Your donations have championed women’s health! Celebrating our 25th Anniversary is also about celebrating the success of our scholars. That the next pool of researchers and physicians are inspired by a Howell Scholarship to pursue a career in sciences not only motivates us to keep advocating for women’s health, but exemplifies the vision that Dr. Doris Howell had in eliminating the bias in research. By funding exemplary students wishing to pursue a career in women’s health, you have contributed to keeping Dr. Howell’s legacy and our mission alive!
Meet some of the Howell Scholars making an impact in women’s health TODAY!
My current priority in women’s health is ensuring that the studies I’m involved in include women and consider the differences in how women might be affected by disease or respond to treatments.
2013 Howell Scholar
“The Howell Scholarship Award provided recognition, encouragement, and funding that greatly improved my application and transition into a PhD program. It also helped to instill in me the importance of including women in scientific research. As a PhD student, I studied the role of epigenetics in both autism and Wilson disease, a rare liver disorder. I recently started a new position at a pharmaceutical company, where I’ll be using genomic data to identify new drug targets.
My current priority in women’s health is ensuring that the studies I’m involved in include women and consider the differences in how women might be affected by disease or respond to treatments.”
Women are two times more likely than men to develop autoimmune disease than men. If we can understand better how T-cells develop, then we can design novel therapeutic strategies for the treatment of autoimmune diseases.
2013 Howell Scholar
“Receiving the Howell Scholarship allowed me to conduct research during my last semester at SDSU while not worrying about paying for tuition. I was able to focus on research that I enjoyed without having to work in addition to my studies. I was also able to interview for graduate school, and build research skills that benefited me significantly in graduate school.
I am currently working as a post doctoral researcher at the University of California, Berkeley studying T-cell development. My project focuses on understanding how T-cells develop, which has implications in autoimmune diseases. Women are two times more likely than men to develop autoimmune disease than men. If we can understand better how T-cells develop, then we can design novel therapeutic strategies for the treatment of autoimmune diseases.”
My main focus on women’s health is to decrease the stigma associated with postpartum depression and anxiety through increased awareness, research, and policy change.
2019 Howell Scholar
“With the assistance of the Howell I was able to present my research at an international women’s mental health research conference. Attending this conference significantly broadened my awareness of challenges and solutions to women’s health worldwide. Currently, I am a part-time Professor at the University of San Diego and Manager of Performance Improvement at Scripps Green Hospital. My main focus on women’s health is to decrease the stigma associated with postpartum depression and anxiety through increased awareness, research, and policy change; and continue to expand my knowledge of the barriers to improved health faced by women across the world.”
My primary concern are neurological diseases. Some of these disproportionally affect women such as Alzheimer’s disease and multiple sclerosis. My hope is that through my work I will be able to develop treatments for these types of diseases.
“The financial support from this award enabled me to conduct full time research in a lab at my home university instead of working in retail. I am sure it was thanks to this research experience that I was accepted into 10 different PhD programs after I finished my undergrad at SDSU. I think my research experience also allowed me to complete my PhD at MIT in four and half years, about a year faster than average. I’m currently a scientist in the Neuroscience Department at Genentec, and my primary concern are neurological diseases. Some of these disproportionally affect women such as Alzheimer’s disease and multiple sclerosis. My hope is that through my work I will be able to develop treatments for these types of diseases.”
For more information on the Howell Foundation’s Scholarship Programs, or if you would like to make a donation, please visit www.howellfoundation.org.
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About the Howell Foundation:
The Howell Foundation advances women’s health by funding undergraduate and graduate research scholarships, awarding grants to scientists who conduct research benefiting under represented women in the community, and supporting outreach efforts and events that promote health education and self-advocacy for the long-term health and well-being of women, their families and the community in which they live.
