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science

Women in Islam Women Pioneers

Prominent Muslim Women in 2024

by faeze mohammadi March 18, 2025

Introducing 11 Prominent Muslim Women in 2024 Across Science, Sports, and the Arts

Science

Professor Rana Dajani (Jordan) – Molecular Biologist

Winner of the TRT World Citizen Award in 2025

Professor Rana Dajani, a leading geneticist from Jordan, has made significant contributions to genomic studies on diabetes and cancer through stem cell research. Her work played a key role in establishing ethical guidelines for stem cell research in Jordan. A strong advocate for biological evolution in relation to Islam, she is also deeply committed to women’s education and empowerment. She serves as a member of the UN Women’s Advisory Council in Jordan.

In 2025, she was honored at the TRT World Citizen Awards, receiving the Educator Award for her dedication to fostering a love of learning and driving positive change in education.

Fauzia Khan (United Kingdom) – Psychologist & Mental Health Advocate

Winner of the 2024 Rising Star Award from APNA NHS
Recipient of the NHS Hero Award at the Birmingham Local Heroes Awards (August 2024)

Fauzia Khan, an assistant psychologist at the Black Country Mental Health Foundation (NHS), is recognized for her efforts in promoting diversity in psychology, supporting staff mental health, and improving patient care.

Hosna Salimi (Iran) – Elite Student & Researcher

Awarded the “Young Researcher of the Year” title at the 2025 BRICS & SCO Young Leaders Awards

Hosna Salimi is a PhD student in Indian Studies at the Faculty of World Studies, University of Tehran. She specializes in research on international relations and regional cooperation, particularly focusing on Iran’s interactions with Asian countries, especially India. She also serves as an intern at the Asian Mayors Forum, reflecting her interest in urban and international cooperation.

At the BRICS & SCO Young Leaders Awards in Kazan, Russia, held from January 24–26, 2025, she was named “Best Young Researcher of the Year 2025.”

Dr. Intisar Al-Hattlani (Kuwait) – Professor of Chemistry, Kuwait University

Winner of the 2024 L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Award

Dr. Al-Hattlani was among six Arab women scientists honored in 2024 for their groundbreaking work in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM).

Her award-winning research focuses on forensic chemistry, particularly in detecting drugs and toxins. Her team has developed advanced methods for identifying harmful substances in saliva, blood serum, and beverages. Additionally, her research has led to innovative fingerprint analysis techniques, contributing to forensic science worldwide.

Sports

Tina Rahimi (Iranian-Australian) – Boxer

First Muslim woman in history to qualify for Olympic boxing at the 2024 Summer Olympics

Tina Rahimi made history as the first Muslim and hijab-wearing woman from Australia to qualify for the Olympics. She was one of 12 boxers representing Australia at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Previously, she won a bronze medal in the 57 kg category at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham..

Sarah Chaâri (Belgium) – Taekwondo Athlete

Bronze Medalist at the 2024 Summer Olympics

Born in Belgium in 2005, Sarah Chaâri started Taekwondo at the age of five and quickly rose to prominence. In 2022, at just 17 years old, she became the first Taekwondo athlete to win the World Taekwondo Championships in her weight category.

She won gold at the 2023 European Games in the 62 kg category and also claimed the World Taekwondo Grand Prix title. At the 2024 Paris Olympics, she won bronze in the 67 kg weight class, making her the first hijab-wearing European Muslim woman to win an Olympic medal.

Sara Ahmed Samir (Egypt) – Weightlifter

Silver Medalist in the Women’s 81 kg Category at the 2024 Olympics

Sara Ahmed Samir made history in 2016 as the first Egyptian woman to win an Olympic medal in weightlifting, securing a bronze in the 69 kg category at the Rio Olympics. She was also the first Arab woman to achieve this milestone.

Since then, she has continued to dominate, winning silver at the 2018 IWF World Championships and gold at the 2022 IWF World Championships, lifting 261 kg in the 76 kg category. At the 2024 Paris Olympics, she won a silver medal in the 81 kg category, earning her second Olympic medal.

Arts

Marrim Akashi Sani (USA) – Photographer

Finalist for the 2024 Jameel Prize in Photography

Marrim Akashi Sani, an Iraqi-Iranian American artist based in Detroit, explores Islamic traditions in North America through photography. Her acclaimed series, Muharram, captures both public and private aspects of Muharram ceremonies, offering an intimate look at personal expressions of faith.

