Present. Past. Future. Meet the scholars supporting women’s health research today!
“The Howell Foundation Scholarship gave me the opportunity to focus on research work critical to women’s health.”
~ ALEX PANKOV
We believe that funding undergraduate and graduate research projects is the cornerstone to advancing women’s health. By financially investing in women-specific studies, the Howell Foundation seeks to inspire the next generation of professionals dedicated to women’s health, while accelerating the research that positively affects the health of women, their families and the communities in which they live.
We reached out to a group of outstanding scholars to learn more about how the Howell Foundation aided in achieving their goals, and importantly, how they are creating an impact in women’s health research.
From Nurse Practitioner to Captain in the US Navy Nurse Corps.
“My proudest accomplishment is making Captain in the United States Navy Nurse Corps in 2020.”
JENNIFER BUECHEL
In 2014, the Howell Foundation awarded the Cheryl Wilson Award in Nursing to Jennifer Buechel. Back then, her doctoral thesis focused on HPV vaccine knowledge and uptake among military personnel.
At the time, she commented: “As an Adult Nurse Practitioner, I have first-hand experience in how challenging it is for clinicians to provide routine and preventive care for female military populations in an operational environment, including sexual health and immunization prevention programs. I have the opportunity as a future nurse scientist to significantly improve health policy and education through research and evidenced-based practice.”
After completing her dissertation on the Human Papillomavirus (HPV), HPV vaccine and HPV testing, she graduated with her PhD in Nursing in 2016. She published her team’s research in three peer-reviewed journal articles. She worked as an Associate Director and Department Head for Naval Medical Center San Diego.
Today, she is the Executive Officer for the Navy’s premier medical research laboratory for submarines and undersea warfighters.
The Role of Genomics in Women’s Health
I was recently admitted to medical school! I will be attending the Keck School of Medicine of USC in the fall of 2022. As a medical student, I hope to expand my research endeavors to the fields of genomic medicine and its applications in the clinical setting. I hope to work towards personalizing treatment plans based on an individual’s genetic makeup combined with social factors to prevent and predict disease.”
JENNIFER ANDERSON
Jennifer Anderson received the Howell-CSUPERB scholarship in 2021. In the short time since, she has graduated from California State University, Northridge with a BS in Cellular and Molecular Biology. After graduation, she continued in her undergraduate research lab studying different metabolic pathways in breast, ovarian, and prostate cancers. In June 2021, she began work as a Medical Laboratory Assistant at Q2 Solutions in the Microbiology Department. In this role, she assisted in processing patient samples and running various viral tests.
Inspiring Careers in the field of Breast Cancer
“I have received an ASP Summer Research Fellowship that only 5 students receive nationwide. I really feel like the Howell Foundation Scholarship really prepared me to be a competitive candidate and allowed me to pursue my passion for research in women’s health.”
ESVEIDY OCEGUERA NAVA
Esveydi Oceguera Nava is graduating with a Bachelor’s Degree in Biochemistry B.S. She plans to pursue a Masters Degree in Chemistry this following fall at Fresno State and continue to pursue a career in women’s health. She received the Howell Award in 2021. She plans to apply to a doctorate program to continue researching breast cancer. She hopes to teach at an institution or work for a corporation that focuses on women’s health, specifically breast cancer.
We appreciate the work of all our Howell Scholars! Information about how the Howell Foundation accelerates research for the benefit on women’s health can be found throughout our site.
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About the Howell Foundation:
The Doris A. Howell Foundation for Women’s Health Research is dedicated to making a long-term, positive impact on women’s health. Established in 1995, the Howell Foundation accelerates women’s health research through graduate and undergraduate research scholarships, community-based research grants, and educational events conveying timely, cutting-edge information on topics relevant to women’s health and the health of their families. Since its founding, the Howell Foundation has funded 285 research scholarships focused on women’s health, totaling more than $800,000.
