Women in STEM: Be curious, go change the world
On this international Day of Women and Girls in Science, we introduce three Boehringer Ingelheim scientists: Meet Elica, Marzieh and Raksha, and learn why and how women are making a difference in STEM.
At Boehringer Ingelheim, 49 per cent of the global workforce is female, fully committed to changing the lives of humans and animals for the better. Many of them work in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) roles, meaning they explore molecules, investigate therapies, design medicines, build algorithms and analyze more data than one could think of. No doubt, without these roles, this company would not be where it is today.
Dr. Elica Kyoseva – Role Model for Girls in Tech
The first thing to learn about Elica’s role is that she makes the impossible possible. As a quantum computing scientist, she translates tasks that traditional computers fail to calculate into use cases that quantum computers can handle. She creates quantum algorithm applications for the drug discovery process, which help to explain molecule dynamics, improve prediction accuracy, and speed up drug design and development.
Too often throughout her tech career, Elica was the single or one of few women sitting at the table and discussing the future of quantum computing. In response, she started to fight against gender inequality in the STEM fields: First, as a STEM ambassador to the UN Women Singapore Committee and second, as Managing Director for Israel of the global non-profit organization Girls in Tech. “I have always been fascinated by astrophysics and cosmology, math and technology, but I was very insecure in the beginning of my career, since I had no role models”, she remembers. “Now, I want to stand up and show all those girls out there, how cool science can be. And tell them: Be confident, you can do it!”
Dr. Marzieh Funk - A Science Devotee
When talking to Marzieh about science, her eyes sparkle with enthusiasm. She starts a phrase with terms like ‘neuronal connections and sequencing techniques’ and finishes it by calling those processes “a beauty”, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
What excites her most about science? The answer is simple: “Pure curiosity. It started when I was eight years old and the idea of understanding the human body totally absorbed me – and it never stopped”, she says. Her first time interacting with patients, back in the days when she worked as a postdoc neuroscientist in Washington, D.C., was a tipping point for her and solidified the decision to work in the pharmaceutical industry. “Suddenly, I understood this is where I can work on solutions, where I can have real impact.”
Today at Boehringer Ingelheim, Marzieh dedicates her time and energy to understanding how the human brain works and what happens when certain areas no longer respond as they should - for example, when people suffer from depression, schizophrenia and anxiety. “At the end, I always followed what I was passionate about and it turned out, that my skills can positively change people’s lives. I am deeply convinced that we - girls and women around the globe - can reach for the stars, if we believe in ourselves and our abilities.”
Dr. Raksha Tiwari - Scientist by Nature
From a young age, Raksha watched her father, an internationally recognized agricultural scientist, do his job. She probably understood much earlier than others how closely nature, humans and animals are linked, that one cannot exist without the other and vice versa. Though the decision to study veterinary medicine did not come by chance, the focus on infectious diseases in animals was a decision motivated by passion.
Today, together with her team, she tries to unveil the mechanisms that may lead to bacterial diseases in animals. But the impact of her research is bigger than that. She explains, “There are several commonalities between humans and animals, and it is definitely worth to have a closer look and find synergies. One Health strategies across different diseases and species can leverage therapeutic outcomes on both ends.”
Raksha’s advice for all girls and women thinking about a career in STEM? “Don’t hold back and stay hungry to change the world: Make use of the endless opportunities that lie ahead of us and be supportive to each other.”