The Jan R. Cloyde Legacy Award

Jan R. Cloyde was a founding board member of the Iris Cantor-UCLA Women’s Health Center. Her enduring commitment to advancing women’s healthcare and fostering mentorship for emerging leaders left an indelible mark on all those who had the honor of working with her. The Jan R. Cloyde Legacy Award was created within the Iris Cantor-UCLA Women’s Health Center in homage to Jan’s extraordinary contributions.

Inspired by Jan’s remarkable commitment to mentorship, The Jan R. Cloyde Legacy Award provides funding for students conducting research in the field of Women’s Health at UCLA. Funds support these students’ efforts, including, but not limited to, travel to and/or attendance with their mentors at national and international meetings to present their work. Students apply on a rolling basis, and the Scientific Committee of the Iris Cantor-UCLA Women’s Health Center (“the Committee”) choose awardees based on:

Importance of research
Likelihood the student will continue in a career in women’s health research
Potential for meeting attendance to positively affect the course of the student’s career

If you are interested in supporting the Jan R. Cloyde Legacy Award, please visit the link below:

Jan R. Cloyde Legacy Award Recipients

Frederick Ferguson, MD - American Public Health Association Conference in Minneapolis, MN

"Overall, the APHA conference has been invaluable for my professional growth and research development. By connecting with others committed to these crucial issues, I am better equipped to contribute meaningfully to the ongoing work in anti-racism, medical mistrust, and nutrition equity, advancing both my research goals and the field’s commitment to health justice.

Click here to read the full reflection.

Dr. Ferguson in front of his poster presented at APHA

Michaela Juels - American Society for Bone and Mineral Research in Toronto, Canada

"Overall, the ASBMR Conference has equipped me with new insights, connections, and a strengthened resolve to explore the intersection of bone health and social determinants. These experiences will undoubtedly enhance my contributions to the field of orthopaedic surgery and empower me to advocate for better patient outcomes in the future. I am excited to apply what I have learned and to continue fostering relationships that will support my career development and research initiatives."

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Michaela Juels prseenting at the ASBMR Conference

Lisette Collins - Interdisciplinary Association for Population Health Sciences (IAPHS) Conference in St. Louis, MO

"Overall, the IAPHS conference has been an enriching experience that will significantly impact my career as an OB/GYN. The knowledge gained, the feedback received, and the professional connections established will enhance my ability to contribute to the field of maternal health. I am now better equipped to integrate interdisciplinary approaches into my practice, ensuring that my research and clinical work are both innovative and socially relevant. This experience has solidified my dedication to improving health outcomes for women and has provided me with the tools and inspiration to drive meaningful change in the field."

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Lisette Collins and her mentor in front of her research poster, "Associations between self-employment and cardiovascular disease risk factors among Hispanic women"

Rachel Sarnoff, MD - Digestive Disease Week Conference in Washington, DC

"Participating in Digestive Disease Week 2024 was an incredible experience teeming with learning and networking. Presenting my three posters was a wonderful experience; many researchers and trainees engaged with the posters and asked astute questions, including how our research might apply to the transgender population (which I believe is a great future direction for our research). On May 20, I attended a Women in Neurogastroenterology Interest Group hosted by the ANMS, during which a panel of women leaders in NeuroGI spoke about their career paths, work-life integration, and self-advocacy in what was historically a male-dominated space."

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Morgan Johnson - Cell Exercise Metabolism Conference in Lisbon, Portugal

"I want to sincerely thank the donors and the selection committee for awarding me these funds to travel to an international conference and attend an NIH meeting. I met numerous investigators performing high caliber work in the field of exercise metabolism. I was able to have conversations with several of them, whether it was about their path to where they are now, their current research, or where they think the field is going in the future. I am honored to be a small part of Jan R. Cloyde’s legacy, and I cannot wait to see where the knowledge and connections I gleaned from this experience take me in the future."

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Noelle Morrow - Cell Exercise Metabolism Conference in Lisbon, Portugal

"I am thrilled to be able to spend my graduate education studying two topics I am passionate about: exercise physiology and women’s health, and I hope to become one of the leading researchers in this field. This symposium helped me build networking skills and make connections for future scientific collaborations. I am incredibly grateful to my mentor, Dr. Andrea Hevener, for providing me with this opportunity and to the Iris Cantor UCLA Women’s Health Center for funding this experience through the Jan R. Cloyde Legacy Award."

Click here to read the full reflection.