In 2024, her work was shortlisted for the Jameel Prize, which honors contemporary artists whose work engages with Islamic traditions in innovative ways.

Rosalind Noor (Australia) – Painter & Author

Winner of the 2024 Australian Muslim Artists Art Prize

Australian-English artist Rosalind Noor won the 2024 Muslim Australian Artists Award for her oil painting The Sovereign. This piece, created after the referendum on the voting rights of Indigenous Australians and Torres Strait Islanders, explores themes of Indigenous sovereignty and post-colonialism.

Her painting beautifully integrates Australian flora and fauna with artistic influences from 15th and 16th-century Persian and Mongolian miniature paintings. Noor is also a member of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Islamic Studies and Classical Arabic at Charles Sturt University. She is the author of the children’s book Trouble at Taraweeh, which tells the story of a young girl named Imama trying to perform a special prayer on Laylat al-Qadr.

Shima Shaigan (Iran) – Architect

Gold Medal in the Restoration and Conservation Category at the 2nd Continental Architecture Prize in Asia

Shima Shaigan holds a master’s degree in architecture from the Faculty of Fine Arts at the University of Tehran. In May 2024, she received first place in the Preservation and Revitalization category at the 16th Iranian Architecture Awards, recognized by the Architecture & Building magazine.

Shadi Habib (Iran) – Wood Artist & Educator

Third place in the 3D Category at the International Women’s Art Exhibition

Shadi Habib is an accomplished artist, researcher, and university professor. She holds a Level 2 Art Degree from the Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution and serves as a Board Member of the Wood Arts Institute of Vadood.

She has received numerous national and international awards, including Best Work (1st place) at the 2021 International Women’s Art Competition in the U.S., as well as Excellence Awards in 2022. She also secured third place at the Italy International Design Festival in 2019 and 2020.

This year, Shadi Habib won third prize in the 3D category of the 14th International Women’s Art Exhibition for her artwork, “The Birds’ Battlefield.“

en.jahanbanou.ir

with: jahanbanou

March 18, 2025 0 comment

Europe Health

“FemTech” can revolutionize Women’s health

by Narges Mohammadi December 28, 2022

Although half the world’s population is female, “FemTech“; has long been considered by tech giants as too niche. But with the market, projected to grow by more than 13% annually, reaching $75 million by 2027; it appears “FemTech” ‘s moment has arrived.

Generally, Femtech is a term applied to a category of software, diagnostics, products, and services that use technology often to focus on women’s health. This sector includes fertility solutions, period-tracking apps, pregnancy and nursing care, women’s sexual wellness, and reproductive system health care. Femtech was coined in 2016 by Ida Tin, a Danish entrepreneur who founded Clue, a period- and fertility-tracking app.

By Women, For Women

Today, things are changing. In 2021, 231 FemTech deals were struck, up from just 23 a decade earlier, and investment in FemTech applications surpassed $1 billion. In the Middle East and North Africa, the industry’s value is projected to top $3.8 billion by 2031. More than a third of the region’s FemTech firms are located in the United Arabs Emirates.

Best of all, 70 % of FemTech companies have at least on female founder, and venture capitalist firms; such as Portfolia, an investment fund designed by WOMEN for WOMEN, are creating more opportunities. Even celebrities are supporting these trends.
Still, while the market is maturing, the road to parity remains rocky. Despite the global need for female-oriented health technologies, overcoming venture capitalists’ preference for male-dominated tech is a constant struggle.

The femtech innovation void

So far, femtech has focused most of its resources on reproductive health, which constitutes 51 percent of the industry. But other healthcare areas, particularly menstrual health, are ripe for development.

Most women get a period, and menstrual and feminine hygiene is a $43 billion market. Why, then, has the industry failed to improve or invest in products that actually cater to women’s comfort?

Femtech companies have begun to fill this innovation void. One of the most intriguing is Flex, a body-safe alternative to tampons. Another is Thinx, an underwear that observes your period.

Closing the gender gap

Yet the need is far greater than the current output. About 80 percent of women worldwide experience period pain, and on average a woman spends 10 years on her period during her lifetime. That is a lot of discomfort that femtech has not even started to address.

In 2015, British tennis player Heather Watson attributed her poor play at the Australian Open to her period. Chinese swimmer Fu Yuanhui echoed the same at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Closing this gap will require significant work. Femtech companies, which are changing how we view women’s healthcare, can lead these efforts. It is time for women to make the executive decisions about women’s bodies.

