Whether they’re working in surgery, public health, research, or anywhere else in the medical field, there are women in science who inspire us across our Brigham community. On International Day of Women & Girls in Science, we celebrate their achievements, their leadership, and their passion for becoming role models for young women and girls everywhere who are interested in science.
In their own words, we heard from some of the Brigham’s inspiring women in science, who reflected on their individual journeys to where they are today and the female leaders that motivated them:
“When I started in this field, brain health in women was poorly understood. I wanted to provide validation that there is a biological basis for a women’s mood and sleep, demonstrate that female hormones had effects on their symptoms, and empower women to understand what was happening in their bodies and brains at midlife.” -Hadine Joffe, Executive Director of the Mary Horrigan Connors Center for Women’s Health and Gender Biology
“I chose a career in health services research and epidemiology so I can work on solutions to system-level problems that cause health inequities in the U.S. There are ground-breaking advances in medicine every day, but they often do not reach the people who need them due to the structure of our health care system. My research fixes that by identifying barriers to high-quality health care and evaluating solutions to those barriers.” -Molly Jarman, Lead Investigator in the Center for Surgery and Public Health
“There are many women in science who have inspired me. At the top of the list is my postdoctoral research mentor, Dr. Mel Feany, who created the original fruit fly model of Parkinson’s disease.” -Abby Olsen, Associate Neurologist
“Without a doubt, a woman who has inspired me is Dr. A. Heather Eliassen. I am so grateful that she took me under her wing when I first landed at BWH. Her perseverance, leadership, humility, empathy, integrity and people-loving nature are just a few of her qualities that continue to inspire me and help me grow into my potential.” – Andrea Romanos-Nanclares, Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Department of Medicine
