Issue 28: Women of Science Feb '25
News, profiles, research, reviews, recommendations on all things women in science
Welcome back to another edition of WOSc - the weekly newsletter covering all things women in science 📈🧠📚𝞹
🔬 What to expect?
All subscribers receive the free edition covering highlights in media, awards and discovery as well as things to read, see and watch re: women in science. Drops every Tuesday. Tell your friends:
Thank you for joining. Enjoy the read.
A quick run-down of this issue:
Abstract & Intro: News and updates on all things women of and in science
Materials, Methods, Discussion: Interviews and talking points of note
Conclusions & Further Reading: Our media & content recommendations for your week
Abstract & Intro
Your rundown of headlines, news, notes & media snippets re: women of science
🥼 Industry & Life sciences
📌 International Day of Women and Girls in Science: Empowering Future Generations
The UN led the charge in marking the annual day recognising women and girls that contribute to global scientific and technological advancements, marking its 10th year.
⚛️ Physics
📌 Senamile Masango: South Africa mourns pioneering female nuclear scientist
South Africa's first black female nuclear scientist, Senamile Masango, a trailblazer who set out to inspire young women, who died this past week aged just 37.
💻 Tech
📌 The future of health tech is digital: Female-led Nina Capital closes €50 million fund
Barcelona-based Nina Capital, a female-founded health tech VC investing across Europe and the US, has closed its €50 million Fund III, anchored by LPs, including Seven Two Partners, family offices, and high-net-worth individuals from the US and Europe.
📌 CyberNorth Launches Cybersecurity Initiative for Women in Tech
CyberNorth's 'Influencing the Influencer' aims to increase female representation in cybersecurity by equipping careers advisors and teachers.
🤖 AI
📌 A new partnership to advance the treatment of women's cancer
At the France AI Action Summit, the Institute of Women's Cancers and Google announced a groundbreaking partnership aimed at improving women’s health.
💊 Healthcare
📌 ‘A fight for our lives’: Trump’s USAid freeze is harming millions of women and girls
A 90-day stop-work order under the Trump administration means many clinics around the world will shut and vital care to women and girls as former recipients of this foreign aid will be withheld.
📌 BMJ study calls for maximisation of women’s potential in healthcare
Female health leaders are good for wellbeing, research finds - but while women make up 70% of workforce, they hold only 25% of leadership. The BMJ is calling on organisations to change this statistics with their review here.
In a story that repeatedly finds its way into mainstream news, Fierce Healthcare revisit the stat that while women make up half the U.S. population and make most healthcare decisions, only 2% of VC dollars go toward women's health.
🌎 Climate Science
Food and climate tech investors remained cautious with their cash in 2024, as funding for alternative protein dipped, investments failed to align with emissions impact, and women founders were sidelined yet again.
Materials, Methods, Discussion
This week - interviews, discussions, and more:
🖊️ Interviews and features of note:
I Started A Business To Fix The Gender Health Gap - Karolina Löfqvist on why she co-founded femtech startup Hormona after being gaslighted and misdiagnosed by doctors.
Director of the Game Avowed Says AI Can’t Replace Human Creativity
🖊️ Pods and vids:
🧠 Forbes: Smarter Healthcare with AIIn this episode of Smarter Healthcare with AI, Dr. Tetteh engages in a thought-provoking conversation with Dr. Ritu Agarwal, a distinguished expert bridging social science, data science, and technology in healthcare.
Conclusions & Further Reading
More links & signposts for you to enjoy this week…
The Written Word:
🧑💻 Google and Meta used to champion DEI efforts. Why Big Tech is pulling back
🤖 How women are using AI, what they need and what’s holding them back
💊 Closing the women’s health gap: Biopharma’s untapped opportunity
👩🏻🔬 Where are the women? Science, healthcare, and the cost of exclusion.
🤖 A woman made her AI voice clone say “arse.” Then she got banned.
🧠CEO on the spot: 8 questions with Persil’s Tati Lindenberg
Events & opportunities:
🎯 Sign up to be a healthtech mentor (or mentee) with Sixty Twelve: Is this something we at WOSc are building ourselves? Keep your eyes peeled (and pass on the message)!
📍 Open deadline
🎯 Diverse History of Science Tours: For those based in London (or just visiting), you can take a free guided tour of some of the Science Museum’s most famous galleries, led by award-winning Learning Volunteers, covering all things women in science to gender and sex in scientific history.
📍 Open (and free)
🎯 Free Online Event: Emerging technologies: A strategic playbook for business leaders from the peeps at NewScientist
📍 26th Feb
🎯 Innovation in women's health and FemTech from the RSM Obs&Gynae Section - one for the diary!
📍 28th Feb
That’s all for this issue!
Thank you for reading: The WoS mission is to support, share and promote the innovative and groundbreaking work that has been and continues to be done by women across all scientific disciplines, and to empower and inspire the next generation of female leaders in the field.
If you liked it, here’s another reminder to share us with your friends, network, neighbours, coffee baristas ☕ etc.: