Author: Leticia Nani Silva

As a young scientist, I ask myself daily, “What do you want to be remembered for?” Is it my career, my publications, my awards, or even all the conferences I attended? As a female scientist, I want to be remembered for making significant contributions to my field of work and for amplifying the voices of other female scientists to share their stories.

Photo credit: Frontiers

In 2019, before the world changed entirely, three other women and myself were enjoying the Swiss air from Frontiers’ Lausanne headquarters when we started discussing the importance of giving women in science more of a voice within their communities. As scientists ourselves, we felt it was our responsibility to create a space where women researchers would feel drawn to share their career progressions and achievements, as well as the obstacles and challenges they faced. We wanted to give them a platform where they would be remembered not only for their scientific breakthroughs, but even more so for their tenacity, passion, and dedication to uplifting the other women around them. It was at this moment that the Frontiers Women in Science blog was born.

As the blog coordinator, I gathered a talented group of people to help turn this vision into reality. Together our team has interviewed women from diverse backgrounds who have made their mark within their respective field. The disciplines covered range from marine science, nutrition, government and policymaking, and neurology, to education, astrophysics, nursing, conservation, and many more. With each blog post, we look forward to expanding this list and connecting with more influential women.

Our raison d'être, or reason for being, remains unchanged: to empower women within all fields of science. We give them a platform to share their work, achievements, challenges, and breakthroughs. The women we interview share more than just stories of their careers though. They also share stories of their paths through life, be it parenthood, sisterhood, or entrepreneurship, all while continuously contributing to research. The modern woman has no limits, or should I say, is limitless in her ability to shine bright and illuminate those around her.

Reflecting on the past two years, the women interviewed have changed more than just the way we conduct scientific research. They have changed the way we view the role of a scientist. Scientists are more than those who work in a lab or submit research papers. They are those fighting for improved policies in government and teaching younger generations to be better communicators and to take closer care of our planet. They are those who balance the workload of caregiving, passion projects, and research grants. Above all, they are those who seek to bring in more women into a traditionally male-dominated system, providing other women with support and working to establish better financial and legal structures to keep them there.

As we dive into our third year, we want to stay true to our mission while adding a fresh perspective. We have repeatedly shown the power of women in science. Now, we want to showcase their contributions to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Over the next year we will highlight how women are contributing to research focused on combating poverty, solving world hunger, eradicating disease, and promoting equal rights around the world. This is our mission, and this is what I want to be remembered for.

Below you will meet the incredible team behind the Women in Science blog. Thank you to all of them for making this blog one to remember.

Leticia Nani SilvaHello, my name is Leticia Nani Silva and I am the coordinator of the Women in Science blog series. Aside from this, I am also a Society Partnership Manager at Frontiers, where I have been working for the past three years. I have a BSc in Neuroscience and an MSc in Human Nutrition, yet I also have an incredible fascination with space research. So much so, that last year I nearly applied to be an astronaut.

Carolina CapeloOlá! My name is Carolina and I am the Journal Manager for Frontiers in Education and Frontiers in Sociology. I am a creative writer with a dream of a better future, and my most passionate interests include inclusion, social policy, and educational leadership.

Thimedi HettiHi, I'm Thimedi. I have a background in zoology and work for Frontiers in Marine Science. I love all things animal-related and have had the pleasure of working with the Women in Science series since its inception!

Madison WisemanHi, I'm Maddie. I'm based in London and have been with Frontiers for nearly two years. My passion for driving gender equality in all disciplines, as well as a love for writing, made involvement in the Women in Science blog a real ambition of mine. Other interests include Italian food, pub quizzes, and dogs!

Lucy ThompsonHello, I’m Lucy and I am the Journal Manager for Frontiers in Cardiovascular Medicine. I have worked across various parts of academic publishing for the last four years and have a background in English literature. As well as my love for writing, I enjoy painting, riding bikes, and DJing in my spare time. 

Anna FarrallHi, my name is Anna and I'm from the UK! I have a master’s in zoology from the University of Leeds and I'm a passionate animal lover after being a wildlife rescue volunteer.

Rose Gordon-OrrHey, my name is Rose. My background is in sociology and I am particularly interested in postcolonialism and migration. I live in London and I enjoy running, cooking (especially noodles), and film photography. 

Natasha InskipMy name is Natasha and I am the Journal Manager of Frontiers in Bird Science and Frontiers in Amphibian and Reptile Science. My background is in zoology and biodiversity conservation. I have a passion for all things nature and my favorite hobby is scuba diving.

Katharina StockHi, my name is Kat. I’m a social psychologist with a passion for science. I love great stories - in my spare time you can usually find me enjoying a good book, movie, or video game!

Sorcha BrennanSorcha is a Dubliner currently based in Venice. She has worked across the arts and publishing industries for the past few years and is passionate about visual culture research. Her interests lie in surrealist art, posthumanism, and italo-irish culinary experiments.

Anastasia LongAnastasia is a public relations professional with a background in diplomacy and international relations and experience working with governments, corporations, and IGOs in various geographies. Her passions are history, numismatics, and ‘finding the truth’ through a good debate!

Benjamin ParrI am a member of the Frontiers Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, I work in marketing, and I have a background in molecular biology. I also have a beautiful dachshund puppy - Sebastien - who keeps me on my toes. Collaborating with the Women in Science team at Frontiers is a great honor. It is wonderful to be disseminating stories of growth, determination, and passion, which will inspire younger generations to pursue their own dreams of a career in science. 

Kailyn SchmidtKailyn is a Public Relations Specialist at Frontiers. In her free time, she enjoys hiking and traveling.

Frontiers is a signatory of the United Nations Publishers COMPACT. This piece has been published in support of United Nations Sustainable Goal 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.