Women's Health Research at Yale Kicks Off Five-Year Anniversary With "From Vision to Innovation"

Women’s Health Research at Yale (WHR) began celebrating its five-year anniversary on Sept. 29 at an event titled “From Vision to Innovation” at the Sage American Grill & Oyster Bar in New Haven.

Carolyn Mazure, director of WHR, presided as keynote speaker. The evening included scientific presentations from two program-funded investigators: neuroscientist Amy Arnsten, M.D., who spoke on gender-specific effects of stress, and reproductive endocrinologist Harvey Kliman, M.D., who discussed the role of estrogen across the life cycle.

The evening culminated with the presentation of the first “Women of Vision Awards” to former Yale-New Haven trustee Mary B. Arnstein and New Haven Savings Bank executive Diane L. Wishnafski. The award honors women in the community who have displayed an outstanding and abiding commitment to women’s health, and recognizes their involvement as a key element of the program.

“Women’s Health Research at Yale is unique in its involvement of the community to disseminate information,”said Mazure. “We are grateful for the tireless efforts of leaders like Mary and Diane. It is their continued dedication to the health of women that provides essential support to research like ours and has made the program the success that it is.”

Arnstein has been an active member of both the Yale and Greater New Haven communities for many years. She serves on the advisory council of WHR and the Department of Psychiatry at the School of Medicine. Arnstein has been a member of the Development Committee for the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven since 1981 and has chaired the United Way of Greater New Haven’s Special Gifts-Yale Division annual campaign since 1965. She is an associate fellow of Pierson College and recently completed her work for the New England Organ Bank, where she had served as a trustee since 1989.

Wishnafski is executive vice president and general manager of the Business Banking Division for New Haven Savings Bank. Her numerous community activities include chairing both the Fund for Women & Girls at the Community Foundation and the Corporate Giving Committee for the Capital Campaign at Columbus House; serving on the boards of Hamden Hall Country Day School and Southern Connecticut State University Foundation; and co-chairing the Major Gifts Campaign for the Sister Anne Virginie Grimes Health Center at Saint Raphael’s Hospital. She is immediate past chair of the Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce and the South Central Connecticut Chapter of the American Red Cross.

“From Vision to Innovation” was chaired by Lesley Mills, owner of Griswold Special Care and ElderCare Connections. Sponsors of the event included Beirne’s Pharmacy Inc., The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven, Fleet Bank, Griswold Special Care, H. Pearce Company Realtors, New Haven Savings Bank, Raymond J. Kubick, CFP, Yale-New Haven Hospital and community supporters.