Dear Colleagues, 

I am pleased to include another issue of RFS Briefings with some timely and encouraging updates on women in science.

The RFS Year-end virtual conference is in the works!

We are in the process of taping an impressive agenda which will share insights from cutting-edge fields such as precision medicine and outer space, from industry including corporate leadership and start-ups, as well as experience from journalists and new leadership in Washington.  

These productions will be shared through broadcast on January 25th, 26th, and 27th, 2:00-5:00 p.m. (EST). 

A link for registration will be posted soon. We know you will want to hear these presentations from prestigious scholars, authors, award winners, government leaders from CDC, OTPS, NASA, and the casting producer from Shark Tank! 

Please continue to share important news and opportunities with us so that we may share it with you, and others who are committed to supporting the careers of exceptional women in science. 

Stay safe and sound, 

Karla Shepard Rubinger
Executive Director
Rosalind Franklin Society
www.rosalindfranklinsociety.org 

Vaccine scientists are TIME’s 2021 Heroes of the Year. 

Photograph by Mattia Balsamini.

Katalin Kariko, Drew Weissman, Kizzmekia Corbett, and Barney Graham achieved a breakthrough of singular importance, introducing an innovative and highly effective vaccine platform, based on mRNA, that will impact our health and well-being far beyond this pandemic. And make sure you watch the compelling interview with Dr. Kariko which RFS hosted on July 23, 2020.   Read more.

Shirley McBay, pioneering mathematician, is dead at 86.
Shirley McBay, who in 1966 became the first Black person to receive a doctorate from the University of Georgia, and who went on to be a leading voice for diversity in science and math education, died on November 27 at her home in Los Angeles. She was 86. Read more.

Nature’s 10: Ten people who helped shape science in 2021.
The Nature’s 10 list explores “key developments in science this year and some of the people who played important parts in these milestones. Along with their colleagues, these individuals helped to make amazing discoveries and brought attention to crucial issues. Nature’s 10 is not an award or a ranking. The selection is compiled by Nature’s editors to highlight key events in science through the compelling stories of those involved.” Read more.

Female founders are crashing the billionaire club.
As the women who created Bumble, Spanx, and 23andMe achieve new levels of wealth and success, can they open the door for the female entrepreneurs coming behind them? Maria Aspan and Emma Hinchliffe find out. Read more.

Event: Using Philanthropy to Spark Government Innovation.

Join Ruth Lehmann, Director of the Whitehead Institute, and Jill Shah, President of the Shah Family Foundation, as they discuss philanthropy as a catalyst for government innovation in the areas of nutrition, education, and economic support. What trends in science and technology excite them the most? Which innovations have the potential to dramatically impact the way we live and work? Be a part of the conversation on Tuesday, January 18, 2022 at 7:00 PM (ET).   Read more. “You can watch Dr. Lehmann’s presentation for RFS here.

Welcome to the 2021 NIH Director's Awards.
Please join us in congratulating the 2021 NIH Director’s Awards recipients. These individuals are being recognized for their outstanding contributions to support the mission of the National Institutes of Health. To browse the 2021 recipient list, visit the website.

June Lindsey, another forgotten woman in the story of DNA.

Her discovery of adenine and guanine’s structure was a key part of solving the DNA double helix puzzle – yet her contributions are almost forgotten. ‘I think that it could be argued that her work was as a sine qua non – without which would not be possible the DNA structure,’ says Alex MacKenzie, a professor of paediatrics at the University of Ottawa in Canada who first met Lindsey at a family birthday party and wrote an article about her in 2018. Read more. Image: The Globe and Mail.

Call for nominations: The Victoria's Secret Global Fund for Women’s Cancers 2022 Meritorious Awards, in partnership with Pelotonia and AACR.
The Victoria’s Secret Global Fund for Women’s Cancers 2022 Meritorious Awards, In Partnership with Pelotonia & AACR are intended to foster innovative research aimed at transforming outcomes for breast and gynecologic cancers, while also serving as an investment in the next generation of female cancer researchers worldwide. All award recipients will receive $100,000 and be formally recognized during the AACR Annual Meeting 2022 (AM2022) and Annual Pelotonia Signature Event Weekend. Read more.

Once shunned in Antarctica, female scientists are now doing crucial polar research.
“On top of institutional challenges, scientists increasingly have to contend with public and government hostility—at times even harassment—when they work on socially contested subjects such as environmental science, the effectiveness of gun control and public health,” writes Naomi Oreskes. Read more.

Salk Women & Science.
Salk Women & Science held a virtual event on December 1, 2021, which featured a scientific presentation by new Salk faculty member Assistant Professor Christina Towers on “Blocking Cancer Cell Metabolism” and her lab’s groundbreaking cancer research. Read more.

Check out headliners for London's WOW Festival.
Each year, to mark International Women’s Day on 8 March, world-class speakers, activists and performers come together for WOW – Women of the World Festival. Read more.

Female physicians earn an estimated $2 million less than male physicians over a simulated 40-year career.
Analyzing data from more than 80,000 full-time physicians, Christopher Whaley and coauthors found that male physicians earn approximately $2 million, or 25 percent, more than female physicians over the course of a simulated forty-year career. Read more.

BBC 100 Women 2021: Who is on the list this year?
The BBC has revealed its list of 100 inspiring and influential women from around the world for 2021, including 22 working on science & health. Among them are Malala Yousafzai, the youngest ever Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Samoa's first female prime minister Fiamē Naomi Mata'afa, Professor Heidi J Larson, who heads The Vaccine Confidence Project, and acclaimed author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Read more.

New York Life Investments launches impact investing ETFs targeting clean transport, oceans, gender equality.
The new funds, focused on the themes of gender equality, clean oceans, and clean transport expand the company’s Dual Impact family of thematic investment strategies. Read more.

Marianna Limas, Social Media Manager
Nilda Rivera, Partnership and Events Manager