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About the Aiona Project
Our Mission
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Better understanding of what vaginal health is and means for women in the Pacific Islands
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Decrease the "taboo" around vaginal health
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Study ways to improve vaginal and reproductive health for our local communities
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Empower women to take part in citizen science surrounding these topics
Our Story
The Aiona Project is a sister project of the Isala Project, a citizen-science project originating in Belgium to understand the vaginal microbiome. The project successfully gathered vaginal microbiota from 6,000 individuals, and learned several things about vaginal health.
There are many other “sister” projects to the Isala Project, each geared to the local community in which they take place.
Each Isala sister project is named after the first female physician or scientist known to that community.
Our Hawai`i project, “The Aiona Project” - is named after Isabella Aiona Abbott - the first Native Hawaiian PhD in Science. She was pretty awesome! Learn more about her here.
Her Mo`olelo
Who was Isabella Aiona Abbott?
Isabella Aiona Abbott (1919-2010) was a Hawaiian-American ethnobotanist and phycologist famous for her research on Pacific marine algae. As the first Native Hawaiian woman to earn a Ph.D. in science, Abbott advanced the understanding of marine botany, particularly in the taxonomy and ecology of seaweeds.
Abbott published more than 150 articles and eight books, including "Marine Green and Brown Algae of the Hawaiian Islands," which became notable texts in the field. Abbott also played a pivotal role in integrating traditional Hawaiian knowledge with modern scientific practices, emphasizing the cultural importance of marine plants in Hawaiian cuisine and medicine. Her legacy continues to inspire and shape marine biology and ethnobotany today.
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