Source: Jordan News

December 28, 2022 0 comment

Asia Women Pioneers

Gold Medal from Canadian Invention Festival For a Woman from Iran©

by Narges Mohammadi December 20, 2022

Gold Medal from Canadian Invention Festival For a Woman from Iran/ “Safe Angioket” designed by Someya Zainali, this woman from Iran; won a gold medal at the Canadian Festival of Innovations and Inventions. Our research says that more than 400 candidates have entered this festival.

The attendance of Muslim women of Iran in the global arena; is a strong reason to object the opposition forces who work against Iran. The fact that they use the media to downgrade the role of women within the Iranian society; and never mention their presence in various international festivals.

The women of Iran not only gain great achievements in Iranian national events; but, they also enter various international competitions and seminars. One of these successful women who recently has been able to achieve a gold medal in the ICAN Festival; is Someya Zainali.

Someya Zainali is a midwifery graduate. After completing various university courses, she started her midwifery career and has 12 year experience in this field.

Regarding the health and treatment staff in hospitals, health centers and even at home; they could suffer from injuries caused by intravenous injections. The needle may get stuck in their hands which causes infections to transmit from a patient to its doctor or nurse. Now, Someya has a solution for this issue. The problem is to take a step to solve this problem by designing a Safe Angioket.

Regarding the “Safe Angioket” project, Someya said: “Safe injections are one of the main factors of patient and staff safety. Unsafe injections may cause irreparable harm to both of them. Furthermore, these incidents have happened to me many times. As a result, I became quite overwhelmed, so I designed “Safe Angioket”. After, I then sent my documentation to the International ICAN Festival in Canada.

How was this Canadian Festival?

She added :“This festival is held every year, but during the last two years due to the corona virus epidemic it was cancelled. This year, it was held in two sections, virtually and verbally, organized by Canadian International Association for Innovation and Advanced Skills; under the supervision of IFIA and WIIPA, including countries such as Germany, Russia, America, China, South Korea, Australia, etc.

The verbal section of the festival was for the ones in Canada, and the virtual section was for all inventors and researchers from other countries. Like other participants around the world, I sent my documents to the festival authorities and presented relevant explanations online and defended my project in the presence of the judges.

In response to the question “what is the necessity of designing a safe Angioket”, she stated: “When Angioket is used for injecting patients, if there is no container for the needle or if the needle head is not in place, the needles are thrown into the trash without protection.

A needle that is thrown in the trash without a shield poses many risks in health centers, hospitals, and homes, such as when someone carelessly puts their hand into the trash or someone who is emptying and cleaning the trash can easily have a unprotected needle their hand. It will sink and cause disease transmission.

Safe Angioket is actually a sort of protector for needles that eliminate injuries caused by all kinds of blood needles and causes the collection of waste materials and the transfer of blood and special secretions.

How did this innovation by this Iranian woman come up?

“It took three to four years of study and research in order to be able to design this Safe Angioket.” she continued.

Inside this safe Angioket, there is a piece that after pulling out the needle, it closes the entry way and causes the needle to be stay inside the box.

Zainali continued: “The commercialization of this project and its public use has reduced the costs of hepatitis and HIV transmission, and the municipal officials and health workers no longer need to use safety box”.

She noted: “After the result announcements and receiving the gold medal of this festival, I received visa invitations from three countries.

I received invitations from America and Germany. In these invitations, they announced that all the facilities and equipment for traveling, staying; and continuing to education in the fields of medicine and dentistry are all available cost-free.

What happened after this Canadian festival?

Now the next question is, when will Mrs. Someya Zainali respond with a “YES” to these invitations and leave Iran? But she says with ease that if she was going to go, she should have left Iran by now. “I did not apply for these invitations. Plus, because of what our leader says, I prefer to stay. I want to stay in my country and help my people and community, this gives me a very good feeling”.

Referring to becoming 1st in the festival, she said: “When I called to follow up the results, first they said that I did not even receive a certificate. After a short pause, they congratulated me and announced that I had won the first place in this festival. Winning a gold medal at the Canadian International Festival of Innovations and Inventions; made me feel that I was over the moon. I really felt the special sense of pride and honor.

Status of Iranian Women:

At the end, she noted: ” In Iran, the presence of women in all fields has increased significantly; women can study and obtain degrees in any field they like. Achieve high academic levels and have an active presence in all scientific and managerial fields.”

