MANHASSET, NY – “It is so exciting to see what an alliance of women can achieve,” shared Dr. Christine Metz with the audience at the inaugural program for Advancing Women in Science and Medicine (AWSM) held on Tuesday, October 11 at The Feinstein Institute. “The goal of the group is to maximize the success of women in science and medicine.” Dr. Metz, the president of AWSM is also the Director of the Laboratory of Medicinal Biochemistry and Investigator for Center for Immunology and Inflammation at The Feinstein and a professor at Hofstra North Shore-LIJ School of Medicine and Elmezzi Graduate School of Molecular Medicine.

The vision for the group came from Dr. Betty Diamond, Feinstein’s head of the Center for Autoimmune and Musculoskeletal Disorders, who organized the first meeting over a year ago. Dr. Diamond’s desire to galvanize her colleagues in support of other female scientists served as the group’s inspiration. AWSM’s mission is to advance the career opportunities and satisfaction of female scientists at The Feinstein and to enhance the visibility of the Institute through the scientific productivity and excellence of its female scientists. This endeavor speaks to the diversity and inclusion mission of the health system and will serve to improve the visibility of The Feinstein both nationally and internationally.

Psychologist Gail Golden, PhD, MBA, of Chicago-based Gail Golden Consulting led the discussion on “Advancing Careers and Achieving Full Potential” to a crowd of more than 145 people. Dr. Golden’s presentation described the issues and concerns women face − the sticky floor, the leaky pipe, and the glass ceiling − three scenarios depicting the struggle women have in obtaining the recognition that their fellow male counterparts rarely have to endure. She stressed the importance of creating an environment where women can achieve their full potential.

Echoing Dr. Golden’s sentiment of the importance of a supportive, collegial team effort, Dr. Diamond stated, “Our overall goal is to help women in science and medicine achieve their full potential through mentoring, advocacy, career development, recognition, networking and education.” Dr. Metz concurred, “We are fortunate to be scientists at Feinstein where the environment is friendly and supportive of one another and to have Dr. Kevin Tracey, our Chief Operating Officer, who has been extremely supportive of AWSM’s endeavors.”

AWSM has developed award programs designed to recognize the achievements of female scientists and also provides networking and mentoring opportunities for faculty, trainees and students. The group’s next lecture will be on January 13th, 2012 with Dr. Elaine Fuchs of Rockefeller University and Howard Hughes Medical Institute who will share her studies investigating stem cells of mammalian skin.

For more information on AWSM or the lecture, visit: www.feinsteininstitute.org/Feinstein/AWSM or by email AWSM.Feinstein@nshs.edu.

To support AWSM or any of The Feinstein endeavors, visit: support.northshorelij.com/SupportFIMR

About The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research
Headquartered in Manhasset, NY, The Feinstein Institute for Medical Research is home to international scientific leaders in Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer’s disease, psychiatric disorders, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, sepsis, inflammatory bowel disease, diabetes, human genetics, leukemia, lymphoma, neuroimmunology, and medicinal chemistry. The Feinstein Institute, part of the North Shore-LIJ Health System, ranks in the top 6th percentile of all National Institutes of Health grants awarded to research centers. For more information: www.FeinsteinInstitute.org

About North Shore-LIJ Health System Foundation
The North Shore-LIJ Health System Foundation’s mission is to serve the best interest of the community at-large and the Health System by providing the inspiration, opportunity and meaningful direction for donors, patients and leaders to link their vision, dreams and philanthropic support with our most worthy causes from the underserved and uninsured to the latest frontiers in medical technology and research. For more information, visit: support.northshorelij.com.

Media Contact: Barbara Camhi Mlawer
516-465-2557
bmlawer@nshs.edu