www.oncology.ox.ac.uk Open in urlscan Pro
52.56.123.235  Public Scan

Form analysis
1 forms found in the DOM

https://www.oncology.ox.ac.uk/@@search

<form action="https://www.oncology.ox.ac.uk/@@search" id="site-search" class="form-inline" role="form">
  <div class="input-group">
    <label class="sr-only" for="SearchableText">Search</label>
    <input type="text" class="form-control" name="SearchableText" id="SearchableText" placeholder="Search">
    <span class="input-group-btn">
      <button class="btn" type="submit" aria-label="Search"><i class="glyphicon-search"></i></button>
    </span>
  </div>
</form>

Text Content

Skip to main content
Menu
 * Welcome
 * Open submenu ( About Us ) About Us
 * Open submenu ( Our Research ) Our Research
 * Open submenu ( MRC OIRO ) MRC OIRO
 * Open submenu ( Clinical Trials ) Clinical Trials
 * Open submenu ( Study with Us ) Study with Us
 * Our team
 * News
 * Blog

No results found.
Close submenu About Us
 * Open submenu ( About Us ) About Us
 * Open submenu ( Working with us ) Working with us
 * Contact Us

No results found.
Close submenu About Us
 * Division of Cancer Medicine
 * MRC OIRO
 * 60 seconds with...
 * Oncology Executive Committee (OEC)

No results found.
Close submenu Working with us
 * Family Friendly
 * Training & Development
 * Current Vacancies
 * Athena SWAN
 * Oncology Postdoctoral Network (OPN)
 * Departmental Mentoring Scheme

No results found.
Close submenu Our Research
 * Tumour Microenvironment
 * Immunology
 * Metabolism
 * Genome Integrity & Epigenetics
 * Translational Research
 * DNA Damage & Repair
 * Open submenu ( Scientific Research Facilities ) Scientific Research
   Facilities
 * Open submenu ( Research Group ) Research Group

No results found.
Close submenu Scientific Research Facilities
 * Mechanical Workshop
 * Pre-Clinical Imaging
 * Microscopy
 * PET Radiochemistry and Radiopharmacy (PROx)
 * Radiation Biophysics
 * Translational Histopathology
 * Flow Cytometry
 * Live Tissue Facility

No results found.
Close submenu Research Group
 * Adjuvant Colorectal Cancer
 * SEYMOUR GROUP
 * Cancer and Immunogenetics
 * Cancer Cell Cycle
 * BLAGDEN GROUP
 * Cell Cycle and Ubiquitin Signalling
 * Cell and Molecular Oncology
 * HUMPHREY GROUP
 * BLACKFORD GROUP
 * RAMADAN GROUP
 * MIDDLETON GROUP
 * SIBSON GROUP
 * FAIRFAX GROUP
 * TARSOUNAS GROUP
 * GLEESON GROUP
 * SCHUH GROUP
 * Experimental Radiotherapeutics
 * Radiopharmaceuticals and Molecular Imaging
 * HAMMOND GROUP
 * HIGGINS GROUP
 * MCHUGH GROUP
 * PARKES GROUP
 * MOON GROUP
 * PETERSSON GROUP
 * OLCINA GROUP

No results found.
Close submenu MRC OIRO
 * MISSION STATEMENT
 * MRC INVESTIGATORS
 * Open submenu ( RESEARCH PROGRAMMES ) RESEARCH PROGRAMMES
 * Open submenu ( SUPPORT FACILITIES ) SUPPORT FACILITIES
 * MRC OIRO PEOPLE
 * PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT

No results found.
Close submenu RESEARCH PROGRAMMES
 * The Effect of Oxygen Levels on the Biological Response of DNA Damage
   Inhibitors
 * Chromosome Breaks and Genome Stability
 * Protein Degradation In Cellular Response to Ionising Radiation
 * The role E3 ubiquitin ligases in cancer pathogenesis and treatment with
   Ionising Radiation (IR)
 * Mechanistic Insights for FLASH radiation for clinical use
 * Targeting the innate immune stress response to enhance the therapeutic index
   of radiotherapy
 * MAFF-mediated transcription regulation of redox pathways in response to
   radiation treatment
 * Affiliate Programme - Role of ISGs in sensitizing cancer cells to ionising
   radiation

