ONLINE EXHIBITION
Women in Science
Inês Tomás
Hello, my name is Inês Tomás, I’m 26 years old and I’m a Portuguese 1st generation student doing my PhD in the Watt Lab in the Centre for Gene Therapy and Regenerative Medicine.
I did my BSc in Biology, in Coimbra (Portugal), where job prospects were quite limited. I then extended my education to a MSc in Molecular Genetics and Biomedicine in Lisbon, which gave me some opportunities to go study abroad. My career started by being selected for an internship at King’s College London to work closely with another female scientist in a female led lab. This was a very pleasant surprise, reiterating the power of women in the scientific community and providing young students with role models.
Being a Woman in Science is not only about succeeding academically and professionally, but there is an additional pressure to advocate for our rights at every opportunity. It is alarming the amount of young female scientists that still are bullied, undermined, disrespected, and explored every day. In research labs, universities, and industrial settings all over the world, women quit their career for lack of credit, motivation and a supportive working environment.
My every-day mission is to keep advocating for a scientific community where everyone has an equal “seat at the table” and women won’t need to second guess their own knowledge or re-enforce their value.
