- Andrea Scherschel Recipient of Research Grant from the Doris Howell Foundation
The Doris Howell prides itself in supporting careers that advance women’s health research. We want to congratulate Andrea Scherschel MSN, FNP as the 2022 USD-Cheryl Wilson Award from the Hahn School of Nursing and Public Health.
The award honors the legacy of Cheryl Wilson, a nurse herself, and former Howell Board member. Its purpose is to support the next generation of caregivers in women’s health. Proposals for the scholarships are assessed for their impact on women’s health, research design, scholar qualifications and feasibility of accomplishing study goals. Each student must have a qualified research mentor to direct and guide them. She will be mentored by Dr. Caroline Etland.
The title of her research is “A Day in the Life of a Woman with Clostridioides Difficile.” Per Andrea’s description of her research, “the purpose of this proposed qualitative study is to describe the lived experience of persons who have had a C. difficile infection or re-infection. There will be two lines of inquiry for this study. The first research aim is to describe the experiences of a person with a C. difficile infection. The second aim is to clarify if photovoice as a research modality will enhance the participant’s ability to better describe the experience of what it was like to have a C. difficile infection. The lived experience of a woman who has experienced a C. difficile infection is relevant to women’s health. Interventions are constantly made without specifying how a woman’s physical state, physiological state, or mental state can aggravate or diminish a disease course.”
Scherschel is Senior Medical Science Liaison at Seres Therapeutics, a biotechnology company working to develop treatments for diseases stemming from the function of the human microbiome.
Carol Tuggey, Howell Foundation Chair, comments “The incredible value of our academic partnership with USD Hahn School of Nursing and Public Health lies in the fact that these exceptional individuals can immediately improve -or are already improving- the lives of women in our community with new research. I am very proud to continue the legacy of Doris: investing in the future scientists addressing women’s health.”
Our supporters’ efforts made this happen! Please join us in congratulating Andrea. We look forward to hearing from the results of her research soon!
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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 and its academic partners have funded 285 research scholarships focused on women’s health, totaling more than $800,000.