Dr. Susan Helmrich, 1977 (Swimming)
Following graduation, Helmrich became a consumer lobbyist with the New York State Legislature. During that time Helmrich received a Fellowship from the Harvard School of Public Health. In 1980 she graduated from Harvard University with a master of science degree in epidemiology and began work at the Slone Epidemiology Unit at Boston University School of Medicine where she served as an epidemiologist 1980-85. In 1982, Helmrich became the assistant director/co-founder/board member of the DES Cancer Network. The DES Cancer Network is a non-profit organization dedicated to the special needs of women who have had clear cell cancer linked to in-utero DES exposure. From 1995-96 she was the acting director for the DES Cancer Network and currently serves as co-chair of the Network. Helmrich then entered the University of California at Berkeley to begin her doctorate in the School of Public Health. In 1986-89 Helmrich received a Pre-doctoral Fellowship in Behavioral Factors in Health and in 1988-89 she received a Diabetes Research & Education Foundation Research Grant.
Helmrich graduated with her Ph.D. in epidemiology in May 1989 and immediately began her post-doctoral fellowship at the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI), studying behavioral factors in health. From 1989–93 Helmrich served as a member of the Board of Directors for the DES Action – USA. She also was a research assistant in the Department of Health Research and Policy/Epidemiology for Stanford University School of Medicine from 1988-89. Helmrich served as a consultant for the California Public Health Foundation in Berkeley from 1989-90. She continued consultant work until 1992 with the Alameda County Department of Public Health, Wellness Guide Project, University of California, Berkeley and the Western Consortium for Public Health at Berkeley, California.
From 1993-97 Helmrich worked as an associate research scientist/epidemiologist at the Human Population Laboratory, Western Consortium for Public Health/California Public Health Foundation/Public Health Institute in Berkeley, CA. During this time she received the Research Supplement Award to Promote Re-entry into Research Careers. She has also worked with the National Cancer Institute and the Center for Disease Control. Helmrich became so involved in cancer research because she is a survivor.
Throughout her career and through much of her research Dr. Helmrich has made several television appearances and has been a part of more than 35 written publications. She also co-founded a national organization for women with DES-related cancer. She remained active throughout her battle with cancer, completing the New York City Marathon in 1983, and swimming at the U.S. Masters National Championships from 1982-96. She has climbed to a 20,000 peak in the mountains of Ladakh, India and she was featured in a 1999 Ladies Home Journal article "A Woman Today". Helmrich is a 2000 inductee into the Orange Plus Hall of Fame.
