The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, the science arm of Northwell Health, recently recognized 41 women scientists who received a record-breaking $541,000 in research funding this year. The 11th annual fundraising initiative was held by Advancing Women in Science and Medicine (AWSM - pronounced "awesome"), which has raised more than $2.5 million since its 2010 inception to support medical research by women investigators. Fully funded by philanthropists, the awards range from $2,000 to $150,000 and will support research programs across the health system on topics including cancer, Alzheimer’s disease and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

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Shih-Shih Chen, PhD has been named new co-president of AWSM. (Credit: The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research) (Photo: Business Wire)

“AWSM is a community supported by amazing donors that are truly committed to driving science forward,” said Lior Brimberg, PhD, assistant professor at the Feinstein Institutes and co-president of AWSM. “We are thankful to our donors and proud to promote a culture of friendship, mentorship and empowerment across the Feinstein Institutes.”

Also announced, Kim Simpfendorfer, PhD. will be handing over the reins as co-president to Shih-Shih Chen, PhD. Among the most notable awards this year are two Career Enhancement Awards – $150,000 each. The Elliott J. Netzer Award was presented to Dr. Chen to study blood cancer and the Donald Rechler Award to Dr. Simpfendorfer to study the mechanisms of genetic risk for lupus and rheumatoid arthritis.

Three Emerging Scientist Awards, $50,000 each, were funded. The Frank Piccirillo Award was given to Christine Metz, PhD, for studying post-infection COVID-19 patient response and the Barbara Dooley Award to Nyasha Chambwe, PhD, who is looking at the genomic and molecular analyses of diverse patients to understand drivers of cancer health disparities.

Additionally, the Barbara Hrbek Zucker Emerging Scientist Award was presented to Danielle Howell, a fourth-year medical student at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, to fund an entire year of her research looking at the role of social determinants of health in hospital settings. This is the first time in AWSM’s history that funding has been awarded to a medical student.

“For too long, the sciences have ignored and underfunded women researchers. AWSM is changing that,” said Kevin J. Tracey, MD, president and CEO of the Feinstein Institutes and the Karches Family Distinguished Chair in Medical Research. “This year’s deserving award recipients will benefit the world of medical research and the patients we seek to cure for years to come.”

In 2010, Betty Diamond, MD, director and professor at the Institute of Molecular Medicine and the Maureen and Ralph Nappi Professor of Autoimmune Diseases, established AWSM to advance the career development and career opportunities of women scientists at the Feinstein Institutes. The program is comprised of women faculty members who lead biomedical research programs in basic, translational and clinical studies in a wide variety of diseases. Its core initiatives are recognition, career development, advocacy and education, and networking and mentoring.

Donors to AWSM are supporting Northwell’s Outpacing the Impossible campaign, a $1 billion comprehensive fundraising effort to fuel innovation to advance health care and support Northwell’s promise to the people it serves. The campaign — which supports capital projects, improves hospitals and clinical programs, advances research and funds endowment for teaching and research initiatives — was publicly launched in October 2018 and to date, has raised more than $895 million.

For more information about AWSM, click here or email Rross2@northwell.edu.

About the Feinstein Institutes

The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research is the research arm of Northwell Health, the largest health care provider and private employer in New York State. Home to 50 research labs, 3,000 clinical research studies and 5,000 researchers and staff, the Feinstein Institutes raises the standard of medical innovation through its five institutes of behavioral science, bioelectronic medicine, cancer, health innovations and outcomes, and molecular medicine. We make breakthroughs in genetics, oncology, brain research, mental health, autoimmunity, and are the global scientific leader in bioelectronic medicine – a new field of science that has the potential to revolutionize medicine. For more information about how we produce knowledge to cure disease, visit http://feinstein.northwell.edu and follow us on LinkedIn.

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