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UCI Alumna wins 2021 PEN Literary Courage Award
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Pictured: Gail Newel, MD, MPH, is an obstetrician-gynecologist and public health physician at UCSF.
Gail Newel, MD, MPH, UCI School of Medicine class of 1986, was the recipient of the 2021 PEN/BENENSON Courage Award. Dr. Newell received the honor along with her UCSF colleague Mimi Hall at a gala in New York City on October 5, 2021.
Dr. Newel grew up hearing about the health challenges for the people of California’s Central Valley, where she was raised. She worked in her father’s pediatric practice during every summer of her teen years, accompanying him on daily rounds of his newborns and hospitalized patients. Her mother modeled leadership through service in the community. They raised their daughter in the Mennonite Church, where she developed a strong sense of social justice and servant leadership from an early age.
Dr. Newel has been active in policy and advocacy work at the regional, state, and national level, with a special focus on underserved populations of women. Her areas of special interest include public policy and advocacy for health equity, family health, opioid use disorder, reproductive rights, breastfeeding, and LGBTQ healthcare. She has also used her public health expertise internationally, most recently in Africa, serving with a community-based organization in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Read more about the award here.
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