May 14, 2026 • 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Kahkwa Club - 3300 Kahkwa Club Rd, Erie, PA 16506
Join us for the Seeds of Hope Event and Luncheon
In collaboration with Magee-Womens Research Institute (MWRI), this research-focused event highlights leading-edge women's health research and its impact on the future of care.
Proceeds will support the annual Diane Mitra Seed Grant — a grant award designed to foster promising new collaborative women’s health studies at MWRI Erie.
Lunch Program
- 11 a.m. — Registration
- 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. — Luncheon
Innovation in Women's Health
- Miguel Brieno-Enriquez, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Obstetrics, Gynecology & Reproductive Sciences - UPMC Magee-Womens - The Naked Mole-Rat Project
State of Women's Health
- Michael Annichine, CEO - Magee-Women's Research Institute
Panel Discussion — From Innovation to Impact: Advancing Women's Health in Erie
- Sharon Hillier, PhD — Deputy Director, MWRI; Director, Reproductive Infectious Disease Research, UPMC Magee-Womens Hospital
- Halina Zyczynski, MD — Professor, Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, Urogynecology and Reconstructive Pelvic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine; Medical Director, MWRI Erie Campus and MW-Hamot CTRC
- William H. Walker, Ph.D. — Director, Women's Health Innovation and Science Translational Lab, Penn State Behrend
- Hyagriv N. Simhan, M.D., M.S — Professor, Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine; Executive Vice Chair, Obstetrical Services
The Seeds of Hope Story
In 2017, Diane Mitra launched a grassroot effort in Erie to bring awareness and funding to gynecological oncology research. As a grateful patient, Diane and a close group of friends created the Seeds of Hope Luncheon benefiting Magee-Womens Research Institute (MWRI), the largest research institute in the U.S. dedicated to women’s health and reproductive biology.
The enthusiasm behind this event supported the establishment of the MOMI Database and Biobank in Erie, creating understanding of maternal and infant health. With Hamot Health Foundation and other partners, MWRI leveraged the success of MOMI to launch MWRI Erie, the institutes first ever expansion outside of Pittsburgh; this $26 million partnership is elevating the most important women’s health research in the world, right here in our community.
These achievements build a success story and we think the future of women’s health in Erie is even more exciting. While Diane passed in 2021, her remarkable legacy will live on through Seeds of Hope.
2026 Sponsors
Deborah and Douglas Murphy
