International Women’s Day at Monash BDI a thought provoker
The Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute (BDI) celebrated both International Day of Women and Girls in Science and International Women’s Day in an event highlighting the work of the Institute’s outstanding biomedical researchers. For the Institute, last week’s event was a chance to reach out to the community, raise awareness of the standing of women in science, and share knowledge with an up-and-coming generation.
For the more than 130 attendees, mostly female secondary school students, it meant peering down a lens and getting up-close to some cutting-edge research, meeting inspirational women scientists, engaging in a discussion of issues of gender equity and diversity in science – and having fun.
Event moderator Professor Dena Lyras, Professor of Microbiology and Chair of the Monash BDI Gender Equity Committee, said the high level of engagement shown by the attendees made for a successful event.
PhD ambassadors escorted the visitors to 13 laboratories led by women Group Leaders from the Monash BDI.
Learning about DNA fragment length, counting ovarian follicles and viewing a mouse preimplantation embryo down a microscope were activities offered by Dr Jessica Stringer, a postdoctoral researcher in Dr Karla Hutt’s laboratory.
“At the end of the tour all the students were eager to engage with their peers to talk about their experiences, which the teacher assured us was a sign that they had a good time,” Dr Stringer said.
Dr Sarah Atkinson, a postdoctoral researcher in Dr Natalie Borg’s lab, showed the students mammalian cells infected by viruses and explained the basics of protein crystallography. Dr Atkinson said they were interested in a diverse range of sciences and “really appreciated seeing a ‘real lab’ in action.”
“They asked lots of questions about what we do, what we studied at university, work-life balance and how they might go about getting into research,” Dr Atkinson said.
A forum moderated by Professor Lyras with an impressive panel of women leaders in biomedical science and advocates for women-in-science, and a Q&A session afterwards, also encouraged participation. The audience heard Monash BDI Director Professor John Carroll speak of the Athena Swan Program’s drive to ensure optimal career progression for women, while Professor Lyras exhorted the students to be “empowered by knowledge” and encouraged them to learn about the sector before they went into it.
“Things have changed a lot and we are going to change them even more," Professor Lyras said.
Said Dr Danielle Smith, Associate Director, Medicines Development for Global Health, "the voice of women in research is going to be massive – science can take you anywhere."
Dr Marguerite Evans-Galea, Co-founder and CEO, Women in STEMM Australia, spoke of the importance of gender diverse leadership and advised students to research the gender policies of their future employers to find a supportive environment. Other speakers were Monash University’s Dr Karla Hutt, Monash BDI Outstanding Women in Science Fellowship recipient, who told the audience how exciting discovery through research is. Dr Meredith Hughes, Senior Lecturer in Microbiology, emphasised the importance of choosing to study the things you are most passionate about, which resonated strongly with the young audience.
“People really listened and asked questions, during and after the session,” Professor Lyras said.
“The atmosphere was one of inclusion and education, we talked about things that this audience has not heard about before and they went away with a sense of awareness.
“Importantly, all of our students and staff involved gave me great feedback too,” she said. “They enjoyed it very much and it gave them an opportunity to communicate and engage with people outside the university in a very meaningful and fulfilling way. This is important to all of us,” she said.
The event is part of a range of initiatives aimed at ensuring the Institute is a leader when it comes to supporting women in STEMM, including our participation in the SAGE pilot of the Athena SWAN Program in Australia.
Monash BDI would like to thank the following Group Leaders who generously opened their laboratories to visitors as part of this event.
Lab Name | Group Leader | Lab Name | Group Leader |
Epithelial Regeneration | A/Prof Helen Abud | Functional Biology of Bacterial Pathogens | Prof Dena Lyras |
Cardiovascular and Renal Development | Prof Jane Black | Immunology and Diabetes | Dr Eliana Marino |
Immunity and Infection | Dr Natalie Borg | Dendritic Cell in Health and Disease | A/Prof Meredith O'Keeffe |
Viral and Structural Immunology | A/Prof Stephanie Gras | Cancer Biology | Dr Antonella Papa |
Ovarian Biology | Dr Karla Hutt | Growth Factor Therapeutics | Dr Kelly Walton |
B cells and Antibody Memory Laboratory | Dr Kim Jacobson | Epigenetics and Chromatin Research | A/Prof Lee Wong |