant research contributions in cognition, mood, and brain function during pregnancy and menopause. Dr. Maki is Past Chair of the SWHR Interdisciplinary Network on Alzheimer’s Disease. Sudip S. Parikh, PhD, CEO for the American Association for the Advancement of Science ( AAAS ) and executive publisher at the?Science?family of journals presented the award. Dr. Parikh received the 2022 Health Education Visionary Award himself last year.?

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