International Day of Women and Girls in Science 2024
Sunday 11 February marks International Day of Women and Girls in Science. The day celebrates the achievements and contributions of women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and is also an opportunity to recognise the work needed to further improve gender equality in science.
This International Day of Women and Girls in Science, we interviewed three of our MB-PhD students who’ve shared their experiences and challenges of working in STEM, as well as their advice for other women and girls thinking of a career in science and research.
Yuki Zhou
Yuki is a second year MB-PhD student at the Cancer Research UK Manchester Centre. Her research is focused on understanding why some women are resistant to tamoxifen, a drug aimed at reducing breast cancer risk. Outside of her PhD, Yuki is also interested in ethical and gender barriers in cancer and healthcare more broadly.
What attracted you to a career in science?
During my clinical placements in medical school, I witnessed some of the challenges women encounter when seeking medical help. These range from embarrassment about discussing their bodies with doctors, to a research bias that often neglects female health issues. It became my mission to change things. I want to use my medical knowledge and influence to help narrow this gap, starting with my current research focus in breast cancer inequalities, as well as advocating for women’s health and rights globally and making women more equally heard and seen.
Have you faced any challenges getting into a scientific career? If so, how have you overcome them?
Comments like ‘women belong at home’ or ‘no man would want to marry a career woman’, unfortunately, are not uncommon in society. I simply just try to stay true to myself and ignore any negativity, as people who hold views like that will never understand my ambitions and values.
I appreciate the supportive and respectful work environment we have at the Manchester Cancer Research Centre. As an EDI rep, I’m also dedicated to fostering a diverse and inclusive community.
What advice would you give to women and girls thinking of a career in science?
My advice is to embrace the idea of being ‘undefined’. There are no set rules for what a woman in science should be. Just focus on what you enjoy, set your own goals and work towards them.
Who is your favourite woman in science (a role model, mentor, or historical figure)?
While she’s not technically a woman in science, a historical figure I admire is Empress Wu Zetian. She was the first, and so far only, female Emperor in China’s three thousand year history. She expanded the Tang Dynasty’s borders, revitalised the economy and fought corruption. However, her significant achievements were often overshadowed and criticised solely because she was a woman, challenging the traditional norms of her time.
During my clinical placements in medical school, I witnessed some of the challenges women encounter when seeking medical help. These range from embarrassment about discussing their bodies with doctors, to a research bias that often neglects female health issues. It became my mission to change things.
Yuki Zhou
Jean Ling Tan
Jean is in the second year of her MB PhD in Cancer Sciences. Her research is focused on looking at Paclitaxel, a common chemotherapy drug that some women can develop resistant to while undergoing treatment for ovarian cancer.
What attracted you to a career in science?
When I first got involved in research projects during medical school I found that research offered intellectual stimulation in a different way to my clinical training. I also really enjoyed the process of producing research outputs from my efforts. I find it very exciting to be doing my PhD in a rapidly advancing field like cancer research and hope that I will be able to contribute to a change in patient care on day.
Have you faced any challenges getting into a scientific career? If so, how have you overcome them?
Coming from a background with little research experience, impostor syndrome has been a challenge throughout my PhD. Having experiments fail and needing to repeat them is part and parcel of doing a wet lab project, but that was not something that I was used to when I first started my PhD. I felt like I shouldn’t be in the lab wasting resources and it took some time to accept that sometimes experiments fail for reasons beyond my control and to learn how to identify ways to improve my experiments in the future. It really helps to have a supportive lab team who can offer suggestions to work around issues and cheer me up (especially with the cakes and biscuits!)
Asides from that, it has been challenging balancing life while working on my research. There are often multiple things competing for my time and attention – sometimes there are periods where I fail to stay on top of things. But I’m learning to put systems in place to better manage my time and keep on track.
What advice would you give to women and girls thinking of a career in science?
Think both in the short and long term. Take things one day at a time so you don’t get overwhelmed by everything that needs to be done but also have a big picture plan so you don’t lose sight of your ultimate goal, whether that is to complete your PhD or to find your next role in research.
I also recommend doing things outside of your PhD project. This can be related to your research, such as science communications and outreach, or completely unrelated. Most of the people I look up to in academia have other interests outside of their research! Personally, I love to practice karate and it has been a life saver having other things to take my mind off my research.
Who is your favourite women in science (a role model, mentor or historical figure)?
There are too many to name but I’d go with all the female clinical academics in Manchester who are conducting pioneering researcher and showing me that it is possible to be both a clinician and a scientist.
I also have to give my co-supervisor Dr Natalie Cook an honourable mention because she has been a great source of support and overall a very cool role model to have!
I find it very exciting to be doing my PhD in a rapidly advancing field like cancer research and hope that I will be able to contribute to a change in patient care on day.
Jean Ling Tan
Joanne Oke
Joanne is a first year MB-PhD student at the Cancer Research UK Manchester Centre. Her research project aims to engineer microbots – microscale robots as small as bacterial cells – that can help improve ovarian cancer treatment delivery and care.
What attracted you to a career in science?
Growing up, I spent most of my primary school holidays at the Science Museum in London. I think spending time looking at all the different exhibitions is what started my interest in science. As I grew older, I learnt about different aspects of science at school but it wasn’t until I did a research project in sixth form that I became interested in a career in science.
Have you faced any challenges getting into a scientific career? If so, how have you overcome them?
One of the biggest challenges I’ve faced so far is my journey of getting into medical school. Unfortunately, I couldn’t apply directly to study medicine after finishing sixth form as I hadn’t taken the necessary A-Levels and so I ended up studying Biomedical Science at St George’s University instead.
This experience helped me to learn to be open to different opportunities that are available. It’s easy to give up on a dream when things don’t go how you expected. But looking back now, if I hadn’t studied Biomedical Science I don’t think I would have developed an interest in a career in academia and I might not have had the opportunity to apply for the MB-PhD programme here in Manchester. So even though it has been a challenging journey for me to study medicine, I’m grateful for the initial setback now.
What advice would you give to women and girls thinking of a career in science?
My advice is to try new things and to say yes to as many opportunities as possible. It can be nerve-wracking to step out of your comfort zone sometimes but you never know what opportunities might open up for you just by saying yes!
Who is your favourite woman in science (a role model, mentor or historical figure)?
My mum has a PhD in Structural Biology and growing up I though that having a PhD was the coolest thing in the world. Now that I’m studying a PhD, and knowing she juggled raising me and my brother while doing her research, I appreciate her even more.
Seeing all she’s accomplished in her career has encouraged me to pursue my own career goals. When I first developed an interest in science she was always someone I turned to for advice for essays and applications – she’s probably read every piece of writing I’ve done so far!
Growing up, I spent most of my primary school holidays at the Science Museum in London. I think spending time looking at all the different exhibitions is what started my interest in science.
Joanne Oke
Happy International Day of Women and Girls in Science!
Let’s continue to champion gender equality and empower the next generation of female scientists and researchers.
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