Dear Colleagues, 

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

As we focus on building a Council of Corporate Leadership, we of course continue to grow our prestigious Council of Academic Institutions. We are excited to welcome our newest members:

• Barnard
• Notre Dame
• Sanford Stem Cell Institute, UCSD
• Feinstein Institutes of Medicine, AWSM (Advancing Women in Science & Medicine)

We look forward to showcasing their work and their leadership in RFS Briefings, at our year-end conference, and special webinars during the year.

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

Last week, we celebrated the naming of The Rita Rossi Colwell Center! Dr. Colwell, RFS President, was instrumental in the founding of the Columbus Center for the purpose of expanding environmental science education and research in Baltimore City. Did you know? Our esteemed president was the 1st female Director of NSF, published 800+ articles and 15 books and holds 62 honorary degrees! We highly recommend Dr. Rita Colwell's book "A Lab of One's Own: One Woman's Personal Journey Through Sexism in Science" (Simon & Schuster 2020). The book is a memoir-manifesto about the entrenched sexism in science, the elaborate detours women have taken and how to fix the system. Read more.

The Gold Foundation’s 2023 Annual Gala.

The Annual Gala marks a special time each year when the Gold Foundation gathers its community of doctors, nurses, students, healthcare education leaders, medical and nursing faculty and deans, corporate executives, patients, families, nonprofit partners, and supporters in a singular celebration of humanism in healthcare. Learn about the 2023 National Humanism in Medicine Medalists in four special profiles, published in the journal and online: Dr. Gina S. Brown, Dr. Richard I. Levin, the Honorable Dr. Louis W. Sullivan, and Dr. Eileen Sullivan-Marx. Read more.

NSF selects 34 semifinalists for the inaugural NSF Regional Innovation Engines competition.
The U.S. National Science Foundation announced 34 semifinalists for the first-ever NSF Regional Innovation Engines (NSF Engines) competition, spanning nearly all key technology areas and societal and economic challenges highlighted in the "CHIPS and Science Act." There are only 9 women selected among the 34 semifinalists for the NSF Regional Innovation Engines competition! There’s a world of opportunity out here, NSF! Read more.

Dr. Vanessa Kerry appointed as WHO Director-General Special Envoy for Climate Change and Health.
Dr Kerry, a renowned global health expert and medical doctor and CEO of Seed Global Health, will play a pivotal role in amplifying WHO's climate and health messaging and undertake high-level advocacy. Read more. 

On International Women in Engineering Day, engineers highlight the need for IT diversity.
June 23 marks International Women in Engineering Day, a time to look back at why engineers were drawn to the field, what made them stay and what they hope for the future. It’s also a day to recognize just how essential diverse teams are when building and designing technology. Read more.

SUSTAIN - women in research.
Not enough women in science are securing senior leadership posts in the UK. The SUSTAIN program seeks to address this gap. See the list of the 24 new participants funded by the Academy of Medical Sciences, the Medical Research Council, the Royal Society or the Royal Academy of Engineering. Read more.

A $25,000 Award for Women Scientists Working to Improve Soil Health.
The Story Exchange, an award-winning nonprofit media organization dedicated to elevating women’s voices, is seeking submissions for its 3rd annual Women In Science Incentive Prize. The cash prize will support U.S.-based women working to find innovative, science-based solutions as climate change disrupts and depletes our natural resources. Read more.

OMRF scientist brings conference of age-related disease experts to OKC.

Serving as president of the American Aging Association comes with one major perk, says Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation scientist Holly Van Remmen, Ph.D. “You get to choose where the next year’s annual meeting will be held,” Van Remmen said. Read more. Image: OMRF.

'Her Space, Her Time': Quantum physicist Dr Shohini Ghose to release book championing women in science.

Dr. Shohini Ghose specializes in quantum information science and is one of few female physicists paving the way for women in science, a field traditionally dominated by men. During lockdown, Ghose decided to write her third book, which celebrates great women from the history of physics and science. Read more. Images: Dr. Shohini Ghose / Amazon. 

