Shining a Spotlight on Women in Science

International Day of Women and Girls in Science is celebrated every February 11, which affords us the opportunity to recognize the extraordinary achievements of women in science. The list of women who have made their mark in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) – some who have literally changed the world – is much longer than what I could include in this space; but here’s a few of my favorites:

·      Mae C. Jemison – the first African-American female astronaut, who became the first black woman in space on Endeavour.

·      Rita Levi-Montalcini – an Italian neurologist, who won a Nobel Prize in 1986 for discovering what is known as nerve growth factor (NGF) leading to discoveries on how that growth impacts diseases such as dementia and cancer.

·      Patricia Goldman-Rakic – neurologist, acclaimed for her research of the frontal lobe and memory which is formative in the study of diseases such as schizophrenia, Alzheimer's, Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), cerebral palsy, and Parkinson's disease.

·      Marie Curie – physicist and chemist, who discovered radioactivity and became the first women to win the Nobel Prize in 1903.

·      Katherine Johnson – mathematician, and NASA employee who played an instrumental role in our nation’s first journey into space.

·      Rosalind Franklin –  British chemist and X-ray crystallographer, known for her revolutionary work in discovering the double helix structure of DNA that was integral in understanding X-rays and molecular structure.

·      Sunetra Gupta – infectious disease epidemiologist, who is also known for her innovative work connecting science and literature.

As a clinician and scientist, I find myself in awe of these and many other amazing women and the obstacles they overcame to do truly great things. I also wonder who will follow in their footsteps and what we in leadership roles today can do to better cultivate the next generation of female leaders in STEM? I’m pleased to use my platform to advocate for more rewarding and growth-oriented opportunities for females entering STEM careers. By raising my voice, and encouraging my colleagues to do the same, I hope we can make the path a little easier for the female scientific leaders of tomorrow.

In the pharma/biotech industry where I have built my career, there is palpable progress being made to open the doors of opportunity for rising female professionals. According to an annual national study, Health Alert 2022: Women, Diversity and Leadership in the Businesses of Healthcare, woman leaders represented 28% of pharma executive teams in 2021 up by 35% since 2018. While this is good news, it is important to acknowledge that we as an industry have more work to do in this arena.

Industry organizations, such as WEST (Women in the Enterprise of Science and Technology) and the Healthcare Businesswomen's Association (HBA) do a great job to further the advancement of women through networking and corporate recognition programs, education, research, and advocacy. Aspiring female leaders also have a role to play in being part of the change from which they can benefit. Here’s my advice for taking charge of your own destiny:

Find your role models. When I started in this industry there wasn’t a plethora of professionals who had my academic background (M.D., Ph.D. degrees) and were women. But I always made a point to identify and seek advice from female role models and willing mentors, going back to my time in medical school and my early career in the pharma industry.

Be flexible. It is important to recognize that science is not always a straight line, and your career may not be either. If you’re on Path A today, keep your eyes open to new possibilities that may take you down a different, and potentially more exciting road. Path B and even Path C may be just what you are looking for.

Think and act boldly. It’s ok to dream big and approach your work with boundless optimism. Don’t be afraid to take chances and let failure be a lesson that will help you do even better in future, rather than an anchor that weighs down your personal and professional growth.

Why should we care if our pharma teams are comprised of women and other diverse groups? That’s an easy one to answer and it gets right to the core of why we do what we do: to help patients. The medicines we develop are targeted at people of all genders, races, and cultural backgrounds. The more our teams mirror the patients we aim to serve, and the more we infuse our processes for developing and studying new drugs with diverse viewpoints, we will be better equipped at truly meeting patients’ needs.

Diversity in pharma not only represents good business policy, but life-saving policy as well.