Hear highly successful women discuss how they maneuver in the male-dominated field of science
The virtual launch of our 2020 ResearcHERS: Women Fighting Cancer program on Friday provided a fascinating look at the issues women confront in a field long dominated by men. They were very candid and offered some great advice for all women.
Susanna Greer, PhD, scientific director at ACS and a host of our TheoryLab podcast, moderated the very impressive panel of women who shared why they are so committed to helping ACS fund some of the brightest minds in cancer research, who happen to be women. Their words were nothing short of inspirational.
Dr. Greer began by sharing how important an ACS grant was to her when she ran a cancer lab. She also talked about the challenges of being a new mom and not having female models to emulate. "I really could have benefiting from something like ResearcHERS," she said, a support network for women in a very competitive and often isolating field of research.
Panelists included Pamela Kreeger, PhD, associate professor of biomedical engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and an ACS-funded researcher; Debra Patt, MD, executive vice president at Texas Oncology; and Connie L. Lindsey, executive vice president and head of corporate social responsibility and global diversity, equity, and inclusion at Northern Trust, Chicago. Connie provided the additional perspective of barriers faced by people of color, and the importance of girls having role models. The former national president of Girl Scouts USA said: "Young girls can't be what they can't see," and she said it's critical that careers in science not be limited to those who can afford it.
The launch kicked off a month-long effort by ResearcHERS Ambassadors to raise a minimum of $2,500 each to support women-led research. Approximately 900 individuals have signed up to be Ambassadors for the program.
Ambassadors will receive an email with a special video message from Alpa Patel, PhD, senior scientific director for epidemiology research at ACS. They will be encouraged to set up their Facebook fundraiser, email their personal network, and amplify the need for funds on LinkedIn.
ResearcHERS was a regional pilot in 2019 patterned after Real Men Wear Pink. The 2020 goal is to raise $3 million in revenue to fund women-led research grants. It is not too late to share this information with influencers who might be interested in signing on as ambassadors. For more information, visit the ResearcHERS channel on You Tube.
TOP PHOTO: Clockwise from far left: Susanna Greer, PhD; Connie Lindsey' Debra Patt, MD; and Pamela Kreeger, PhD.
*Shared from MySocietySource.
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