The conference dilemma: To bring or not to bring your kid(s) Choosing whether or not to bring your child(ren) to a conference is a classic loose-loose situation. You leave them, and guilt and yearning become your most annoying travelling buddies. While your body is attending talk sessions, poster presentations, and discussion panels, your mind is preparing lunches, organizing pickups, planning playdates, and thinking of ways to make your little one(s) giggle. You bring them, and you will feel like a double agent in a family drama. Torn between participating in conference activities and attendi ..read more

I always liked science in high school but wasn’t sure what I wanted to major in when I was applying to university. Things changed when I took Biology, I fell in love with the brain when I learned about the neuromuscular junction. I started my undergraduate degree in Neuroscience at the University of Lethbridge where I fell in love with research. I got to work with leaders in the field, Drs. Ian Whishaw and Bryan Kolb – I really enjoyed my time there. I wasn’t a good writer, I remember when I was working on writing a review manuscript with Dr. Whishaw, he ended up cutting my paper and rearrangi ..read more

What is your scientific background? I graduated from the Israel Institute of Technology with a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering and a master’s degree in operations research, summa cum laude. My graduate thesis was a study of expected call center waiting times of impatient customers. This work was conducted under the supervision of Professor A. Mandelbaum. My first position out of school was as an algorithm developer at Earnix. I remember my first project, very well. It was the implementation of generalized additive model (GAM) regressions. It was during those first months there I le ..read more

What is your scientific background? I did a conjoint degree during my undergraduate study at the University of Auckland.  I have a Bachelor of Science majoring in Biological Sciences- specifically animal behaviour, ecology, and human evolution. I also have a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology specializing in archaeology. While this is under the “Arts” Anthropological Sciences are also offered through the Science pathway both at the University of Auckland where I studied and in many other universities! All my projects in postgraduate study have incorporated methods of science whilst being ar ..read more

When I studied chemistry in college, I always considered myself lucky – my core friend/homework group had a mixture of genders, ethnicities, and interests. I never had the experience that I so feared in high school of being the only woman in a room full of men. After all, I’d always been told that science was a “men’s game,” and that the only way to change it was to apply myself and be a role model for those coming after me. Isn’t that a pervasive idea? That it’s our responsibility to ensure our own inclusion. As it turns out, not enough women studying STEM topics isn’t the main problem. Resea ..read more

Why did you choose to become a scientist? My passion for science blossomed at an early age. I remember in 7th grade science class learning about bacteria and viruses and being fascinated. My father was a cardiologist, so medicine runs in my family, as does the mind-set of the importance of the work done in the scientific and medical communities. As I advanced through college, I naturally gravitated towards more science-related fields, though I admittedly briefly entertained majoring in French literature. There was something about the absolute truths that can be found in science that really att ..read more

Memoirs and biographies have been excellent ways to learn about careers. There are still too few of those spotlighting our female heroes. Thankfully new literary trends are increasing the visibility of the amazing impact women have had on physical and theoretical sciences, mathematics and technology.  In short form profiles and articles, such as those included on this site, give us examples of the diversity of reach women are having  around the world. Contemporary and historical fiction are hot on the best sellers lists. The determination and courage of women in STEM fields are in de ..read more

My journey to becoming a scientist Ever since I was a little girl, I loved everything that revolved around science, whether it was collecting insects in the forest, observing and playing with the wine lees in my mom’s wine barrels, or watching French science popularization shows such as “C’est pas sorcier” which is animated in a very playful way. During my teenage years, I actually saw myself working as a nurse or midwife. However, I felt like I wanted to be more involved in the development of treatments that would help patients, and, after some decisive meetings where I got to speak with scie ..read more

I’ve devoted my entire career to healing the body, from clinical practice to cancer research. But how do we feed our soul and strengthen ourselves as we seek answers and persist against failure? By turning to nature. Nature has been a powerful and calming place to run to in times of adversity and tragedy. Immersing myself in the majesty and beauty of nature helps to heal my spirit. Many years ago, I turned to the Pacific Coast after losing both of my parents, biking over 1,200 miles as I worked through difficult emotions. Later on, while I was juggling two careers—one as a practicing cancer do ..read more

What is your scientific background? I have a bachelor’s degree in biology with a concentration in microbiology, and a master’s degree in public health in epidemiology. I’ve had a number of great opportunities both in research and clinical development operations at prestigious institutions such as the National Institute of Health (NIH), Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC), and across both the biotech and pharma industries. Why did you choose to become a scientist? From a young age, I knew I wanted to help people. I can remember back to my elementary years, when my teachers asked me w ..read more