Edith Heard
Director General
EditEnsuring that EMBL leads by example as a fair, diverse and inclusive workplace
Director General
EditWhen I doubt myself, I think of the quote “God, grant me the confidence of a mediocre white man”.
Postdoctoral Fellow (EIPOD)
Diz-Muñoz Group
EditDo good science! Drive your project and get credit for it. What women perhaps sometimes do a bit less well than men is ‘selling their science’, so that’s something women could pay more attention to.
Group Leader
EditAs a woman in science, you need to act. Don’t wait for opportunities to come to you, but chase them. It’s fine if you’re scared or insecure, but dig into an unknown (field, job, project, or personal challenge) and explore. Grow.
Do not underestimate your potential and ‘sell your science’ with confidence and grace.
EMBL-HZI Posdoctoral research fellow
Train yourself to listen to your gut feeling and follow it persistently. It can make you deal with failures, rejections, impostor syndrome but most importantly it will make you take risks that pay off to create the environment where you have the best chances to succeed.
Group Leader
EditNurture integrity – in yourself and in others.
Head of Training
EMBL-EBI Training
EditA career isn’t necessarily linear. Take each step as it comes, and value experiences and connections along the way.
Acting Head of Communications
EditBe bold. There is nothing you cannot do, if you only believe in yourself!
Predoctoral Fellow
EditBeing a woman in science is an opportunity to do stimulating and meaningful work. Focus on that as well, not just the hard parts.
Anonymous
Ignore what society says you can or cannot do, follow your passions and interests and they will take you far, for you have what it takes in you to succeed
Anonymous
Trust your perception, even (and especially) when nobody else does.
EMBL alumna
Professor of Microbiology
Saarland University
“Lord, grant me the confidence of a mediocre white man”. (Sarah Hagi) Fake it till you make it. Your competitors do.
EMBL alumna
Group Leader
Max Delbrück Center
Trust in yourself, dream big and believe nothing is impossible and that you are unique and so you have something to give to the world.
EMBL alumna
Tenured Professor
Hashemite University, Jordan
Do the things you like doing, and never ever consider that you are limited because of your gender.
EMBL alumna
Light Microscopy expert
Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research
My advice is to not just do things in order to succeed; do things that you feel passionate about, and do not fear listening to your own gut.
EMBL alumna
Principal Investigator
Helmholtz AI, Helmholtz Pioneer Campus
Follow your heart and passion, trust yourself and do not be scared away by an academic system you do not seem to fit in. Change comes from within.
EMBL alumna
Head of the Lab of Developmental Neurobiology
KU Leuven
Find mentors who will see your success as their success. Then supplement their experience and networks with your commitment and persistence.
EMBL alumna
Group Leader
VU LSC-EMBL Partnership for Genome Editing Technologies
Finding supportive mentors. I am benefiting tremendously from having a mix of great mentors: women and men, who are well aware of the obstacles women can face.
EMBL alumna
Postdoctoral Fellow
German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ)
Give YOURSELF the same quality of pep talk, encouragement and support as you give to your colleagues and trainees. Don’t criticize yourself harder than you would criticize others.
EMBL alumna
Professor of Virology
Hannover Medical School
To succeed in science (as a person) you firstly need to be highly motivated and curious and then to remain focused on your work.
EMBL alumna
Full Professor
Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisboa
Reflecting on your own privileges, whether it’s being male, white, non-immigrant, born to a wealthy family or without disabilities.
Postdoctoral Fellow (EIPOD)
Diz-Muñoz Group
EditMentors are always important for everyone. What I noticed is that men are often more outspoken about their mentoring needs. So I encourage everyone – and especially women and girls – to make it clear to themselves what they want and then take the courage and ask their mentors for it.
Group Leader
Zaugg Group
EditVia my work, I try to create both the space and a smooth path for others to step forward and take the lead.
I feel we should empower one another, rather than try to outcompete each other.
Director General
EditSomeone who is kind to others but has the courage to challenge them if they see unjust or biased behaviour.
Head of Training
EMBL-EBI Training
EditSomeone who repeats a point made by a woman, acknowledging her, if the point was ignored when she said it.
Senior Scientific Project Manager
EMBL-EBI Training
EditMaking space for women and girls in the comms I create. Ensuring broad, intersectional representation in marketing images and language, and ensuring EMBL-EBI Training is marketed to an inclusive audience.
