SWHR 2026 Annual Awards Gala

Celebrating 36 years of achievements, advancements, & innovations in women’s health.

SWHR Hosts 36th Annual Awards Gala, April 16

The Gala was held at the Fairmont Washington D.C. Georgetown, at 2401 M St NW, Washington, D.C. 20037.

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.

This evening is chance to network with key stakeholders, honor the remarkable achievements of women in health care, and contribute to our vision of making women’s health mainstream.

SWHR honored Jenelle Krishnamoorthy, PhD, Kedra Wallace, PhD, and Alex Taylor with Women’s Health Visionary Awards for their notable contributions to making women’s health mainstream.

Read The Gala Summary Blog

Read The First Press Release

Read The Second Press Release

Explore the Gala Program

 

Photo Highlights from the 2026 Gala

Explore The Gala Gallery

Check Out Past Annual Awards Galas

Explore The Galas

2026 Award Winners

Jenelle Krishnamoorthy, PhD

Women’s Health Visionary Awardee

Senior Vice President and Head of Global Policy & Public Affairs, Merck & Co.

Alex Taylor

Women’s Health Visionary Awardee

Co-founder, Perelel Health

Kedra Wallace, PhD

Women’s Health Visionary Awardee

Professor of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Mississippi Medical Center

2026 Keynote Speaker

Seema Yasmin, MD

Director, Stanford Health Communication Initiative; Clinical Assistant Professor, School of Medicine, Stanford University

2026 Presenters

Jennifer Klein

Professor, Professional Practice & Director, Women’s Initiative, Institute of Global Politics, Columbia University

Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, MD, MBA

President Emerita, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF); Robert Wood Johnson Foundation PIK Professor Emerita of Health Policy and Health Equity, University of Pennsylvania

Basmah Safdar, MD, MSc

Director, Women’s Health Research at Yale; Norma Weinberg Spungen and Joan Lebson Bildner Professor in Women’s Health Research, Yale School of Medicine

Sponsors

Innovator Sponsor

Lilly Logo

Partner Sponsor

      Astellas logo

Hologic Logo      MERCK logo      PhRMA Logo

Advocate Sponsor

Bayer Logo     Biogen logo                        

Florence P. Haseltine, PhD, MD
Shyamasundaran Kottilil, PhD, MD

Friend

AdvaMed Logo                                       National Pharmaceutical Council    Organon Logo        

Individual Supporters

Adrianna Smith Reig
American Medical Women’s Association (AMWA)
Medscape
The Fuchsia Tent
Wen Shen