Keeping the Women we Love Healthy

Our voice has an influence.  Let's use it!  The success of  the campaign stems from the fact that in just 3 short years, it has become part of the end-of-year ritual:  Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Giving Tuesday.  It somewhat let's us know that the Holiday Season is here!  So no matter what our cause is, all of us have a philanthropic side. Motivate those around to donate and make the world a better place! The  Story Behind Giving Tuesday  #GivingTuesday was founded in 2012 by New York's 92nd Street Y in partnership with the United Nations Foundation. Together, with a team of influencers and founding partners, they launched a global digital movement that has engaged over 30,000 organizations worldwide. The Facts and the Stats For those of you relatively new to the concept of Giving Tuesday, here are some facts about how big the phenomenon has gotten: Although the statistics are very encouraging, surprisingly --and with the i...

Truly a pleasure talking to Gladys Kohn (right) for this article.  Thank you for your time and dedication to the Howell Foundation!  It is always said that if you face a challenge with a smile, success becomes even sweeter.  Gladys Kohn can tell you about both.  Every time you see Gladys you see her with a smile, which is always refreshing! A history major turned gift shop owner and travel agent, she moved to San Diego in 1986.  Her husband Bert had a great job offer and, like many of us, they fell in love with San Diego.  Eventually, they started a printing business and Gladys was invited to join Soroptimist International of La Jolla which she saw as an opportunity to make new friends and learn about community service.  She become part of the organization’s Health Committee and has been a member of the club for 25 years.  It was there she met Dr. Howell, also a member of the Health Committee. She can also tell you how the Doris A. ...

Deepika Suresh, 2015 UCSD Howell Scholar, presented her work at the Howell Foundation's 20th anniversary luncheon.  She, along with H. Irene Su MD MSCE and Sally Dominick PhD MPH, are working on developing an education intervention on genetic risk assessment in young breast cancer survivors (YBCS).  "My objective is to develop content about genetic risk assessment in YBCS for a web-based survivorship care plan that my lab is in the process of creating", Suresh comments. "The three main steps in developing this content include going through the professional society guidelines to see what they recommend about these YBCS undergoing genetic risk assessment, completing a systematic review, and conducting interviews with genetic counselors. Ultimately, I wanted to find out what the main barriers are that prevent young breast cancer survivors from undergoing genetic risk assessment and how to overcome these." An update of her work below.  Thank you Deepika for...

Perceptions about hormones, remotes and phones. Understanding the differences between men and women has everything to do with the hormones produced in our bodies, and nothing to do with stereotype differences; despite the endless gender jokes we are subjected to.  In other words, there IS a reason why we act like we do. In today’s world, the word 'estrogen' is automatically linked to women and mood swings; in addition to being the perceived culprit of depression and anxiety.  Women's hormonal changes during their cycles were the reason why women were not included in clinical trials until 1993. Men, on the other hand, are directly associated with the word 'testosterone'. Drive, competitiveness, gender expectations and what seems to be a ‘simple solution’ to pretty much every problem appears to be testosterone-based. So the next time we are facing ‘difficulties’ with our significant other, remember that there IS a reason why we act like we do: hormones.  B...

For those of us who attended the Howell Evening Series Hormones and Happiness you might remember Dr. Banka mentioning Dr. Cuddy and her study about hormones and power, and how power and falling in love are intrinsically related. Form Ted Talks, "Body language affects how others see us, but it may also change how we see ourselves. Social psychologist Amy Cuddy shows how "power posing" -- standing in a posture of confidence, even when we don't feel confident -- can affect testosterone and cortisol levels in the brain, and might even have an impact on our chances for success". You asked, we listened.  Amy Cuddy on hormones and power.  Enjoy!                                                                        ### About the Doris A. Howell Foundation:  The Doris A. Howell Foundation f...

                                                                       ### About the Doris A. Howell Foundation:  The Doris A. Howell Foundation for Women’s Health Research is committed to keeping the women we love healthy, advancing women’s health through research and educating women to be catalysts for improving family health in the community. The organization does so by funding scholarships to students researching issues affecting women’s health; providing a forum for medical experts, scientists, doctors, and researchers to convey timely information on topics relevant to women’s health and the health of their families through its Lecture and Evening Series, and by funding research initiatives that improve the health of under-served women and increase awareness and advocacy in the commu...

The Howell Foundation celebrated its annual Health and Happiness Series with the presentation “Hormones and Happiness” in October. Throughout the presentation, Dr. Banka addressed the roles different hormones play in our bodies.    Understanding the differences between men and women has everything to do with the hormones we produce in our bodies, and nothing to do with stereotype differences.   In other words, there IS a reason why we act like we do.   Spoiler alert:  even though estrogen and testosterone are typically associated with women and men respectively, these hormones are not gender-exclusive.  Both women and men produce them, just in different quantities and with different outcomes. As a matter of fact, women and men produce different hormones in different stages and circumstances in their lives.  The hormones women produce when falling in love are not the same as those produced when looking for a partner to settle down.  Did yo...

On the road to celebrating our 20th anniversary we wish to recognize and celebrate the achievements of current and past Howell Scholars.  In this case, one of our 2014 scholars is focusing on making sure women are informed on HPV and the risk of cervical cancer.   The role Jennifer will be playing in women's health education is pivotal for women in the military. 2014 Scholar Jennifer Buechel and Howell Foundation Co Vice-chair Cheryl Wilson "Thank you to Dr. Howell and the members of the Howell Foundation! I was awarded a Howell Scholarship in 2014. The funding helped me to support my dissertation study on HPV knowledge and HPV vaccine uptake among U.S. Navy personnel. I have collected my data from over 350 participants in the U.S. Navy, and currently analyzing the results. The findings will help support preventive medicine and sexual health programs in the armed services. In addition, it will help the fight against cervical cancer (the #1 related cancer to HPV), both na...