The Fraternal Order of Eagles Diabetes Research Center is proud to recognize Anna Stanhewicz, PhD for receiving the prestigious 2026 Henry Pickering Bowditch Award from the American Physiological Society. This highly competitive national honor recognizes exceptional early career investigators who have made significant contributions to the field of physiology. 

As part of this distinction, Dr. Stanhewicz will be delivering a lecture at the American Physiology Summit in April 2026, where she will share insights from her innovative research program. 

Dr. Stanhewicz has established herself as a rising leader in women’s cardiometabolic health research. Her work centers on the role of microvascular function – the health of the body’s smallest blood vessels – and how impairments in these vessels increase the risk for heart and metabolic disease, particularly in women, especially after pregnancy. A key focus of her research examines how gestational diabetes may set the stage for vascular changes well beyond pregnancy. By defining these long-term impacts, her findings are shaping approaches to earlier risk assessment and more prevention strategies. 

In addition to her recent award, Dr. Stanhewicz was recently named Director of Research Operations in the Department of Health, Sport and Human Physiology. She will help with the transition of the department into the new Health Sciences Academic Building. 

Dr. Stanhewicz earned her Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology from the University of Rhode Island, followed by a Master of Science in Physiology and a PhD in Kinesiology from Pennsylvania State University. She joined the University of Iowa faculty in 2019 and continues to advance impactful research that aligns closely with our FOEDRC mission.

We congratulate Dr. Stanhewicz on these outstanding achievements and look forward to her continued contributions to advancing our understanding of cardiovascular and metabolic health and disease.