Philanthropy Update: First Year progress with Stanford Clinical Center Investigating…
What measurable, positive behavioral habits can women personally develop to strengthen their immune systems?
In May 2023, Athena Institute for Women’s Wellness awarded its first round of philanthropic research funding to its first recipient, Robert M. Kaplan, Ph.D. an author and preeminent scholar in the Stanford Clinical Excellence Research Center.
Structured by Athena Institute’s founder, Dr. Winnifred Cutler, the funding launched an exciting partnership with Dr. Kaplan who agreed to direct long-term research on which behavior habits generate measurable immunity and health improvements in peri and post-menopausal women.
Dr. Cutler welcomed Dr. Kaplan’s shared mission of scholarship and self-efficacy,
“We hope this new research will generate a contribution to knowledge as we learn how a woman can improve her own immune system to enable it to better withstand the inevitable intrusion of new airborne viruses.”
Over the past months Dr. Kaplan has initiated many activities on the Stanford campus among students and faculty in several departments. His updates, planning and progression include:
- Exciting a new and larger group of students to investigate women’s behavior and healthy aging
- Contributing to Grand Rounds programs with invited medical lecturers to be filmed and shared
- Co-Sponsor of lectures Internal Medicine, Preventive Medicine, and Psychiatry
- Published Scientific Papers supported by the fund, and subsequent Op-Ed published pieces
- Serving as a committee member for a congressionally mandated assessment of NIH funding on women’s health. The study is being conducted by the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine and will be released in early 2025.
- In February 2024, Kaplan presented an invited lecture entitled, “The Relative Importance of Behavior as a Determinant of Population Health” at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Denver.
It seems timely to discover what women can do to build their resistance through their own self efficacy. So as Dr. Kaplan’s important behavioral immunology work continues, do revisit Athena Institute’s website for extensive updates on how you can build a stronger immune system with healthy habits and behavior.
Learn More About Dr. Robert Kaplan
Learn More About Athena Institute for Women’s Wellness Mission-Based Philanthropy