Celebrating Girls & Women in Science
Celebrating Girls & Women in Science
11 February 2021 marks the UN’s annual celebration of Girls and Women in Science. While strides have been taken in recent years to open up scientific careers to girls and women, over 70% of children, when asked to draw a ‘scientist’, will still draw a man. In the UN’s words, the world needs science, and science needs girls and women – in the era of Covid-19, more than ever.
With many among our Leys community pursuing STEM careers, and more considering it, we spoke to four female members of the Leysian community about their scientific careers and what makes their work so rewarding.
YASMIN GREEN IS TECHNICAL LEAD AT STUDIO ROTATEº IN LONDON, AND AN OLD LEYSIAN.
Were you always interested in science at school?
Yes, I really enjoyed doing my Biology A level at The Leys and went on to get a 1st in Forensic Science from the University of Lincoln. I distinctly remember having a keen interest in technology, and my friends would always ask me for computer help in the Granta house!
Can you tell us a little bit about your current job?
I am currently a Technical Lead at a digital agency called Studio Rotateº, where I lead a team of about 4-5 developers. My day-to-day involves making sure my developers have work to do, planning and estimating future work, helping and mentoring the developers in my team, communicating with clients about their project’s progress, and if I get time, a little bit of coding.
What is your favourite part of your current job?
Writing code. I love taking a tough problem that requires a lot of logical thinking to work through and then seeing it finally work. I also love being a part of projects that I get to see through from beginning to end. It’s extremely satisfying to see all of your hard work transform into a really great product.
JO STEELE IS SENIOR CLINICAL TRIALS DATA MANAGER AT THE ROYAL PAPWORTH HOSPITAL, AND A CURRENT PARENT AT THE LEYS.
Were you always interested in science at school?
I am dyslexic, and always found numbers easier than words, and science interested the logical side of my nature; I remember being inspired particularly by my Chemistry A level teacher.
Can you tell us a little bit about your current job?
I run the Data Management team within the Clinical Trials Unit at Royal Papworth Hospital NHS Foundation Trust. Clinical trials are where a researcher will pose a question, such as “Will vaccine X reduce the number of COVID infections compared to a control group?” They all have slightly different designs, depending on the research question(s) and can involve multiple arms or crossovers. In some trials people might be assigned to different groups randomly, and they could involve six to 6000 people, following them for a day or five years!
My team advises doctors and researchers on how to design their study to gather the correct data. Then we build the databases that research staff use, making sure that are simple to use and capture high-quality data. Therefore, when the data is analysed at the end of the study, the original question posed by the researcher can be answered.
What is your favourite part of your job?
I enjoy working with the doctors at the Papworth Hospital in the early stages of study design. By collaborating, we can build on the original idea to create something that is going to make a difference in people’s lives. And with each trial I learn something new, be it about genetics, cardiology or neurology.
What is your advice for women seeking a career in science and scientific sectors?
Know your own worth. For most of my career I have been fortunate to have worked in environments where skill and knowledge were valued above everything else, so I have not felt the typical issues women in STEM have to deal with. But even in these environments, someone new would come in, usually newly qualified, and they would be convinced that their advanced degree would outweigh my years (now over 25 years!) of specialist knowledge!
ALICE HILDROP IS A SUPPLY CHAIN TEAM LEADER, IN THE CLINICAL SUPPLY CHAIN ARM OF GLAXOSMITHKLINE, HAVING LEFT THE LEYS IN 2013.
Can you tell us a little bit about your current job?
I work in Research and Development for GSK Pharmaceuticals, managing a team of people responsible for shipping clinical trial supplies around the world. We do anything from shipping new drugs for their ‘first time in human’ studies, to sending products that have been launched commercially for 10+ years, for long term data collection studies. One day we could send 10 tablets to a pharmacy in South Korea and the next we could send 10,000 syringes to a separate company in Ireland to run a study on GSK’s behalf. There is never a dull day!
Were you always interested in science at school?
Yes – I was always interested, but I wasn’t always good at it! Academically I will be the first to admit that the sciences were not my strongest area and I was always more interested in business and economics. I never thought my career would end up being science related, but as it turns out you can combine the two!
What is your advice for women seeking a career in science and scientific sectors?
Don’t panic if the path to success does not seem obvious; sometimes different things will be required to get you to where you want to be!
SABINA BURMESTER IS A SENIOR CHEMICAL INNOVATION SPECIALIST IN THE ENGINEERING GROUP OF THE CLEAN AIR SECTOR OF JOHNSON MATTHEY, AND A CURRENT PARENT.
Were you always interested in science at school?
I have always been keen to understand how things work and at school I enjoyed Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics in particular. I had an excellent professor at university who made me passionate about setting-up, planning and performing experiments to prove the theory which explains, in mathematical form, the science behind the words.
Can you tell us a little bit about your current job?
I work for Johnson Matthey in the Innovation Engineering group of the Clean Air Sector, developing the next generation of catalytic converters. I lead a group of process, mechanical and automation engineers to develop and optimise the processes to convert the raw materials to the final product at a pilot scale before the fully automated line is designed. There are many technical challenges to be overcome but if you are passionate about your work, you enjoy every day of your job!
What is your top aspiration for your career?
I have always worked for companies that are pioneers in innovation and sustainability, which are in line with my values, working in collaborative teams to meet challenging customer demands. I would like to keep helping achieve a ‘Cleaner and Healthier World’ by using effective ways of reducing air pollution after spending enjoyable years travelling the world helping factories developing energy efficient processes and creating novel ice creams!