Subscribe to our newsletter (RFS Briefings) at https://womeninscience.substack.com/   

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

Dear Colleagues, 

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

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

Dear Colleagues, 

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

Rosalind Franklin Society Medal

Submission deadline: Extended to May 31st
Submit Nomination Now!                                    

The Genome Writers Guild (GWG) and Rosalind Franklin Society have joined forces again to recognize amazing scientists by awarding the Rosalind Franklin Medal.

This award marries together GWG’s core objectives of facilitating genome writing conversation, collaboration, and exposure with the Rosalind Franklin Society’s goals of enabling more women to achieve higher recognition, visibility, appointments, and success in industry, academia, or government. The recipient of this award will embody the missions of both organizations. 

The Rosalind Franklin Medal will not only recognize the outstanding body of research of a woman in the field of genome engineering and nucleic acids research, it also offers a platform to share that work with members and colleagues worldwide of both organizations. The recipient will be an invited speaker at the Genome Writers Guild annual conference this summer and annual Rosalind Franklin Board Meeting and Colloquium later this year. We invite the nominations of women working in the fields of genome engineering and synthetic biology. The researcher should be in an early stage of their career, including graduate students, post-docs and assistant professors. Nominees from all walks of genomics and nucleic acid research, including academia, industry, and government are welcome. Criteria used to identify the winner will include: scientific Impact; contribution to the fields of genome editing or nucleic acid research; contributions to equity, diversity, and inclusion; community outreach; and overall strength of support letter(s).

To nominate (or self-nominate):

• Send name

• CV and/or Biosketch

• Brief statement of support/ justification for review context

Contact us for questions
Erin Nolan: [email protected]
Dr.Shondra Pruett-Miller: [email protected]

Stay safe and sound,
 
Karla Shepard Rubinger
Executive Director
Rosalind Franklin Society
www.rosalindfranklinsociety.org

Novel Innovations for Tissue Regeneration in Osteoarthritis.
ARPA-H, the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health, has launched a new program. The goal of NITRO (Novel Innovations for Tissue Regeneration in Osteoarthritis) is to find ways for the human body to repair its own joints. Osteoarthritis affects more than 32 million Americans, is the third most common type of disability, and has an estimated economic burden of more than $136 billion per year. A Proposers' Day for research teams interested in NITRO is scheduled for June 15 – learn more and register.

Research!America Calls for Entries for Discovery | Innovation | Health Prize.
Research!America’s 2023 Discovery | Innovation | Health Prize will recognize and provide support for a researcher or clinician with a bold vision for progress against pandemic threats. Applications are open through June 15 for the $200,000 prize. Read more.

Charting an Equity-Centered Public Health Data System.
Building a public health data system rooted in health equity is key to building a Culture of Health, where everyone has a fair and just opportunity to live a long and healthy life. This special publication, Charting an Equity-Centered Public Health Data System, highlights what can be done to create a modern public health data system that advances equity. Read more.

OMRF’s Montgomery to lead Center for Biomedical Data Sciences.

The Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation has named Courtney Montgomery, Ph.D., as the founding director of its Center for Biomedical Data Sciences. “Data science plays an enormous role in biomedical research,” she said. “A single experiment can generate enough data to fill 75 laptops. Our scientists need extensive computing resources and skilled mathematicians and computer scientists to make discoveries from that much information.” Read more. Image: The Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation.

Also at OMRF,  EVP Dr. Judith James selected for induction to Oklahoma Hall of Fame.  

OMRF Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer Judith James, M.D., Ph.D., has been named a member of the 2023 class of the Oklahoma Hall of Fame. Considered among the highest honors in the state, James is the first woman from OMRF and just the third scientist in the foundation’s 76-year history to be selected for induction into the hall of fame. OMRF is a member of our Council of Academic Institutions. Read more. Image: OMRF.

Science & SciLifeLab Prize for Young Scientists.
Recent PhD? Boost your career by applying to the Science and SciLifeLab’s Prize for young scientists, an annual prize awarded to early-career scientists, this year celebrating its 10th anniversary. As a winner, you will have your essay published by Science, receive up to 30,000 USD and be invited to Sweden where you receive your award, present your research and meet with leading scientists in your field. Read more.

