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SANTA BARBARA—March 24, 2026—Cottage Health and the Women’s Brain Health Initiative will host the 12th Annual Collaborative Research Symposium on Friday, April 3, 2026, with virtual attendance available from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. In-person attendance is now at capacity.
The symposium will bring together clinicians, researchers, educators and community partners to explore key issues in women’s health across the lifespan.
The event will feature a keynote address by Carolee Lee, founder of Women’s Health Access Matters (WHAM), a nonprofit dedicated to advancing women’s health research through data-driven strategies.
The day will also include a “Teaser Talk” by Dr. Emily Jacobs, a neuroscientist at UC Santa Barbara whose research explores how hormones shape the brain across the female lifespan.
The symposium will explore research and discussion across three primary themes: reproductive and maternal health, mental health and neurological conditions, and population health and health disparities.
Academic partners Westmont College, California State University Channel Islands, Santa Barbara City College and the University of California, Santa Barbara serve on the symposium planning committee. The symposium is made possible through the generosity of Richard and Melanie De Schutter.
The Collaborative Research Symposium is open to clinicians, healthcare providers, fellows, residents, faculty, staff, postdoctoral researchers and community members interested in advancing research and improving health outcomes. The event is free to attend, with breakfast and lunch provided. Seating is limited.
Registration and session information are available at cottagehealth.org/research2026.
About Cottage Health | CottageHealth.org
Cottage Health is a not-for-profit health system providing advanced medical care on California’s Central Coast. In the past year, its hospitals in Goleta, Santa Barbara and Santa Ynez Valley cared for 20,833 inpatient admissions, 93,281 emergency department visits and 1,971 newborn deliveries. With more than 700 physicians, including specialists typically found only at university medical centers, Cottage offers expert, comprehensive care. As a teaching institution, it trains physicians through residency programs in medical, surgical, pediatric and radiology specialties. Cottage Health is home to the Central Coast’s only Level I adult and Level II pediatric trauma center and an advanced comprehensive stroke center. Its specialty services include Cottage Children’s Medical Center, Cottage Rehabilitation Hospital, the Santa Barbara Neuroscience Institute, Cottage Heart & Vascular Center and Cottage Center for Orthopedics. Beyond its hospitals, Cottage expands care through primary and specialty clinics, urgent care centers and 24/7 provider access via Cottage Virtual Care.
About Ann S. Bowers Women’s Brain Health Initiative
The Ann S. Bowers Women’s Brain Health Initiative is a University of California-wide brain imaging consortium designed to accelerate the pace of discovery for women’s health. The consortium includes UC Santa Barbara, UC Berkeley, and UC Irvine Brain Imaging Centers, with a planned expansion to UCSF and UC Davis. Women are at twice the risk of depression and dementia, yet the neuroscience community rarely studies the brain through a women’s health lens. Advancing women’s brain health will require sustained effort across sectors. The WBHI provides a path forward.
About UC Santa Barbara
The University of California, Santa Barbara is a top-ranked research institution that also provides a comprehensive liberal arts learning experience. UC Santa Barbara’s academic community of faculty, students, and staff is characterized by a culture of interdisciplinary collaboration that is responsive to the needs of our multicultural and global society. All of this takes place within a living and learning environment like no other, drawing inspiration from the beauty and resources of our extraordinary location at the edge of the Pacific Ocean.