Source: Fars News Agency

December 20, 2022 0 comment

Asia Women Pioneers

EK Janaki Ammal: The ‘nomad’ flower scientist India forgot

by Narges Mohammadi November 15, 2022

In March, the magnolias begin blooming at Wisley. For the next few weeks, rows of pink flowers dot the small town in Surrey in the UK, beckoning passers-by to stop and smell them.

Few know, however, that many of these blooms have Indian roots. They were planted by EK Janaki Ammal, a scientist who was born in the southern Indian state of Kerala in the 19th Century.

In a career spanning almost 60 years, Janaki studied a wide range of flowering plants and reworked the scientific classification of several families of plants.

“Janaki was not just a cytogeneticist – she was a field biologist, a plant geographer, a paleobotanist, an experimental breeder and an ethno-botanist and not in the least, an explorer,” says Dr Savithri Preetha Nair, a historian who has researched the scientist’s life for years.

It’s difficult, Dr Nair says, to name even one Indian male geneticist from the time who adopted such cross-disciplinary methodology in their research.

“She talked about biodiversity as early as the 1930s.”

Janaki lived an inspiring life, but for decades, her work went largely unappreciated and her contribution to science was barely acknowledged.

But this year – which also marks Janaki’s 125th birth anniversary – Dr Nair hopes to change that with an in-depth biography. The book, titled Chromosome Woman, Nomad Scientist: E.K. Janaki Ammal, A Life 1897-1984, was released earlier in November and is the product of 16 years of research spread across three continents.

It also marks, Dr Nair says, the beginning of “a grand project” of recovering stories about Indian women in science. “Until now, published sources on women scientists have focused on Europe and North America,” she says, adding that women from Asia and other regions “hardly figure anywhere”.

An extraordinary life

While Janaki’s professional achievements were numerous, her family members say the way she lived her life was also inspiring. “She thrived on human possibility,” says Geeta Doctor, a writer and Janaki’s grand-niece. “She was passionate about everything, completely liberated and always fixated on her work.”

Janaki was born in Tellichery (now Thalassery) in Kerala in 1897. Her father, EK Krishnan, was a high court sub-judge in the Madras Presidency, an administrative subdivision in British India.

She grew up in privilege, in a large family that lived in a house called Edam, which Ms. Doctor says was “the center of Janaki’s life”.

The two-story house had a grand piano, a sprawling library and spacious halls, its large windows overlooking a carefully-tended garden. Janaki belonged to Kerala’s Thiyya community, which is regarded as socially backward under the Hindu caste system.

But at Edam house, Janaki’s life was far removed from any prejudices, Ms. Doctor says.

That didn’t mean she did not face caste discrimination in her life, she adds – but she never allowed it to stop her. “If somebody displeased her, she would just move on.”

Touch of sweetness

After she finished school, Janaki moved to Madras (now Chennai) for higher education.

In 1924, she was teaching at a women’s college when she received a prestigious scholarship from the University of Michigan in the US.

Eight years later, she became the first Indian woman to be awarded a doctorate in botanical science. She returned to India shortly after, and taught botany in her home state before joining the Sugarcane Breeding Station at Coimbatore.

It was here that Janaki worked on cross-breeding sugarcane and with other plants to create a high-yielding variety of the crop that could flourish in India. She was the first person to successfully cross sugarcane and maize, which helped in understanding the origin and evolution of sugarcane, Dr Nair says.

A particular hybrid she created, the historian adds, went on to produce many commercial crosses for the institute but she didn’t receive credit for it.

In 1940 – just after World War Two had started – Janaki moved to London and joined the John Innes Horticultural Institution to continue her research.

The next few years were the most formative ones of her career. Five years later, she became the first woman scientist to be employed at the Royal Horticultural Society Garden at Wisley. It was also a time of hardships and hard work – Britain was facing the brunt of the war and food supplies were heavily rationed.

“But Janaki was unfazed,” Ms. Doctor says. “When the bombs fell, she would just dive under the table or sleep under the bed – all in a day’s work.” This attitude extended to her personal life, she says. “[The children of her family] were her equals and she expected us to keep up with her strict ways.”

But there was a sweeter side to her as well. Ms. Doctor recalls that her grand-aunt gave them amazing books and took them on delightful picnics.

And she was always brimming with stories – about Kapok, the small black-striped palm squirrel that she had smuggled in her sari to keep her company in London; and her doll Timothy, who fascinated everyone at Edam.

