March is Women’s History Month and several IMSR researchers have been involved in activities to raise awareness of the importance of gender equity and championing women’s experiences working in science. Not only that, but IMSR also has a wealth of research in women’s health which we are always keen to highlight, especially this month!
Find out about some of the Maternal and Reproductive Health research IMSR is doing HERE
Recently our researchers working in diabetes research (pictured below) talked to Diabetes UK about their experiences. This is a great article, packed full of inspiring insights – so do give it a read HERE.
“It’s not Marie Curie that I think of on a daily basis, but my close friends and colleagues doing great research, establishing their careers, having children and striking that work-life balance” – Dr Ildem Adkerman
For International Women’s Day (IWD) this March IMSR is also getting involved…
Internationally:
Professor Shakila Thangaratinam and colleagues will be headed to Cape Town, South Africa for a global meeting focused on patient and public involvement in women’s health. This will include collaboration partners and lived experience representatives from several other countries including Tanzania, Malawi, India and Ghana. After all, gender equality is a global ambition that research is helping support, not just a UK one! Best wishes to the team and their global partners.
Here on campus:
On the 7th March Dr Gaby da Silva Xavier will taking part in a Women in Science Q&A session with other inspiring female academics at UoB at 16:30-18:30 in the Arthur Thomson Hall in the Medical School. There will be free pizza and drinks, with opportunity to ask for advice and be part of the conversation for positive change.
On IWD itself on March 8th Dr Thais Rocha will be a panellist at the International Women’s Day Conference hosted by Women’s Network. Thais will talk about her work coordinating the DAISy-PCOS research project which looks at the metabolic risks associated with polycystic ovary syndrome, including some new findings. This event has been programmed and organised by another IMSR colleague, Dr Caroline Gillett, who is a member of the Women’s Network Committee. The event kicks off with free lunch at 12:15pm and then VC Professor Adam Tickell will be there to open proceedings at 1pm. There’s lots of other workshops and activities taking place and the panel discussion starts at 2.40pm. You can find out more and sign up for the event HERE.
Of course, there are many other brilliant women (and their allies!) across the IMSR and the world of science, so this is a thank you to everyone who is doing their bit to improve gender equity at Birmingham and beyond! If you are an IMSR researcher doing something for Women’s History Month, get in touch – we’d love to share it in this article!