The Society for Women’s Health Research (SWHR) hosted its 36th Annual Awards Gala on April 16, 2026 in Washington, D.C. at the Fairmont Washington D.C. Georgetown. The annual event is a celebratory evening dedicated to honoring leaders who are advancing women’s health and serves as a time to bring together providers, policymakers, researchers, and other leaders across health care.
“At one point, the women’s health community was small. But over the last few years, we’ve seen a groundswell of new supporters and advocates… It’s exciting to see how many voices are now amplifying the importance of this work – and that what was once a small community is now a movement,” said SWHR President and CEO Kathryn G. Schubert, MPP, CAE during her remarks. “SWHR accepts the challenge [to close the women’s health gap] and remains at the forefront of women’s health research, advocacy, and education today.”
This year’s Gala honored three leaders for their contributions to advancing women’s health throughout the career, presenting Women’s Health Visionary Awards to:
Jenelle Krishnamoorthy, PhD, for advancing policy as an industry leader at Merck & Co (also known as MSD outside the United States and Canada), where she spearheaded innovative initiatives, championed research, and advocated for policies addressing the unique health needs and challenges of women. Dr. Krishnamoorthy was also thanked for her tenure on the SWHR Board of Directors, having served on the board since 2018 and as a member of the Executive Committee, through 2025. Dr. Krishnamoorthy is Senior Vice President and Head of Global Policy & Public Affairs at Merck & Co. “Women’s health is deeply personal to me. In my research, I saw that women’s health is community health, but it is also societal and economic health,” said Dr. Krishnamoorthy. “Organization like SWHR remind us that progress in women’s health is possible,” she added.
Kedra Wallace, PhD, for her contributions to research that aim to improve health outcomes for pregnant and postpartum women and her work in uterine fibroids. Dr. Wallace was also recognized for her roles in SWHR’s original uterine fibroids and endometriosis working groups, which have informed the development of core SWHR resources in each of these spaces. Dr. Wallace is professor of Pharmacology and Toxicology and professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. When accepting her award, Dr. Wallace spoke of growing up in Louisiana under the care of strong women like her mother and later going on to provide health care for women across the south. “This really is an award for the women in the southern states of the United States,” she said.
Alex Taylor, for her commitment to improving women’s health through her work at Perelel and for her leadership in building coalitions and elevating women’s health research advocacy. Taylor is the co-founder of Perelel Health as well as a women’s health advocate and cultural voice focused on elevating women’s health to a national priority. “Katie, thank you for your leadership and vision and for welcoming me into the big tent that is women’s health. SWHR, thank you for the work you have done for decades with purpose,” Taylor said. “Medicine still has bling spots and women and girls often fall into them, but what keeps me going in this work is possibility. When you work in women’s health, you see the gap, but you also see what’s possible on the other side of it.”
The evening’s keynote was delivered by Seema Yasmin, MD, Director of the Stanford Health Communication Initiative and Clinical Assistant Professor in the School of Medicine at Stanford University. Speaking to the audience, she said, “the work that you do asks you to hold urgency, frustration, and hope at the same time. That’s a lot. You see the misdiagnoses. You hear the stories that get hushed. You know the studies that get canceled. And yet you push forward anyway.” Dr. Yasmin encouraged attendees to speak up and tell their own women’s health stories, even when it feels difficult. “If we don’t tell the story, someone else will,” she said.
SWHR extends a huge thank you to our presenters and speakers at the Gala, without whom the evening would not have been possible, including Jennifer Klein, with the Institute of Global Politics at Columbia University; Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, MD, MBA, President Emerita of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation; SWHR Board Chair Erika Miller, JD; Basmah Safdar, MD, MSc, with Women’s Health Research at Yale; and SWHR President and CEO Kathryn Schubert, MPP, CAE.
Thank you to all our sponsors for the evening, including:
- Innovator Sponsor, Eli Lilly
- Partner Sponsors, Amgen, Astellas, Hologic, Merck, and PhRMA
- Advocate Sponsors, Bayer; Biogen; BRG Communications; Epstein Becker Green Advisors; Florence Haseltine, PhD, MD; Pfizer, Penn Quarters Partners; and Shyamasundaran Kottilil, PhD, MD
- Friend Sponsors, AdvaMed, American Psychological Association, AstraZeneca, BIO, CRD Associates, Endocrine Society, Johnson & Johnson, National Pharmaceutical Council, Organon, Pharmavite & Bonafide, and Women’s Health Advocates.
- Individual Supporters, Adrianna Smith Reig, American Medical Women’s Association (AMWA), Medscape, The Fuchsia Tent, Wen Shen
The evening was also live-posted on X (Twitter). Check out posts from the evening here.
Funds raised from the event support SWHR’s science, policy, and educational initiatives, which offer opportunities to highlight women’s health and to educate women, providers, and policymakers.
Explore the 2026 Annual Awards Gala Gallery!
Thank you to Jon Fleming Photography for the event images.