Ms. Doctor does not put dates to these memories – the past is simply the past – but she vividly remembers Janaki’s strident personality and commanding presence; her vibrant yellow saris; and her “energetic yet subtle” ways.

“She enjoyed life in its minutiae and also the grand scheme of things, but with a rigorous scientific mind.” Dr Nair says that this was also evident in her work, which was not about one seminal revelation, but a series of small-scale discoveries which contributed “to the grand history of human evolution”. “The questions she asked were fundamental ones about plants and man.”

Homecoming

In 1951, India’s prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru asked Janaki to return to the country and help restructure the Botanical Survey of India (BSI). Janaki, who was greatly inspired by the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi, went immediately.

“But her male colleagues refused to take commands from a woman and her attempts to re-organize BSI were turned down,” Dr Nair says, adding that Janaki was never entirely accepted at the institute.

This caused her great pain and she could never entirely recover from it. So, she took refuge in exploring the country in search of new plants.

In 1948, Janaki became the first woman to go on a plant-hunting expedition to Nepal which, according to her, was the most unique part of Asia botanically, says Dr Nair.

When she was 80, the Indian government awarded her a Padma Shri, one of the country’s highest civilian honours. She died seven years later, in 1984.

Ms. Doctor says that even though Janaki did not receive the recognition she deserved, she never lost her passion for studying life. “She would always say ‘my work will survive’ – and it did. “Dr. Nair agrees. “Janaki’s life continues to be a blazing testament to intellectual integrity.”

Source: BBC News

November 15, 2022 0 comment

Asia Society

Iran’s Head of Science Ministry: 60% of the country’s students are consisted of women©

by Narges Mohammadi October 9, 2022

According to Jahan Banou news agency, citing from the Public Relations Unit of Iran’s Ministry of Science, Mohammad Ali Zulfigol, the Iranian minister of Science, in a ceremony for the upcoming of the new academic year in universities and higher education centers, with the presence of Iran’s President, presidential vice-Chancellors for Science and Technology, Women and Family Affairs, and Iran’s Minister of Health & Medical education, which was held in the international conference hall of Al-Zahra University of Iran, said: “60% of the country’s students consists of females, and the significant presence of women in higher education is due to the conditions provided by the ruling of the Islamic Republic”.

Iranian Female Scientists

Emphasizing the efforts and perseverance of female students to succeed in the pursuit of science; the Minister of Science said: “God has given every human being special talents and everyone should try to identify their special talent and capacity; to use it so they can achieve their goals and successes”.

Zulfigol added: “Each field of study has a special beauty and is different from other fields; and if students study and research the concepts and ideas of their field of study in depth; they can contribute to the world and the progress of humanity in their field.”

The Iranian Minister said: “God’s mercy is infinite, and if you ask God for something by trusting in His Holy Essence; he will surely grant it with mercy, have high aspirations because higher aspirations make you work harder”.

Zulfigol pointed out that parents and school teachers played a fundamental role in the academic success. He then emphasized respecting parents and teachers and professors and added at the end: “Science without ethics is not useful at all”.

Our research says, before the Islamic revolution in Iran; there were less women active in universities and different parts of the society; and these statistics have increased since 43 years ago.

Source: Tasnim News Agency

October 9, 2022 5 comments

North America Society

‘Mother of Sharks’ Melissa Márquez is making waves in research and representation — and wants others to follow

by Narges Mohammadi July 23, 2022

Marine biologist and science communicator Melissa Márquez has always had a fascination with the ocean. But growing up, she saw no women — especially Latina women — represented in the field of ocean research.

Ms. Márquez decided that in addition to doing the science herself, she would be an inspiration to other young women looking to follow in her footsteps.

“I have the chance to be a role model to so many people,” the Puerto Rican-born, Mexican-raised scientist said. Ms. Márquez, a PhD candidate at Curtin University, is founder of the Fins United Initiative, “a shark, skate, ray and chimaera education and conservation program”.

She has a big presence on social media — having amassed 26,000 followers on Twitter — and uses it to promote her belief that “you can’t be what you can’t see”. She is also a children’s author, podcaster and TV presenter, spreading the word wherever she can.

Role model

“I want to use my platform as a science communicator to be the role model that I wish I’d had … not just for Latinas around the world but also other people of color, who see me and be like, ‘hey, if this girl from a small island can do it, I can do it as well’,” she said.

