The United Nations declared February 11 as International Day of Women and Girls in Science. It’s a day to recognize their important contributions to the field and help empower the next generation. To celebrate, we spoke to six women scientists at Sinai Health and asked them to share what inspired them to pursue their careers. Here’s what they said.
“Ever since I was a little girl, I have always been intrigued by the how and why of what made things work. I was always poking and prodding at things with a curiosity as to how the smaller pieces fit in to the big picture. A career in science allows me to transform my passion for curiosity into supporting health system improvements. – Tujuanna Austin, MSc, PhD Student and Research Assistant, Bridgepoint Collaboratory for Research and Innovation, part of the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute
“I was always able to see numbers and formulas in my head. Both of my parents saw my love of math and chemistry as a gift to be cherished.” – Dr. Lisa Burry, PharmD, Clinical Pharmacy Specialist, Mount Sinai Hospital and Associate Member, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute
“I was always encouraged to be curious about the world around me growing up. That curiosity eventually led me to a great job in research, where I get to create, test and find solutions that help improve people’s lives.” – Alana Armas, Research Coordinator, Bridgepoint Collaboratory for Research and Innovation, part of the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute
“I fell into science. Every step along the way of my educational career has led to it. I’ve just always enjoyed the constant learning and discovery.” – Cassandra Wong, Mass Spectrometry Research Associate, Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute
“As a Registered Nurse, I was motivated to pursue graduate education to address system-level factors that have an impact on nursing practice and care for complex patients. Engaging in research allows me to critically examine these factors. I hope to contribute to health system transformation that benefits complex patients and clinicians.” – Alyssa Indar, RN, PhD student and Research Trainee, Bridgepoint Collaboratory for Research and Innovation, part of the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute
“I became a scientist because I love to figure out how things work. Also, I loved looking at cells under a microscope – they are so beautiful! It is amazing that there is a whole part of the world that affects our life daily and we can’t see it.” – Dr. Sarah Hutchinson, PhD, Research Manager, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Mount Sinai Hospital