Women in Science, Discovery and Medicine (WiSDoM) Committee

WiSDoM is a School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health (SCS) committee designed to promote inclusive gender equity in medicine and research to women of all backgrounds and career stage.  The committee was formed in August 2015 and launched the SCS Women in Medicine and Science program at a forum on 10 August 2015. WiSDoM runs several events every year designed to bring together the women of SCS and harbour the sharing of strategies on how to succeed in the face of adversity.

Mission statement

To ensure SCS remains welcoming to all peoples, no matter who they are, where they come from or who they identify as.  We will support their personal professional ambitions and provide advice and opportunities for achieving professional goals.  This will be facilitated by networking, education and representation to the SCS Executive.

Terms of Reference

1. To promulgate equal opportunity for women
2. To provide mentorship and guidance on career advancement for women
3. To promote a diverse and socially equitable workplace for women.

Meeting frequency: Quarterly

Upcoming events

1 & 2 October 2022, 12 Little Chapel St, Prahran VIC 3181: A glorious celebration of older womanhood - GlamourPussy & The Hip Replacements

"a wise, witty and glorious celebration of older womanhood from a kick ass, world class performer..." "...a powerhouse voice that knocks your incontinence panties sideways."

- Stage Whispers

Register here

Recommended publications

• How to Get More Women in Leadership Roles? Don’t Ask Them to Apply
• Shocking abuse Professor Catherine Bennett copped from Covid trolls | by news.com.au - Australia’s leading news site
• Gender-based discrimination in the NHMRC Investigator Grants Scheme
• Invisible Women: Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Carine Criado Perez
• Adding Women to the C-Suite Changes How Companies Think

Useful links

• Monash Safety and security website
  • Concerning behaviour
• Ten simple rules for women principal investigators during a pandemic
• The pandemic's gender effect - McKinsey & Company featured insight

Meet the WiSDoM team

Chair

Monash researcher and IVF clinician Professor Beverley Vollenhoven is improving the rate of successful pregnancies in older women and seeking new treatments for fibroids - a common condition, often treated by removing the womb.  Find out more about Professor Beverley Vollenhoven

Secretary

Ms Jin Leng Graham, Executive Officer, School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health.  Contact Ms Jin Leng Graham.

Current members

	Professor Kate Loveland is recognised internationally for investigating the mechanisms that underpin testis development and sperm formation. Her discoveries include key molecular switches that regulate cell fate via the TGFbeta superfamily, Hedgehog and Wnt signaling pathways. Find out more about Professor Kate Loveland.
	Professor Barbora de Courten is a clinician scientist with a PhD in epidemiology, an extensive training in clinical trials (NIH) and is a Master of Public Health (Monash University). She has expertise across the translational research continuum from epidemiology, human mechanistic studies to clinical trials and public health interventions through to practice in the area of obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.  Find out more about Professor Barbora de Courten
	Professor Megan Galbally is the Director of the Centre for Women’s and Children’s Mental Health.  Her area of research focus is understanding the relationship between maternal mental health and child mental health and developmental outcomes.  Her research interests also include early women's mental health and models of antenatal care for women with Eating Disorders, Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder.  Find out more about Professor Megan Galbally.
	Associate Professor Kathryn Lawlor is the Head of Cell Death and Inflammatory Signalling group at the Hudson Institute of Medical Research. A/Prof Lawlor and her team investigate the cross-talk between programmed cell death and inflammatory signalling pathways in disease. In particular, the laboratory studies how cell death induces activation of innate immune cell pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), including the inflammasomes. Find out more about A/Prof Kathryn Lawlor.
	Dr Jun Yang is a Senior Postdoctoral Fellow within the Cardiovascular Endocrinology Group at Hudson Institute and a Consultant Endocrinologist at Monash Health. Since graduating with a MBBS (Hons, rank number 1) from Monash University, she has been actively involved in basic and clinical research as well as clinical practice. Find out more about Dr Jun Yang.
	Dr Peta Tehan is a Lecturer at School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health.  Find out more about Dr Peta Tehan.
	Dr Sarah Moody is a Postdoctoral Researcher in the Testis Development and Male Germ Cell Biology laboratory. She completed her PhD in 2020 with her thesis entitled “Investigating the effects of activin A and TGFbeta superfamily ligands on the fetal male germline”. Dr Moody's current research continues to expand on understanding the role of activin A and TGFbetas on the fetal male germline and developing testis. Find out more about Dr Sarah Moody.
	Dr Shayanti Mukherjee is the Head of Translational Tissue Engineering which focuses on Women’s health, specifically in addressing the inadequacies in biomaterials for reconstructive surgery for disorders such as pelvic organ prolapse (POP). Find out more about Dr Shayanti Mukherjee.
	Dr Clare Westhorpe is the School of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health Senior Operations Officer.  Contact Dr Clare Westhorpe.
	Dr Vanalysa Ly (Vann) is the School of of Clinical Sciences at Monash Health Research Manager.  Contact Dr Vanalysa Ly