Ms. Márquez has travelled the world researching the oceans. She obtained her undergraduate degree in Florida, her master’s degree in Wellington, completed independent study in South Africa and has given talks in more than 20 countries.

She has now wound up in Perth undertaking what she considers to be her “dream project”.

“It just made sense to come on over to Western Australia,” she said.

“When you think of sharks and Australia, you think of Western Australia.

“Australia is home to so many sharks that you can’t find anywhere else.”

The shark researcher, whose nickname is “Mother of Sharks”, has drawn parallels between her experiences as a woman in the science industry and sharks in the ocean.

Her 2017 TEDx talk “Sharks and Female Scientists: More Alike Than You Think” explores this topic and has had more than 30,000 views.

“We really do need diversity and inclusion in science in order to make innovative science progress,” Ms. Márquez said.

And in the same way diversity is so important to science, sharks are also vital to the environment.

“The marine biology community have an expression saying: ‘a healthy ocean needs a healthy shark population’,” she said. But the CSIRO estimates that in the south-western region of Australia, the population of adult great white sharks is only 1,460.

Sharks are important

“Sharks are so important for our environment and our marine ecosystem, you take that out, not only are you starting to dismantle a really delicate balance in the marine ecosystem, but also it’s going to cause other problems,” Ms. Márquez said.

Beyond their environmental significance, Ms. Márquez said sharks also have a huge cultural and economic importance. “They bring in millions of dollars yearly to eco-tourism worldwide,” she said.

Ms. Márquez is fascinated by the push and pull between our fear of sharks and our intense curiosity about them.

“For me, this is an area of fascination. I am really interested in studying our relationships with sharks, how that’s changed over the years and what it means for their conservation in future,” she said. “A lot of people are afraid of an ocean filled with sharks, but for me, I’m afraid of an ocean without sharks.”

Ms. Márquez’s PhD project is investigating shark habitat use, encompassing field work in northern Western Australia, trying out new technology and analyzing data. “It’s figuring out why sharks are where they are,” she said.

Ms. Márquez believes sharks have been misrepresented. “They get this really bad reputation that they don’t deserve,” she said.

“There’s actually over 500 different species of sharks. “We’re actually discovering new species all the time and so to paintbrush all of them saying they’re monsters … ‘man-eaters’ just doesn’t do them justice whatsoever.”

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-07-05/maria-marquez-shark-research/101207290

July 23, 2022 0 comment

Australia and Oceania Society

Women in science: 15-year-old’s quest to change the world

by Narges Mohammadi July 21, 2022

Cadence Taylor may only be 15 years old — but the young Queenslander already has her mind set on changing the world with science.

Tackling climate change and its impact on the Great Barrier Reef is a driving passion for the Bundaberg high school student, as is making sure the under-representation of women’s voices in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) is addressed.

“It’s a field that is extending in the future and we definitely need to adapt to have more females involved,” Cadence said. “Instead of being a male-dominated area, it can expand to more females and become a 50/50 spilt.”

While STEM gender equality is improving in Australia, a 2020 national data report still found the proportion of women working across all STEM-qualified industries to be only 28 per cent.

To help her achieve her goals Cadence is part of a Curious Minds mentoring program, which teams young female students with STEM professionals. Brisbane award-winning University of Queensland scientist Sonia Shah has been assisting and inspiring Cadence.

Born and raised in Kenya, Dr Shah wishes she had access to female role models in STEM to help her when she discovered a passion for science.

“I’ve always loved science and [been] curious about how things work,” Dr Shah said. “Growing up in Kenya, we didn’t really have career advisers or mentors and I really wish I had.

“My reasons for going into science were really driven by interest and I didn’t really know being a researcher was even a career option.”

Meeting on video chats every few weeks to discuss Cadence’s project on the impacts of climate change on the Great Barrier Reef, the pair recently took the opportunity to meet face to face. They travelled to Lady Musgrave Island off the coast off Bundaberg, conducting surveys and research.

Dr Shah was impressed with Cadence’s enthusiasm and hopes her own input will encourage the teenager to stick with science. “She is honestly a very impressive young lady,” Dr Shah said.

“It’s about that exposure and I wish I had that as a child and it’s one of the reasons I participate in this program.”

Marine biologist for a day

Documenting animal life, entering data to the citizen scientist portal, interviewing visitors to the reef and taking part in a Be a Marine Biologist For a Day program kept the pair busy on their visit to the reef.

