International women's day at CRM

For International Women's Day and International Day of Women and Girls in Science, we are celebrating all the wonderful women working at CRM. 

Here are just a few examples of our remarkable female staff members and students.

 

Dr Sofia Ferreira-Gonzales

Sofia is a postgraduate researcher based in the Forbes Lab. In 2019, she won the IRR Early Career Innovator Award for her proposal to develop a novel tool which would help reduce liver transplant complications. The judging panel were impressed by her viable and accessible solution to a very clear, unmet need in liver transplantation and applauded her vision of what the tool would look like.

With the prize funding of £5,000, and the additional support from the University of Edinburgh, Sofia is now working on developing her idea further.

 

Emily Fong

Emily is currently the Artist in Residence at CRM, working in partnership with the Emmerson Lab on an exciting Sci-Art collaboration G-Lands.

Emily is observing the journey taken by the salivary gland, from the time it is removed from the patient through to the research taking place in Dr Elaine Emmerson’s laboratory. She is meeting with patients, surgeons, oncologists, pathologists and research scientists, capturing the different perspectives of those who interact with the salivary gland through drawing and sculpture.

 

Dr Cathy Southworth

Cathy is the Community Engagement Manager for CRM and Edinburgh BioQuarter. She has developed a highly successful partnership with our local community through a vibrant collection of science engagement activities. This includes a mentoring programme at the local high school and an annual Community Science Festival.

In 2019, Castleview Primary School were named the overall winner of the Rolls Royce Science Prize and the Eden Award for their project People like me can do STEM.  CRM was a key partner on the project, with Cathy working with colleagues from the school to develop and realise the project vision.

 

Dr Jasmin Paris

Jasmin, an Edinburgh Clinical Academic Track (ECAT) Clinical Fellow researching acute myeloid leukaemia, was completing her PhD at CRM when in 2019 she became the became the first woman to win the 286-mile Montane Spine Race - breaking the overall record by 12 hours! What made her athletic achievement even more impressive, was that she still breastfeeding her 14-month-old daughter and stopped to express milk along the way.

Jasmin received the Barclay's Woman of the Year Award in recognition of her incredible accomplishment. She is now working as a Senior Clinician in the Hospital for Small Animals Internal Medicine Service and continuing her research in Edinburgh.

 

Maria Husain

Maria is a former pupil from Castlebrae Community High School who joined CRM’s administration team in 2018, providing HR and finance support whilst also studying for her SVQ 3 Business and Administration Modern Apprenticeship.

Maria successfully completed her modern apprenticeship in December 2019 and is currently considering further training and employment opportunities.

 

Dr Justyna Cholewa-Waclaw

Justyna recently joined CRM as the Head of High Content Screening. She is responsible for developing and providing high content screening assays for the Centre and the wider campus, managing the Operetta screening platform. 

Justyna is already playing a key role in supporting staff and students across the Centre.

 

Article written by Christina Xenaki and Nan (Dorothy) Zhang.