SWHR Annual Awards Gala

Celebrating achievements, advancements, & innovations in women’s health.

Each year, supporters of the Society for Women’s Health Research (SWHR) gather together for the SWHR Annual Awards Gala to celebrate accomplishments in women’s health research and honor leaders who have significantly advanced women’s health throughout their careers.

Explore Highlights from the 36th Annual Awards Gala

The Society for Women’s Health Research hosted its Annual Awards Gala on Thursday, April 16, 2026.

The SWHR Annual Awards Gala is the premier social event of the spring, bringing together influential leaders from health care, research, and policy in Washington, D.C.

Check Out The 2026 Gala

Past Galas

2025

2024

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

Past Honorees

Senator Shelley Moore Capito

2025 Women’s Health Visionary Award Winner

Representative Lauren Underwood

2025 Women’s Health Visionary Award Winner

Kim Love

2025 Women’s Health Visionary Award Winner

Teresa Woodruff, PhD

2025 Women’s Health Visionary Award Winner

Janine Austin Clayton, MD, FARVO

2024 Women’s Health Visionary Award Winner

Maria Shriver

2024 Women’s Health Visionary Award Winner

Shontelle Dodson, PharmD

2024 Women’s Health Visionary Award Winner

Kaveeta P. Vasisht, MD, PharmD

2023 Health Public Service Visionary Award Winner

Pauline M. Maki, PhD

2023 Health Education Visionary Award Winner

Keli Walbert

2023 Health Industry Visionary Award Winner | Accepting on behalf of Horizon

Wanda Barfield

Wanda Barfield, MD, MPH, FAAP

2022 Health Public Service Visionary Award Winner

Sudip S. Parikh, PhD

2022 Health Education Visionary Award Winner

Judy Sewards

Judy Sewards

2022 Health Industry Visionary Award Winner | Accepting on behalf of Pfizer

Lotus Mallbris, MD, PhD

2021 Health Industry Visionary Award Winner

Valerie Montgomery Rice

Valerie Montgomery Rice, MD, FACOG

2021 Health Education Visionary Award Winner

Nora Volkow

Nora D. Volkow, MD

2021 Health Public Service Visionary Award Winner

Jill B. Becker, PhD

2020 Health Education Visionary Award Winner

Diana Bianchi

Diana W. Bianchi, MD

2020 Health Public Service Visionary Award Winner

Charlotte D. Owens

Charlotte D. Owens, MD, FACOG

2020 Health Industry Visionary Award Winner

Carolyn Clancy

Carolyn Clancy, MD

2019 Health Public Service Visionary Award Winner

John Seng

John J. Seng

2019 Health Communications Visionary Award Winner

Cen Xu

Cen Xu, PhD

2019 Health Industry Visionary Award Winner

Colleen Conway Welch

Colleen Conway-Welch, PhD

2018 Health Education Visionary Award Winner

Christi Shaw

Christi Shaw

2018 Health Industry Visionary Award Winner

Janet Woodcock

Janet Woodcock, MD

2018 Health Public Service Visionary Award Winner

Myrna Blyth

2017 Women’s Health Visionary Award

Senator Susan Collins

2017 Women’s Health Visionary Award

Mary Lake Polan, MD, PhD, MPH,

2017 Women’s Health Visionary Award

Past Speakers and Presenters

Anita Ravi, MD, MPH, MSHP, FAAFP

2025 Keynote Speaker

Victor J. Dzau, MD

Millicent Gorham

Celina Gorre, MPH, MBA

Carolyn M. Mazure, PhD

2024 Keynote Speaker

Maureen Japha

U.S. Surgeon General Vivek H. Murthy, MD, MBA

Kaveeta Vasisht, MD, PharmD

Julie Louise Gerberding

Julie Louise Gerberding, MD, MPH

2023 Keynote Speaker

Meghan Feely

Meghan Feely, MD, FAAD

Sudip Parikh

Sudip Parikh, PhD

Gretta Stone

Gretta Stone

Kaveeta P. Vasisht, MD, PharmD

2022 Keynote Speaker

Diana Bianchi

Diana W. Bianchi, MD

Laura Cohen, JD

Shontelle Dodson

Shontelle Dodson, PharmD

Judette Louis

Judette Louis, MPH, MD

2021 Special Guest Speaker

Sudip Parikh, PhD

2021 Special Guest Speaker

Shontelle Dodson

Shontelle Dodson, PharmD

Carolyn Clancy

Carolyn Clancy, MD

Cen Xu

Cen Xu, PhD

Valerie Montgomery Rice

Valerie Montgomery Rice, MD, FACOG

2020 Keynote Speaker

Myrna Blyth

Lotus Mallbris, MD, PhD

Shontelle Dodson

Shontelle Dodson, PharmD

Rita Colwell

Rita Colwell, PhD

Roberta Gartside

Roberta Gartside, MD

John Seng Alan Eisenberg

Alan Eisenberg

Scott Speaking at the SWHR Gala

Scott Gottlieb, MD

Roberta Gartside

Roberta Gartside, MD

Pat Grady

Patricia A. Grady, PhD, RN, FAAN