No results found.
Close submenu SUPPORT FACILITIES
 * CORE A: Preclinical and Small Animal imaging
 * CORE B: Proteomics
 * CORE C: Radiation Biophysics
 * CRUK RADNet: FLASH Radiation

No results found.
Close submenu Clinical Trials
 * Site
 * Open submenu ( Early Phase Clinical Trials Unit (EPCTU) ) Early Phase
   Clinical Trials Unit (EPCTU)
 * Open submenu ( Oncology Clinical Trials Office ) Oncology Clinical Trials
   Office

No results found.
Close submenu Early Phase Clinical Trials Unit (EPCTU)
 * About Us
 * What are Early Phase Clinical Trials?
 * The Phase II Clinical Trial
 * What happens after referral?
 * Working at EPCTU
 * How to find the Early Phase Clinical Trials Unit
 * FAQs
 * Further Information

No results found.
Close submenu Oncology Clinical Trials Office
 * About Us
 * Work With Us: Careers In Trial Management
 * Work With Us: Information for Investigators and Commercial Organisations
 * Information for Patients, their Families and Carers
 * Patient and Public Involvement & Engagement
 * Current Trials
 * Trials in Set Up
 * Completed Trials

No results found.
Close submenu Study with Us
 * Study with Us
 * Open submenu ( MSc by Research in Oncology ) MSc by Research in Oncology
 * Open submenu ( DPhil (PhD) in Oncology ) DPhil (PhD) in Oncology
 * Student Experience
 * Maryam Alkadhimi
 * Daniel Hughes
 * Florian Groelly
 * MSc in Experimental and Translational Therapeutics
 * Open submenu ( MSc in Precision Cancer Medicine ) MSc in Precision Cancer
   Medicine
 * Open submenu ( MSc in Radiobiology ) MSc in Radiobiology
 * Open submenu ( MSc in Medical Physics with Radiobiology ) MSc in Medical
   Physics with Radiobiology
 * Open submenu ( MSc in Applied Cancer Science ) MSc in Applied Cancer Science
 * Compare Courses

No results found.
Close submenu MSc by Research in Oncology
 * Course Structure
 * How to Apply
 * Fees & Funding

No results found.
Close submenu DPhil (PhD) in Oncology
 * Course Structure
 * DPhil Projects for 2023/24 Entry
 * How to Apply
 * Fees & Funding

No results found.
Close submenu MSc in Precision Cancer Medicine
 * Course Structure
 * Modules
 * Assessments and Examinations
 * Dissertation
 * Oxford Residential Week
 * How to Apply
 * Fees & Funding
 * Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

No results found.
Close submenu MSc in Radiobiology
 * Learning Objectives
 * Teaching and Modules
 * Assessments and Examinations
 * Research Project and Dissertation
 * How to Apply
 * Fees
 * Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

No results found.
Close submenu MSc in Medical Physics with Radiobiology
 * Learning Objectives
 * Teaching and Modules
 * Assessments and Examinations
 * Research Project and Dissertation
 * How to Apply
 * Fees
 * Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

No results found.
Close submenu MSc in Applied Cancer Science
 * Learning Objectives
 * Teaching and Modules
 * Assessments and Examinations
 * Research Project and Dissertation
 * How to Apply
 * Fees
 * Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

No results found.


COOKIES ON THIS WEBSITE

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If
you click 'Accept all cookies' we'll assume that you are happy to receive all
cookies and you won't see this message again. If you click 'Reject all
non-essential cookies' only necessary cookies providing core functionality such
as security, network management, and accessibility will be enabled. Click 'Find
out more' for information on how to change your cookie settings.

