Women in Physics: ghd Senior Scientist, Michela Buscemi, shares what empowerment and being a woman in physics means to her for IWD

At ghd, women are at the heart of everything we do, and we are fortunate to be a business that is 71% female. On #InternationalWomensDay, we take a moment to appreciate the incredible women within the business that lead, inspire, motivate, create and innovate.

This year on #IWD, we’re casting the spotlight on one of those inspiring female employees: Senior Scientist from our lab in Cambridge, Dr Michela Buscemi .

Michela leads the research in hair, the science behind ghd products, and worked for four years on the breakthrough innovation ghd duet style. We chatted to Michela about being a woman in a traditionally male industry, and the advice that she would give young girls and women thinking about following a similar career path.

Q: What was the driver to undertaking a PhD?

When I finished my MSc studies, I knew I wanted to dive further into material sciences, with the goal of being an expert in my field. I was curious for learning and fascinated by the idea of researching and discovering new things. The idea of having my own project, and being fully responsible for it, really drove me into applying.

Q: From your experience of breaking into a predominantly male industry as a Senior Scientist, what would be your advice to other women looking to do the same?

I was very lucky to be belong to a very inclusive university and company. My PhD supervisor was a female and in my team at ghd, we are all women and I feel very empowered by this.

It is true that this industry and generally my studies were mainly male dominated, but I must admit I never saw this as an obstacle. I would say to all the women out there to never give up, to believe in themselves through good and bad times. And when things go wrong, just keep going because failures sometimes are also part of life.

I would also like to say to all women that there is no such thing as a job for a male or for a female, we have come very far and proven that women and men have equal capabilities to succeed in any field they like!

Q: What advice would you give to your younger self?

Believe in yourself and you will get far! Life is full of surprises and a lot of beautiful things are lined up for you, all you need to do is study, believe in your abilities and don’t give up just because something seems difficult.

Q: How long were you working on the ghd duet style project?

I have been working on duet style since I joined ghd in March 2019. I led the work to uncover the science behind duet together with claims support and substantiation.

Q: What’s the greatest thing about developing new technology in something like duet style?

Being able to contribute on a product like duet style, with such superior technology that creates no detectable damage to hair; it is so rewarding as it is having such an impact on people’s lives.

Q: How did it feel seeing the project come to life?

I have always used ghd through my teenagerhood, and working for this company now is like a dream come true. Never in my life could I have imagined working for ghd or developing a new technology. I was incredibly proud to be part of this project, this was the first project I was fully involved with. It has taken us several years of research, experiments, trials, and even failures. But the results we have achieved are simply stunning, an incredibly innovative project that we have pioneered!