But it was meeting and working with her mentor that had the biggest impact for the young science lover. “She’s [Dr Shah] such an inspiration. She shows you can achieve your dreams.”

“Being a mum as well, she gives back and inspires those that will be the next generation of women in STEM. I think that’s very important in today’s society.”

Cadence said being part of the Curious Minds mentor project pushed her to strive harder and think about her future in science and how she may one day help other young women.

“I’ve got incredible science teachers and they are always there to show me things I can do to help me with my future,” she said. “I love the whole aspect of mentoring. It’s such a wonderful way of giving your experience and knowledge to others and guiding them into their future STEM career.”

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-07-17/women-in-science-mentoring-program/101236984

July 21, 2022 0 comment

Europe Society Women Pioneers

Women’s contributions to science still being overlooked, study finds

by Narges Mohammadi June 26, 2022

Researchers say female scientists are less likely than men to receive credit for their work

Female scientists frequently fail to get proper credit for their research, a large study has concluded. A team of economists said the barriers Rosalind Franklin faced in the 1950s during her pivotal research into the structure of DNA still persisted.

Women were 13 per cent less likely, on average, to be named as authors on scientific papers to which they contributed, compared with men who spent the same periods in the laboratory.

On patents that emerged from research, women were 58 per cent less likely to be named than men who had made comparable contributions.

When James Watson, and Francis Crick disclosed the structure of DNA in 1953, they failed to mention how they had relied on images from Franklin’s lab. Lane and her colleagues suggest that Franklin deserved to be listed as a co-author on the paper in which the men first described the DNA double helix, an achievement that earned them a Nobel Prize.

“This is the first time it has been possible to document gaps in the attribution of credit between men and women in science,” Professor Julia Lane of New York University, a co-author of the study, said. “While there has been anecdotal evidence — the most well-known being the failure by Crick and Watson to credit Rosalind Franklin for her seminal contributions to the discovery of the structure of DNA — this is the first large-scale study.”

The new study, published in Nature, drew on administrative data from universities to shed light on the amount of work done by 120,000 modern scientists. This was cross-referenced with the papers that emerged.

At every level, women in science were less likely to get credit, though they spent the same time at work as the men.

June 26, 2022 1 comment

Culture Europe

Samantha Cristoforetti: The astronaut taking TikTok to new heights

by Narges Mohammadi June 21, 2022

Samantha Cristoforetti holds the record for longest uninterrupted spaceflight by a European astronaut – but you may know her for another bit of history.

She is the first person to make a TikTok video on board the International Space Station (ISS). Cristoforetti has become a star on the social-media site, where her videos have had millions of views. Italy’s first female astronaut is using her second space mission to help TikTok reach the final frontier.

Cristoforetti first travelled to space in 2014, spending 199 days on board the ISS – then the record for the longest mission in space by a woman, although that has since been broken by Peggy Whitson, in 2017, and subsequently Christina Koch, in 2019.

The European Space Agency astronaut returned in April 2022 and has been doing so in front of a growing crowd. One particular video, made in memory of Douglas Adams, author of the seminal sci-fi series The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, has picked up more than 17 million views on TikTok.

In the video, Cristoforetti shows viewers how a wet towel behaves in weightlessness, while declaring she is “a hoopy frood who always knows where her towel is” – a well-known quote among Hitchhikers fans.

The Italian has been making these jokes since she first went into space. Her initial mission was Nasa’s 42nd expedition to the ISS. No prizes for guessing the theme, but you may be impressed by the official poster she tweeted.

Space is big. Really big.

Cristoforetti is currently part of the ISS’s Minerva mission – named after the Roman goddess of wisdom and arts, in honor of “the sophisticated craftsmanship of the men and women all over the world who make human spaceflight possible”.

She is part of a crew of four who set off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on 27 April in a SpaceX Dragon capsule. They are the fourth crew to travel to the ISS in a SpaceX vehicle.

At the time of writing, her TikTok video detailing the process from launching to settling in at the ISS has received 1.2m views.

Cristoforetti believes that within the next decade more people will be travelling beyond Earth’s atmosphere. “I’m confident that we will also see space agencies setting their eyes on beyond low earth-orbit targets, specifically smaller spaces, such as the moon surface,” she said.

She said “it takes so much good luck” to become an astronaut, and she believes all astronauts are “incredibly grateful and cognizant of that privilege”.

June 21, 2022 0 comment