Contact: Taylor Kuether
Phone: 202-223-8224
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Phyllis Greenberger, SWHR’s Leader For More Than Two Decades,
Steps Down as President & CEO
Earned Legacy as Leading Women’s Health Research Advocate
WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 23, 2016) – The Society for Women’s Health Research (SWHR) announced that its longtime president and CEO, Phyllis Greenberger, MSW, has decided to move on from that role.
“No one in Washington led the way to advance women’s health research over the past 25 years as did Phyllis Greenberger,” said SWHR Founder Florence Haseltine, MD, PhD. “We offer our deep gratitude to Phyllis for her passion and performance in all this time. She has guided SWHR in casting a bright light on the need to explore the scientific difference in the sexes and to advocate for the inclusion of women in clinical trials,” said Dr. Haseltine. “Anyone who knows or has worked with Phyllis has appreciated her determination to advance our understanding of the differences between the health of women and men.”
Ms. Greenberger had been president and CEO of SWHR since 1993, shortly after its founding. As a result of SWHR’s work under Ms. Greenberger’s leadership, federal mandates require the inclusion of women in medical research and clinical trials; and scientists are researching the ways in which health conditions and diseases affect men and women differently and why.
“I want to thank Florence for her vision and confidence in hiring me to lead SWHR, and acknowledge my appreciation to SWHR staff as well as thank our corporate and institutional supporters over all this time,” said Ms. Greenberger. “Together, we’ve truly made a difference in the lives of not only women but men worldwide. With so many of the milestones I set for SWHR achieved, I have decided it is time to step down from my executive and operational role with the organization. I would like to spend time on independent projects and pursue new ventures to continue bringing important insights into science that advance women’s health,” she said.
“On behalf of the entire SWHR Board of Directors, we thank Phyllis for everything she has done to advocate and help improve the health of all, through education and science advocacy in women’s health,” said SWHR Chair John Seng. “We will continue her legacy of advancing the science of sex-based biology and advocating for making a difference in people’s lives,” said Seng.
The SWHR Board of Directors is set to announce the retention of an interim CEO in the next week. Ms. Greenberger remains a member of the SWHR Board of Directors.
SWHR will continue to lead the way in advocating for greater funding for women’s health research and for the study of biological differences that affect disease; promote the inclusion of women and minorities in medical research; push for the analysis of research data for sex and ethnic differences; and to inform women, health care providers, and policy makers about contemporary women’s health issues.
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ABOUT SWHR
The Society for Women’s Health Research (SWHR®), is a national non-profit based in Washington D.C. that is widely recognized as the thought-leader in promoting research on biological differences in disease and is dedicated to transforming women’s health through science, advocacy, and education. Founded in 1990 by a group of physicians, medical researchers and health advocates, SWHR aims to bring attention to the variety of diseases and conditions that disproportionately or predominately affect women.
For more information, visit www.SWHR.org. Follow us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/SWHR.