Gifts From the Heart

“At The Broad Foundations, we invest in people who don’t just accept the status quo. We look for people who have a different approach, who do something that hasn’t been done, or do something better. We call them ‘change agents.’ That’s what I saw in Dr. Bairey Merz when I first heard her speak about women’s heart disease. I knew we had to help find answers by establishing a fellowship that funds a scientist devoted to this research. For too long, most studies ignored women. We’re making up for lost time.”

— Edythe Broad
Founder, Edythe L. Broad Women’s Heart Research Fellowship

“A lot of women are so busy taking care of their families, they put their own health on the back burner and don’t pay attention to their heart health. When I became a patient of Dr. Bairey Merz in 2003, I gained an expanded perspective on the urgent need for gender-specific heart research and treatment. I was stunned to learn that one-third of women already have heart disease but are unaware of it. I am constantly looking for new ways to promote health awareness and education for women. If you educate a woman, you educate a family. This is why I support the Barbra Streisand Women’s Heart Center.”

— Sharon Glaser
Founder, Doris Factor Women’s Heart Disease Community Education Coordinator