Marketing and Communications Manager
EMBL-EBI Training
EditSome cultures are more advanced than others in terms of gender equality. Expose yourself to diverse cultures to learn to recognize and fight bias.
EMBL alumna
Light Microscopy expert
Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research
A role model that looks like you, speaks your language and comes from similar background.
EMBL alumna
Tenured Professor
Hashemite University, Jordan
Invite, involve and credit women and girls in projects and networks.
EMBL alumna
Group Leader
Max Delbrück Center
A great ally is anyone who promotes and supports women in science, NOT despite being female nor BECAUSE they are female, but because they are great scientists.
EMBL alumna
Professor of Microbiology
Saarland University
A good ally provides mentorship and support to women and girls in science, helping them to build confidence, develop skills, and navigate the challenges of the field. They help to create a community of support and encouragement for women in STEM.
EMBL alumna
Mentors who know how women can tick differently, for example, in terms of self-criticism or self-perception, and help to deal with this in the challenges of everyday scientific life.
EMBL alumna
Postdoctoral Fellow
German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ)
Competence, power, and empathy.
EMBL alumna
Professor of Virology
Hannover Medical School
Good allies are: examples as inspiration, focus on positive aspects and (small) successes, and a strong driving force.
EMBL alumna
Full Professor
Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisboa
A good mentor is anyone (regardless of gender) who actively gets informed about unconscious biases, and makes a conscious effort to counteract unfair treatments or situations. It applies to any other minority in science.
Anonymous
All the female scientists in the world. I find all of the new female PIs across all EMBL sites aspiring, as they show us, budding female scientists, that it is possible to juggle both work and family life.
Anonymous
Aim to be a mentor to people who you don’t immediately relate to, people whose story is different from yours. It doesn’t have to be about gender.
Anonymous
If you are a woman yourself, ask not what others can do for you. Ask what you can do for other women in science first.
Anonymous
Love of the natural world, curiosity about its intriguing diversity, inspirational teachers and encouraging parents.
Head of Training
EMBL-EBI Training
EditMy biology teacher in high school, a passionate scientist who would never let anyone get her down.
Predoctoral Fellow
Trivedi Group
EditI was always fascinated by how biological systems work, and thought it would be awesome to make this my job! So in the end I was just lucky to find a job that allows me to follow my passion.
Group Leader
Zaugg Group
EditMy interest in science started with my dad, who was always telling me amazing stories about astrophysics and quantum physics when I was little. That was much better than fairy tales!
Communications Officer, Hamburg
EMBL Communications
EditCells are small and host so many processes – this made me curious – and I am now in a position where I can connect researchers to speak to each other, exchange, develop standards and I see that I directly contribute to scientific progress – a rewarding feeling!
Programme Manager Communities & Training
ELIXIR
I enjoy solving problems and helping others. Though this is not limited to science, I found myself hooked when setting up new experimental protocols and via execution, eliminating probable failing factors. In other words: I enjoy scientific troubleshooting, especially the thrill and euphoria of solving the problem.
The vast ocean of the unknowns, the possibility to dive into the why’s and how’s of the intricate yet fascinating biology of human beings.
EMBL-HZI Posdoctoral research fellow
Science seemed (and still does) like the key to understanding how all life around me works, helping me envision it as a system and not a mess.
Anonymous
Growing up reading a lot and having evening discussions with my father about everything from astronomy to chemistry. I was encouraged to pursue my curiosity and ask any question.
EMBL alumna
Tenured Professor
Hashemite University, Jordan
An experiment at school, which showed that taste perception depends on the pool of alleles one has inherited. It was fascinating.
EMBL alumna
Light Microscopy expert
Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research
I believe in the power of science to help improve the health and wellbeing of people, animals and our planet as a whole.
EMBL alumna
Founder of Elsa’s Choice
Science seem to be the only area which welcomed my possibly excessive overthinking, questioning, discussing …
EMBL alumna
Professor of Virology
Hannover Medical School
My curiosity, the ‘logic’ of science, and Marie Curie.
EMBL alumna
Full Professor
Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisboa
My grandma was a science teacher and she gave me my first microscope when I was six! We did many experiments together to fulfill my constant curiosity..and I’ve never stopped!
EMBL alumna
Senior Scientific Analyst
Healthware International
The desire to know and learn more about how life and the nature around us work and function.
Anonymous
I wanted to serve the needs of society, and the scientific road seemed like the least boring way to get there.
Anonymous
The desire to know and learn more about how life and the nature around us work and function.
Anonymous
Director General
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