Accept all cookies Reject all non-essential cookies Find out more
 * Site Map
 * Accessibility
 * Cookies
 * Contact us
 * Log in
 * Intranet


 * Home
 * About Us
 * Our Research
 * MRC OIRO
 * Clinical Trials
 * Study with Us
 * Our team
 * News
 * Blog

Search
 1. 
 2. Blog
 3. International Day of Women and Girls in Science 2023


INTERNATIONAL DAY OF WOMEN AND GIRLS IN SCIENCE 2023

Share

Benjamin Dean

14 hours and 36 minutes ago

Athena SWAN Department




The International Day of Women and Girls in Science aims to connect the
International Community to Women and Girls in Science, strengthening the ties
between science, policy, and society for strategies oriented towards the future.
To mark the occasion, Annabelle Ziegler and Ben Dean spoke to members of the
Department to gather their views on the challenges women have faced in STEM
activities, and what society can do to pave the way for parity in STEM roles.

11 February marks International Day of Women and Girls in Science, an event
created in December 2015, after member states in the UN General Assembly agreed
on a resolution signalling the global community’s interest in transforming our
world through achieving gender parity in educational opportunity and scientific
participation and preparation.

A significant gender gap has persisted throughout the years at all levels of
science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines all over the
world. Even though women have made tremendous progress towards increasing their
participation in higher education, they are still under-represented in these
fields. We spoke with four members of our Department to understand more about
their own challenges in breaking through into the world of STEM, what lessons
society has learned in promoting STEM, and what needs to happen to maintain
momentum to achieve parity between the numbers of male and female in STEM
careers.


MONICA OLCINA

Monica Olcina is a Medical Research Council-funded Group Leader, specialising in
immune radiation biology. Monica is also an Associate Research Fellow at St
Hilda’s College as well a Course Director for the Department's MSc in Radiation
Biology.



What are the challenges you have faced as a woman in science and how have these
challenges been overcome?

Some childcare responsibilities inevitably still disproportionately affect women
more than me due to their nature. When caring for a young breastfeeding baby,
for example, I found my ability to travel to conferences, give talks (away from
home) etc. was compromised. Generous shared parental leave schemes can help with
some of these issues but unfortunately some challenges will likely remain.

What advice would you provide to women who are interested in pursuing a career
in science research and administration?

People who are successful are not (usually!) 'superhuman' - they are just
motivated and persevere even when things get hard. Find a career path that
motivates you and always seek good mentors. This probably applies to most
careers!

In comparison to male peers, females are underrepresented in science and
technology fields due to gender biases. A study in 2013 found that girls are
less likely to be encouraged to study physics by their teachers, family, and
friends. How have attitudes changed over the years and what can we do as a
community to overcome these challenges? 

I was encouraged to see that, in our MSc in Radiobiology program last year, the
number of women with a physics background was greater than the number of men!

As a community we can contribute to changing perceptions around who should work
in science and technology fields by exposing young people to role models from
diverse backgrounds working in different areas of STEM. Initiatives that help
young people gain a better understanding of what a career in STEM looks like are
valuable.

What initiatives should society look to, to encourage stronger uptake of STEM
subjects?

To highlight just a few…

 * Encourage girls (and everyone!) to keep studying at least one STEM subject in
   school and explain the great and diverse career prospects this can bring
 * Expose young people to positive role models in the community to show them
   that a successful career in STEM could be possible for them too
 * Celebrate the work of people working in STEM and highlight how diverse
   backgrounds can contribute to discovery and innovation.


ARUSSA NAWAZ



Arussa Nawaz is a DPhil student working the Blagden Lab. Arussa's project work
focusses on the role of La-related protein (LARP) family of RBPs in
tumorigenesis, particularly LARP1b of which there is currently very little
knowledge describing its function.

What are the challenges you have faced as a woman in a male-dominated field?

One of the biggest challenges I have faced as a woman in science is confidence -
being in a male-dominated field has meant I've had to consistently prove my
worth and show my (mostly male) peers that I'm capable of everything they're
capable of, and more! I also lacked an appropriate mentor during the earlier
stages of my scientific career making my journey in STEM a little harder than I
had imagined.

What advice would you provide to women who are interested in pursuing a career
in science research?

