The 20th Annual Academy of Women Achievers Luncheon is just three short weeks away!

As part of our celebration of this year’s milestone, we’re taking a look back at the last two decades and highlighting several of the remarkable 169 AWA alumnae who have individually and collectively transformed Boston. Each day for the next 20 days, YW Boston will share some of their inspiring stories.

Keep an eye out for these stories here on our Blog and on Facebook and Twitter — your shares and retweets help us spread the word about YW Boston! Today marks day 1 of our 20 Years of AWA series, and we are excited to highlight Dr. Paula Johnson.

Dr. Paula Johnson, AWA 02

Dr. Paula Johnson AWA ‘02 is a women’s health specialist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and a pioneer in the treatment and prevention of cardiovascular disease. She conceived of and developed one of the first facilities in the country to focus on heart disease in women.

In 2013 Paula delivered a TEDWomen talk on the critical importance of gender specific healthcare that has been viewed more than 750,000 times worldwide.

“We know that every cell has a sex. We know that these differences are often overlooked. And therefore we know that women are not getting the full benefit of modern science and medicine today. We have the tools but we lack the collective will and momentum. Women’s health is an equal rights issue as important as equal pay.”

Watch Paula’s “His and Hers Healthcare” TEDWomen talk here.