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Howell Newsletter

Q2 - May 2025

Howell Scholar Highlight

Esveidy Oceguera Nava 2021 Howell Scholar

We are happy to report that 2021 Howell Scholar Esveidy Oceguera Nava has moved onto the next phase of her academic journey at University of California Santa Barbara, where she is pursuing a PhD in Chemistry working in Dr. Bruce H. Lipshutz’s laboratory. Her decision to pursue a PhD is deeply influenced by her experiences as a Howell Scholar, which opened her eyes to the possibilities of a career in academia and research. She dreams of becoming a professor someday, combining her passions for research and teaching.

Ms. Nava completed her master’s degree in chemistry at California State University, Fresno in May 2024, after also earning a bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry. Esveidy's thesis work with Dr. Qiao-Hong Chen focused on making small molecules to target breast cancer, leukemia, and melanoma – molecules that someday could be the active ingredients in anti-cancer drugs.

Women's Health Research News

Latest news:

Echoing Dr. Howell’s inspiration, Dr. Leana Wen makes the case, yet again for a new generation, about the importance of undergraduate research experiences in her column at the Washington Post. With your donations, the Howell Foundation will continue to fund undergraduates working on women’s health research to “cultivate tomorrow’s leaders in biomedical innovation.”

The Mayo Clinic produced a two-minute video urging women to engage with primary physicians when “something doesn’t feel right” since “women’s heart symptoms are sometimes missed because they don’t always look like the classic symptoms seen in men.”

Upcoming Health Lecture Luncheons

May 23: "Fever Dreams: What Mosquito-Transmitted Viruses Reveal About Women’s Immune Vulnerabilities" featuring guest speaker Daniela Weiskopf, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, La Jolla Institute for Immunology

Viruses don’t play fair - they exploit the differences between women and men at a cellular level. Women’s immune systems are wired to respond differently, sometimes mounting stronger defenses, sometimes taking collateral damage. When it comes to infectious disease, understanding the science of sex-based differences isn’t just about fairness - it’s about survival.

CLICK HERE to learn more.

Remaining luncheon dates:

September 26th
November 7th

Check out event photos on our Community Education page!

Recent Community Education Event

Health Lecture Series Events

March 21st Luncheon - We had a full house for the Howell Foundation's 30th Anniversary Kick-Off Event! Guest speaker Dr. Andrea LaCroix presented "The Labyrinth of Longevity for Aging Women: Scientific Advances, Trade-offs, and Elements of Surprise." Thank you to Dr. LaCroix for explaining recent research focused on predicting healthy longevity in women.

We were also thrilled to be joined by a few of our 2025 Howell-CSUBIOTECH Scholars, their mentors, and CSU representatives. Our scholars shared the important women's health research projects being conducted this spring, made possible by generous donations from all Friends of Howell. Impressive - the best and brightest!

The Howell Health Lecture Luncheons are part of our community education effort to ensure women have access to the latest women's health research.

Watch and listen to the presentation at this link: https://vimeo.com/1069820805

Howell Scholarships Awarded

The Howell Foundation recently awarded $21,000 to fund the 2025 Howell-CSUBIOTECH Scholarships to 12 students, as part of our matching program with CSUBIOTECH. Projects include such topics as "Investigating the Impact of PFAS on Cellular, Hormonal and Metabolic Pathways in Women’s Health", "Glucose Monitoring of Healthy Perimenopausal Women", and “Investigating Female-Specific Cardiovascular Risks". Their research has been underway since February and we look forward to hearing from our Howell Scholars when they submit their final reports in the fall. To learn more about our Howell Scholars Program visit: https://www.howellfoundation.org/scholarships/

30 Years of Women's Health Research!

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