Stay confident, stay curious and always seek knowledge. It's challenging
breaking barriers but the reward of successfully doing so makes it all
worthwhile!

How have attitudes changed over the years when it comes to girls and women
pursuing STEM roles?

I think science communication via social media has made a huge change in the
bias we have previously seen. This has led to an increase in knowledge
surrounding STEM subjects and has made these subjects more likeable by young
girls as well as their families and friends. We have also seen more
representation of girls/women in science on TV; although often characters in a
fantasy movie, they represent ambition and confidence which are key traits
required in science! As a community it's important to continue reaching out to
young girls encouraging them to follow their interest in STEM subjects.

What can we focus on to enable a stronger uptake of STEM subjects?

I think outreach programmes are key - get students at various stages of their
education and early career involved in various programmes that allow them to see
what life as a scientist is really like! I'm keen to revisit my former schools
and talk to students about my journey in STEM and anticipate a significant,
positive impact on the students.


LINDA COLLINS

Linda Collins is a portfolio lead for an array of Oncology clinical trials
through the OCTO team, and supports the management of these trials from set up
to conclusion. 



You have had a varied career in science. What have you observed in your roles
when it comes to opportunities for career progression for women?

In my career as a scientist I have worked in small start-up and medium-sized
biotech companies, large pharma and academia. I have been fortunate to not have
experienced any major challenges, however I have not had children and therefore
not had to manage the complexities of balancing work and family life in the same
way as working parents. I have witnessed that senior positions are male
dominated, particularly in large pharma, but I have also been fortunate to have
worked with many inspirational women in senior management.

What message do you have for girls pursuing a career in science research and
administration?

Go for it! I loved science and nature as a child and I still find it fascinating
– there is always something new to learn!

How have attitudes changed over the years and what can we do to engage with the
next generation of potential women scientists? 

Maybe I have been fortunate but back in the 70s, when I was at school, although
there was still the gender divide between domestic science for girls (yes, I was
taught how to starch collars!) and woodwork for boys, I never witnessed any
discouragement for girls to take the sciences. My parents were also encouraging,
even when no one in my family had done sciences or even gone onto further
education. I took physics, chemistry and biology at A level and then read
Biology at Portsmouth Polytechnic – but I’ve never starched a shirt collar! My
family were always proud of the fact I had an “Ology” (those of you of a certain
age will get the reference). I think we are getting better at bringing down the
barriers. Open days are a really good way to let kids see science as fun. Maybe
pop-up workshops that could be taken on the road around schools would be a good
way of inspiring children to consider the sciences from an early age. 

What initiatives should society look to, to encourage stronger uptake of STEM
subjects?

We are all bombarded by social media and reality TV with the obsession of
'celebrity'. Maybe there could be some new shows to glam up science - The Masked
Scientist? Strictly Come DNA Sequencing? But seriously, I think influencers
could be used in a more positive way to make STEM subjects as career
opportunities more attractive to all young people.


HANNAH BOLLAND



Hannah Bolland is a post-doctoral researcher in the Hammond Lab. Hannah was
awarded 'Best Tutor' 2 years in a row and gained the 'Early Career Excellent
Teacher Award' from the Medical Sciences Division at Oxford, and was also
recently awarded a fellowship from the Surrey Future Leaders Fellowship Scheme,
moving Hannah to the University of Surrey as a Junior Group Leader in May to set
up her own lab investigating the role of peroxisome biogenesis in triple
negative breast cancer.

What are the challenges you have faced as a woman breaking into science and how
have these challenges been overcome?


There have been a few challenges I have experienced, and as a first generation
scientist with no other family members who ever studied STEM, there have been
limited amounts of female role models and mentors in science for me growing
up. Not being taken seriously by male peers or colleagues gives rise to feelings
that you have to do more than male counterparts to prove your commitment or
dedication, and I have also met preconceptions that women who are in positions
of power can often be mislabelled as 'bossy' whereas male counterparts may be
described as 'powerful', 'leading' or 'assertive'. I also realised that there
may not be a right time in my academic career to have kids - can I juggle being
a PI and a mother? I can just about look after myself and do lab work, so that
would certainly be a challenge!