Baszucki Group Partners with Stony Brook University on Neuroblox Platform to Revolutionize Treatments for Brain Disorders.

Stony Brook University announced a philanthropic gift to develop Neuroblox, a software platform developed by biomedical engineer and neuroscientist Lilianne “Lily” Mujica-Parodi that will model brain circuits to treat brain disorders. The gift was made possible by David Baszucki, founder and chief executive officer of Roblox, and his wife, bestselling author Jan Ellison Baszucki. Read more. Image: Lilianne R. Mujica-Parodi, Stony Brook University.

Dr. Edna Adan Ismail Receives 2023 Templeton Prize.

The winner of the 2023 Templeton Prize is Dr. Edna Adan Ismail, a nurse-midwife, hospital founder, and healthcare advocate who has worked courageously to change cultural, religious, and medical norms surrounding women’s health in East Africa, improving the lives of thousands of women and girls in the region and beyond. Read more. Image: 2023 Templeton Prize Winner Edna Adan Ismail photographed in London by Tim Cole for the Templeton Prize. 

Bernadine Strik, Whose Insights Helped Blueberries Thrive, Dies at 60.
Bernadine Strik, a horticulture professor at Oregon State University whose innovative cultivation strategies shook up the American blueberry industry, died on April 14 at a hospital in Corvallis, Ore. She was 60. Dr. Strik helped organic growers maximize their yields by planting on raised beds instead of flat ground, a technique that also benefited conventional farms. She persuaded many berry producers, in Oregon and beyond, to accept her research and adopt her measures, writes Daniel E. Slotnik for The New York Times. Read more.

The Female Turn: How Evolutionary Science Shifted Perceptions About Females.
Evolutionary biology has historically rendered female animals as passive recipients of sexual selection, but that view has shifted as researchers have begun to focus more on female anatomy and behavior. This week on the Science podcast, Malin Ah-King describes how new research is revealing the active sexual strategies used by females across the animal kingdom. Read more.

Women (probably) make for better astronauts. So should the first crew to Mars be all-female?
A recent study by the European Space Agency’s (ESA) medical team concluded that “there may be a number of operational advantages to all-female crews [for future long-duration missions]”. But as Angela Saini, a journalist and author who has researched the impacts of sex-based research says: “There is actually no real-life 'default' male – every man is different from the next, just like every woman is. "While it's great that women have been studied, the more important takeaway is that individual astronauts should obviously be considered.” Read more.

Subscribe to our newsletter (RFS Briefings) at https://womeninscience.substack.com/  

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

Dear Colleagues, 

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

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

Akiko Iwasaki is awarded the Else Kröner Fresenius Prize for Medical Research 2023 for her research on long COVID.

Immunologist Professor Akiko Iwasaki from the Yale School of Medicine is being awarded one of the world’s most highly endowed prizes for research in the field of medicine: the Else Kröner Fresenius Prize for Medical Research. EKFS is honoring Iwasaki’s groundbreaking contributions in the area of “Diseases of worldwide significance,” focused on immune responses to viral infections. Please listen to  her presentation from RFS Virtual Meeting 2019:  Labs, Leaders, Critical Connections: RFS Virtual Meeting 2019  Read more. Image: Yale School of Medicine.

CDC director Rochelle Walensky is leaving her post.
Rochelle Walensky, who led the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention through some of the grimmest phases of the COVID-19 pandemic, announced that she will leave the agency at the end of June.“Dr. Walensky has saved lives with her steadfast and unwavering focus on the health of every American,” President Biden said in a statement. Read more.

Personal Perspective on a Life in Science.

The Kavli Foundation President, Cynthia Friend, shares her take on the dynamic frontier of science in a personal perspective published in The Journal of Physical Chemistry. “Through a few stories, she highlights some of the opportunities and challenges over the last several decades and expresses her deep gratitude and privilege for a multi-faceted career, rich in ideas and full of friends and colleagues.” Read more. Image: Kavli Foundation.

Pamela Silver elected to National Academy of Sciences.

 

Pamela Silver, Ph.D., founding Core Faculty member of the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University, and the Elliot T. and Onie H. Adams Professor of Biochemistry and Systems Biology at Harvard Medical School (HMS) is joining the ranks of the National Academy of Sciences. Read more.Image: Wyss Institute. 

