Keeping the Women we Love Healthy

Soroptimist International of La Jolla (SILJ) is an organization that is known for acting upon community needs. The concern of the group about women’s health led them to take action, especially upon the common practice of not including female subjects in the clinical trials taking place at the time and the outcome for women when facing illness.  Their mission became VERY clear:  get women’s health on the radar. The premise under which the Foundation was created in 1995 still remains:  to get students excited about a career in research.  By awarding grants to students who were involved with scientific mentors, there was a guarantee that women’s health issues would be addressed at the most basic level:  research. Soroptimist International of La Jolla (SILJ) has been supporting the  scholarship program EVERY year for the past 20 years.  “We are very proud of the men and women who have participated; very proud of our group’s involvement in helping t...

It is often said that an individual without education is like a building without a foundation.  One of our first scholar's career path allows her to inspire in others the passion of scientific studies.  Education: without a doubt, the gift that keeps on giving! From Dr. Susan Bailey: "I welcome the opportunity to share my experiences since receiving the scholarship back in 1995! After earning my PhD in Biomedical Sciences at UCSD, I completed two postdoctoral fellowships.  In the first, I continued work on the topic of my graduate work in Pamela Mellon's laboratory- regulation of pituitary development and gene expression.  In the second, I moved to the Neurobehavioral Genetics group at the Genomics Institute of Novartis, where my research focused on identifying genes associated with anxiety and depression-related disorders.  I moved with the group to the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, where I held a position as Research Assistant Professor....

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. ...

Soroptimist International held its Annual Award Ceremony this past June to honor individuals and organizations who are making a difference in the community, in their lives and the lives of others.  The Doris A. Howell Foundation was honored with a Scholarship award from our dear partner, Soroptimist International. "The support we have received from this amazing organization has been crucial to our success.  We are proud to continue partnering with organizations such as Soroptimist International to better the lives of women in our community" comments Dr. Carole Banka, Chair for the Howell Foundation. It was back in 1995, when, in recognition to Dr. Howell's efforts to better the lives of women in the community, Soroptimist International helped establish the Doris A. Howell Foundation for Women's Health Research. Since then, the Foundation has held over 80 informational events on issues affecting women's health, has donated over half a million dollars to ...