Career Equality Talks

Every cloud has a silver lining: optimisism and persistence Xin Lu, Professor of Cancer Biology and Director of the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research Oxford branch, speaks about the challenges faced by women in science.

A career in juggling, organisation and guilt management Professor Helen McShane has been working on a new TB vaccine for 10 years. There are about 9 million new cases and 1.7 million deaths every year from tuberculosis. She developed MVA85A, a vaccine with the aim to boost the cellular immune response induced by BCG. Developing countries are especially in need of a new vaccine since HIV and TB epidemics overlap and show a devastating synergy.

Dame Bridget Ogilvie discusses her life and illustrious scientific career, at The Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics’ Women in Science series From studying rural science in Australia to researching immune responses to parasites in Cambridge, Dame Bridget Ogilvie has dedicated her own career to building and supporting the research careers of others.

A hepatologist and academic, a wife and a mother of two, Dr Ellie Barnes delighted researchers at the Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics’ Women in Science talk, held on Wednesday the 20th of November 2013 Her presentation entitled: Women in Science – the joys and the juggles, highlighted the ups and downs of balancing a career in science, particularly as a working mother. Currently balancing three major projects: leading a £5 million collaboration called Stop HCV, trialling a powerful new Hepatitis C vaccine, and studying B cell immunology and IgG4 systemic disease, Ellie is now at a senior level in her career. But she admited that getting to this point hasn’t exactly been smooth sailing. Having her first child while studying her PhD and second just before receiving her intermediate MRC award, Ellie said it’s often hard to manage the demands of work and home, but being able to do what you love day in and day out makes it worth the struggle.

Professor Heidi Johansen-Berg heads the Plasticity Group at the Oxford Centre for Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Brain (FMRIB). Her research focuses on how the brain changes in response to damage, learning and experience Plasticity defines an organism’s ability to adapt to change. The human brain undergoes changes each time we learn a new skill (e.g. juggling), when we age or when we suffer from a medical condition such as a stroke. Understanding why and how the brain changes will help to develop new rehabilitation processes, enhance learning and promote healthy ageing. As well as understanding the healthy brain, her work has implications for understanding and treating diseases.

Irene Tracey is the co-founder and director of the Oxford Centre for Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Brain (FMRIB) Irene Tracey gives a passionate insight into her career and how she balances work and life. As she puts it 'A scientific career is not an easy one to choose: it’s tough and competitive'.

Interview with Professor Peter Donnelly The Nuffield Department of Medicine recognises the challenge of balancing work-life commitments and encourages staff to make use of the range of University services and facilities to support them with this. Dr Jenny Taylor interviews Professor Peter Donnelly about how the Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics encourages its employees to have a better work-life balance. They discuss the initiatives taken by the Centre including: inclusive scheduling of events, mentoring schemes and financial support for women returning from maternity leave. Professor Donnelly draws on his own experience, in the Statistical Genetics field, about the challenges faced by women at different stages of their careers. He believes that it is important to talk honestly about the challenges faced by people juggling careers and family, and to highlight examples where it works well.