To overcome these challenges, in my scientific career I have sought out and
built my own network of women in STEM in the form of friends and colleagues who
want to stay in academia, where we all help to mentor and encourage one another.
Also by mentoring other young women in academia, this has helped to create a
little 'science family' which brings a great sense of wellbeing, togetherness,
positivity, support and is wonderful company. We all work together with each
other’s best interest at heart and a common goal, including giving each other
the strength to call out behaviour that is sexist or undermining. I’ve been very
lucky to have an extremely supportive family and partner, who understands when I
might have to stay in the lab late to finish an experiment!

How would you advise girls and women interested in progressing a career in STEM
research and administration?

Do what makes you happy and what excites you - you don’t want to look back on
your life and regret not having done something you are passionate about just
because you were worried about what other people might think. Also, say 'yes' to
opportunities even if they take you out of your comfort zone. Being a scientist
is a central part of my identity that lies beyond my gender: surround yourself
with (like-minded) people who inspire you, don’t underestimate yourself, aim
high and be around people who intellectually challenge you.

How have attitudes changed over the years and what can we do as a community to
overcome these challenges? 

We are seeing more and more young girls decide to study science at University
(which is amazing). Since 2015, the proportion of women enrolled in university
STEM fields of education increased by 2%. This reached 36% in 2019 (more than up
from 34% in 2015), but we can still do better and I hope this number keeps
increasing in the future. We need to continue to show young girls what careers
in STEM can provide them in terms of opportunities, job satisfaction and the
opportunity to discover things!

A problem still remains in retaining women in positions of leadership. We need
to continue to increase the visibility of women in these positions to continue
to dispel the myths that 'science is hard, just for boys'. I think we also need
to encourage mentorship opportunities between 'early career' researchers and
female PIs to actively encourage people to consider taking on a leadership role
in science.

What initiatives should society look to, to encourage stronger uptake of STEM
subjects?

Increasing the visibility of women as mentors, speakers and leaders will lead to
more role models locally and globally. Research indicates that when women see
other women in high profile positions it helps them feel a stronger sense of
belonging. So it’s important for young scientists to see women as mentors,
speakers and leaders in their field. Also, get rid of programmes like Love
Island - they provide young girls with terrible 'role models' who they see in TV
and social media every day.

We can also provide young women with tools to equip them with skills such as
self-confidence, reliability, self-efficacy, strong orientation toward
achievement and the importance of intrinsic motivation. Whether that be through
reflective learning, coaching, career counselling, etc., these are all things
organisations such as colleges and schools can offer young girls. 

 

You can find out more about International Day of Women and Girls in Science by
visiting the UN Website (opens in new window).

 

 

 

 


BLOG POSTS


THE DEPARTMENT ATTENDS ESA-FAIR SPACE RADIATION SUMMER SCHOOL 2022




ONCOLOGY AND WORLD MENTAL HEALTH DAY 2022



In celebration of World Mental Health day on the 10 October, the Department of
Oncology opened its doors to the rest of the Medical Sciences Division and
hosted a range of exciting workshops, activities and lectures in order to
promote better awareness around mental health.


DR LENNARD LEE RECOGNISED AS ONE OF 21 OUTSTANDING YOUNG PHYSICIANS BELOW THE
AGE OF 40



The Departmental academic clinical lecturer receives this recognition and was
invited to take part in the InterAcademy Partnership Young Physician Leaders
Programme 2022 in Berlin.


ATHENA SWAN – WOMEN IN FOCUS ARTICLE: DAME LOUISE RICHARDSON




UNIQ SUMMER SCHOOL PROGRAMME 2022


More posts

Opinions expressed are those of the authors and not of Oxford University. 




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 * Accessibility Statement
 * Copyright Statement
 * Data Privacy Notice
 * Freedom of Information
 * Sitemap


 * Site Map
 * Accessibility
 * Cookies
 * Contact us
 * Log in
 * Intranet


Go to top