First deaf, Black woman receives her PhD in a STEM discipline.

Graduate student Amie Fornah Sankoh recently stood in front of 150 colleagues, family and friends at the Donald Danforth Plant Science Center to defend her thesis. Upon her successful defense, Dr. Amie Sankoh became the first Deaf, Black woman to receive a PhD in any STEM discipline. Read more. Image: Dr. Tessa Burch-Smith and Dr. Amie Fornah Sankoh work on plants in the lab. Credit: Donald Danforth Plant Science Center.  

Health Equity Special Issue: Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Health.
This special issue is a collection of short reports, research articles, perspectives, and editorials on Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander health disparities. The articles touch on the challenges to AANHPI health, the underlying factors, and the diversity within the AANHPI. Read more.

The 2023 Goldman Environmental Prize Winners. 
Meet the 2023 Goldman Prize winners, six ordinary people who took extraordinary actions to protect their environments and communities: Diane Wilson from the United States, Alessandra Korap Munduruku from Brazil, Chilekwa Mumba from Zambia, Tero Mustonen from Finland, Zafer Kizilkaya from Turkey, and Delima Silalahi from Indonesia. Read more.

Women’s health: end the disparity in funding.
The past 30 years has in many ways changed the landscape for women’s-health research. But in other respects, time has stood still, according to an editorial in Nature. Female participation rates in some studies remain low, as affirmed by a report published in March and commissioned by the Women’s Brain Project, a non-profit body based in Guntershausen, Switzerland. Read more.

What it’s like to be in the minority at a conference.
Nature spoke to four scientists about their experiences as members of under-represented groups at conferences — and how researchers can protect themselves and others from inappropriate behavior, abuse and harassment. “Being in the minority at conferences is worse than in other professional situations because they are so important. As a researcher, you need to know what others in your field are doing, find out about interesting projects and be part of networks,” says Pas Garcia Martinez, Optics researcher at the University of Valencia in Spain and general secretary of the Spanish Association of Female Researchers and Technologists. Read more.

 Early Career Summit.
Registration is open for Reaching the Peak: A Science & Technology Early Career Summit Series. Throughout these events, you will have the opportunity to explore an array of career paths, network with fellow researchers and career professionals, participate in professional development workshops, and engage in meaningful discussions around issues critical to the success of the R&D ecosystem. Read more.

Women’s representation as authors of retracted papers in the biomedical sciences
“Women are under-represented among authors of scientific papers. Although the number of retractions has been rising over the past few decades, gender differences among authors of retracted papers remain poorly understood. Therefore, this study investigated gender differences in authorship of retracted papers in biomedical sciences available on RetractionWatch,” according to the authors of the study in PLoS One. Read more.

The Beacon Award for Women Leaders in Oncology. 
The AIM-HI Beacon Award for Women Leaders in Oncology recognizes outstanding women leaders in all sectors of the health and life sciences industry who have made a significant impact on advancing cancer treatment, detection, and diagnosis for patients worldwide. The Nomination Deadline for the 2023 Beacon Award is Wednesday, May 31, at 11:55 PM Eastern time. Read more.

The Ross Prize in Molecular Medicine.

Drs. Helen Hobbs (an RFS Board Member) and Jonathan Cohen are being awarded the 2023 Ross Prize in Molecular Medicine for their pioneering and collaborative work in defining the genetic risk factors for dyslipidemias and metabolic liver disease that have led to the rational design of new therapies. Read more. Image: Helen H. Hobbs, M.D., is an Investigator of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and a Professor of Internal Medicine and Molecular Genetics at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. 

SENS Research Foundation Grand Opening.
On Friday, June 23rd at 4 pm PT, SENS Research Foundation’s expanded Research Center (a member of our Council of Academic Institutions) is all set to open its doors for a Grand Opening event that you cannot miss. Get ready to mingle, network, and meet fellow supporters of healthy longevity and rub shoulders with innovators from the Bay Area's most exciting biotech and longevity companies! Read more.

Subscribe to our newsletter (RFS Briefings) at https://womeninscience.substack.com/  

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