Doris Willig, MD, Award
Apply for a 2026 Doris Willig, MD, Fund – Student Research Award
The Lynn Yeakel Institute for Women’s Health and Leadership is pleased to invite applications for the Doris Willig, MD, Fund – Student Research Award.
This endowed award supports Drexel University College of Medicine students conducting scholarly research that reflects the professional legacy and interests of Dr. Doris Willig.
The award is intended to advance student research and dissemination in areas related to psychiatry, mental health, and healthcare considerations according to sex and gender.
Award Details
- Award amount: Up to $2,000
- Use of funds: Research-related expenses and/or conference registration, travel, and lodging for poster or oral presentations
- Frequency: Offered twice annually (spring and fall), subject to availability of funds
Eligibility
Applicants must be current Drexel University College of Medicine medical or graduate students engaged in research aligned with one or more of the award focus areas.
- Preference will be given to students with accepted conference presentations during the award period.
- Preference will be given to students who submit an abstract for Discovery Day 2026.
- Students must have a faculty mentor*.
Application Process
Applications should be submitted via this form.
Application Timeline:
- Application opens: September 1, 2026
- Discovery Day abstract submission deadline: September 15, 2026
- Note: The confirmation number of Discovery Day abstract submission may be added to Doris Willig, MD, Fund – Student Research Award application form.
- Doris Willig, MD, Fund – Student Research Award submission deadline: September 21, 2026
- Notification of awardees: October 18, 2026
- Presentation of awards: October 27, 2026 (at Discovery Day)
Applications will be reviewed by the Doris Willig, MD, Fund – Student Research Award Committee based on alignment with the fund’s mission, scholarly merit, the student’s contribution and the appropriateness of the proposed use of funds.
If you have questions about the award or application process, please contact Janine Barber at jkb48@drexel.edu.
We encourage eligible medical and graduate students to apply, and we look forward to supporting your scholarly work.
* All Drexel University College of Medicine medical and graduate students, and trainees must have a qualified, credentialed faculty mentor for all research or scholarly activities, including TriNetX projects and any work intended for dissemination, submission, publication or presentation. The primary mentor must be a faculty member and principal investigator with doctoral-level training (e.g., MD, DO, PhD or equivalent), whether at Drexel or an affiliated or external institution, who meets institutional criteria for serving as a research mentor. The primary mentor must be appropriately included on, and must review and approve, any manuscript, poster, presentation, abstract or other scholarly work prior to dissemination, submission, publication or presentation. Individuals who do not meet these criteria—including trainees (e.g., students, residents, fellows), research coordinators, research directors or similar roles—may not serve as the primary mentor, although they may provide day-to-day supervision or project guidance.
About the Doris Willig, MD, Award
The Doris Willig, MD, Award was endowed in 2009 by the adult children of Dr. Doris Willig in order to support education and research related to the mental health of girls during early childhood development. This internal fellowship is granted annually on a competitive basis to awardees who are graduate students in the Drexel community. Applications for the next award will be available soon. For more information about Dr Willig, please see her full bio and view treasured photos of her life's journey below.
2011 Lecture - Lise Eliot
Dr. Lise Eliot delivered the Doris Willig, MD, lecture at the 2011 Sex and Gender Research Forum. Her presentation focused on the origins of perceived neurobiological sex differences, a true area of passion for Dr. Willig. The careful rigor and remarkable breadth of Dr. Eliot's research reflect the persistence with which Doris Willig continually expanded the boundaries of the field.
2010 Lecture - Nan Stein
Nan Stein, a senior research scientist at Wellesley Centers for Women, presented the first Doris Willig, MD, lecture at the 2010 Sex and Gender Research Forum.
2009 Award - Aditi Falnikar
Aditi Falnikar was presented with the first Doris Willig, MD, Award in 2009. Her research on the role of abnormal microtubule severing, transport and sliding during neuronal migration on the development of autism earned her the distinction of best graduate student poster presenter at the 2009 Sex and Gender Research Forum.
About Doris Willig, MD (1912–2004)
Doris Willig was born in Philadelphia and raised in the Wynnfield section of the city. She was the oldest of three children (only daughter) born to a Philadelphia attorney and his wife. Between the ages of 10 and 15, Doris won awards for her piano playing, was involved in presenting play readings, and danced at a concert given at the Metropolitan Opera House of Philadelphia on Broad and Popular Streets.
In 1929, at the age of 16, Doris Willig graduated from Philadelphia High School for Girls and then attended the University of Pennsylvania where she majored in Zoology. Doris graduated cum laude at age 23 from the Woman's Medical College in June 1936. At that time, she was the youngest student ever who had graduated from the oldest medical college for women in the United States. Dr. Willig interned at Albert Einstein Medical Center, and in 1938 she began a practice of general medicine, obstetrics, and gynecology in Wynnfield. Sometimes she treated three generations within a family, and she even delivered her own future daughter‐in‐law! Ten years later, Dr. Willig decided to transition from general medicine into adult psychiatry. She became a resident at the Philadelphia Psychiatric Center, and then did a fellowship in child psychiatry at the Institute of Pennsylvania Hospital‐Child Study Center.
Between 1952 and 1971 Dr. Willig led a busy center city psychiatric practice; she was on the staff of the Philadelphia Psychiatric Center and Graduate Hospital and was a psychiatric consultant for The Association for Jewish Children (Jewish Family and Children's Services). For ten years she was on the faculty at Jefferson Medical College, prior to moving to Miami in 1972 where she became a staff psychiatrist at the Veteran's Administration Hospital. Dr. Willig was clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of Miami Medical School. Other accomplishments during this period include becoming vice president of the South Florida Psychiatric Society and being elected the federal "physician of the year" for her outstanding service. In 1983 she returned to Philadelphia, and work briefly for the J.F.K. Community Mental Health and as a psychiatric consultant to HealthPass.
While fulfilling her many professional commitments, Dr. Willig found time to give lunchtime concerts with her chamber music group, "The Leisure Time Quartet." Upon retirement, she devoted much of her time to the arts and social activist causes.
Dr. Willig was a pioneer of the women's movement, demonstrating through quiet accomplishment that there is no area of activity in which a woman couldn't compete on an equal basis with men.
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