Women and Maternal Health Research

We are so excited to highlight our women researchers because they inspire us as female researchers, moms, innovators, T1D individuals, and women. We wanted to share the stories of some of our amazing researchers with you!

1. When Jennifer Dwyer, Ph. D.  became a mom, she was as excited as could be and was prepared to help her child through whatever challenges they faced. Not only did she talk the talk, but when her child was diagnosed with T1D, she walked the walk. She chose to specialize in T1D research in hopes of creating a cure for her child.

2. Since Anna Kahkoska, M.D., Ph.D. was 11 years old and diagnosed with T1D, throughout high school, college, graduate, and medical school, she has chosen to remain actively committed to the entire diabetic community. She realized "a major challenge in diabetes care is how to address the profound differences between individuals, including differences in demographics, lifestyle and preferences, measures and markers of health and wellness, and responses to therapy".  This major gap in research has gone on to inspire her work now.

3. Melanie Shapiro, Ph.D. is also a T1D individual. Growing up she was continuously being told that the cure was almost here. Instead of losing hope, she chose to make her own hope. In her own words, "my personal experience having T1D, and struggling to understand why cures were not translating to the clinic, led me to become a T1D researcher... ."  She is conducting her research in a previous DRC-funded researcher's lab. 

These women are just a few of the many female representatives that DRC is funding who are breaking down STEM gender barriers.