RFS Briefings - July 8, 2020

Dear Colleagues, 

I am pleased to include another issue of RFS Briefings with some timely and encouraging updates on women in science.   

Of note, three events are highlighted here:

• Rockefeller University is presenting a webinar series, hosted by President Richard P. Lifton, MD, PhD, in which the University’s ongoing COVID-19 research is explored and discussed by its pioneering scientists. On May 14, 2020, physician-scientist Marina Caskey focused on “Antibody Therapeutics and Pathways to Prevention,” drawing her studies of HIV and other infectious diseases. Watch here.
• The Virtual Public Summit of The National Academies’ Action Collaborative on Preventing Sexual Harassment in Higher Education will be presented on October 19-20, 2020, hosted by the University of Wisconsin. The deadline for submitting abstracts has been extended to July 21, 2020. Additional information about registration and the agenda will be made available in September 2020. Read more.
• The 2020 Genome Writers Guild Conference “Genome Engineering Future – Now Therapies,” will be presented on July 23-25 as a free, live, virtual event. RFS will present the inaugural Rosalind Franklin Society Medal, which this year will mark Rosalind Franklin’s 100^th birthday on July 25. Read more. 

In addition, we hope you saw our recent special issue, “Black Scientists Matter!”

See below for more news about women in science

Please continue to share important news and opportunities with us so that we may share it with you, and others who are committed to supporting the careers of exceptional women in science. 

With regards in these trying times,  

Karla Shepard Rubinger
Executive Director
Rosalind Franklin Society
www.rosalindfranklinsociety.org

Decades-Old Soviet Studies Hint at Coronavirus Strategy
More than 125 candidates for vaccines to target COVID-19 are under development around the world. One approach has been to repurpose earlier vaccines, such as that against polio, described as “’one of the hottest areas of immunology,” according to Dr. Robert Gallo, director of the Institute of Human Virology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. For example, in 1959, Dr. Marina Voroshilova established that the live polio vaccine protected people against other viral illnesses for a month or so thereafter. She and her husband, Dr. Chumakov, gave her sons and several nieces and nephews the vaccine each fall as a protection against the flu, leading to wide trials and eventually the mass production of the vaccine used around the world. A large study from 1968-1975, overseen by Dr. Voroshilova, found reduced mortality from flu in people immunized with other vaccines, including the oral polio vaccine. Her sons, all who became virologists, see the polio vaccine as a possible weapon against the new coronavirus.  Read more.

The Scientist, the Air, and the Virus
Linsey Marr, PHD, an aerosol scientist at Virginia Tech, first became interested in the spread of illness through the air when her child was in daycare 12 years ago. Noticing that when he was sick, so were more than half the children in his room. She realized then how little was known about the airborne transmission of viruses. As we face the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Marr’s multidisciplinary background in engineering science, and civil and environmental engineering, have made her one of the world’s leading scientists on airborne viruses. She has become popular for her ability to explain difficult scientific problems in easy-to-understand terms, for example, the visual use of cigarette smoke to explain viral plumes, and mathematical models to determine the safety of hugging during a viral outbreak, using photos with her daughter in various hug positions to show how they lower the risk. She reveals her noted practicality and sense of calm in the following statement: “’For the things we don’t know, it’s good to err on the safe side, but also not to be paranoid.’” Read more.

Rockefeller University and COVID-19: Virtual Discussions with Genuine Experts
Rockefeller University has been presenting a webinar series, hosted by President Richard P. Lifton, MD, PhD, in which the University’s ongoing COVID-19 research is explored and discussed by its pioneering scientists. On May 14, 2020, physician-scientist Marina Caskey focused on “Antibody Therapeutics and Pathways to Prevention,” drawing on her studies of HIV and other infectious diseases. She is leading clinical efforts to identify and evaluate exceptionally potent antibodies derived from patients who have recovered from COVID-19. Her work, in collaboration with lab head Michel Nussenzweig, MD, PhD, is essential to the development of immunotherapeutic strategies for the prevention and treatment of coronavirus infection. Watch here. For information about future webinars, join the mailing list.

Women Scientists Share Knowledge and Initiatives to Address COVID-19
A webinar organized for The L’Oréal UNESCO for Women in Science Alumnae on June 2, 2020, a collaborative effort by UNESCO and Fondation L’Oréal, provided an opportunity for leading women experts in virology, epidemiology, and relevant disciplines to share knowledge and explore potential collaboration. “Sharing Knowledge and Actions on COVID-19” was the first online experts meeting for this global cohort, with participation by 80 women scientists of the FWIS alumnae. Alexandra Palt, Chief Corporate Responsibility Officer and Executive Vice President of the Fondation L’Oréal, delivered welcoming remarks addressing the impact of the current health crisis on women scientists, including inequalities in publishing and low representation in governmental scientific committees for COVID-19. Read more.

Genome Writers Guild Conference 2020 – July 23-25
The 2020 Genome Writers Guild Conference “Genome Engineering Future – Now Therapies,” will be presented on July 23-25 as a free, live, virtual event. RFS will have a featured role, including the Rosalind Franklin Society lecture by Mary Ann Liebert, the Society’s Founder and Executive Vice President, the presentation of the inaugural Rosalind Franklin Society Medal marking Rosalind Franklin’s 100th birthday, and a presentation by Kevin Davies, PhD, founding Executive Editor, The CRISPR Journal,.(www.liebertpub,com/crispr) We have joined forces with the Genome Writers Guild to recognize amazing scientists by instituting this award. Read more.

Action Collaborative on Preventing Sexual Harassment in Higher Education – Call for Presentation and Poster Proposals
The Virtual Public Summit of The National Academies’ Action Collaborative on Preventing Sexual Harassment in Higher Education will be presented on October 19-20, 2020, hosted by the University of Wisconsin. This annual open forum convenes a diverse group, including members of the Collaborative, the broader higher education community, sexual violence and harassment researchers, sexual harassment response practitioners, grassroots and nonprofit organizations, public and private foundations, and federal and state policy makers. The deadline for submitting abstracts has been extended to July 21, 2020. Additional information about registration and the agenda will be made available in September 2020. Read more.

2020 FNIH Lurie Prize in Biomedical Sciences Winner
The Foundation for the National Institutes of Health announced Aviv Regev, PhD as the winner of the 2020 Lurie Prize in Biomedical Science. Now in its eighth year, the prize is awarded for outstanding achievement by a promising scientist aged 52 or younger. Dr. Regev was recognized for laying the groundwork for the field of single-cell genomics and spearheading leading-edge technologies that enable a sharper perspective on human cells and applying them to revolutionize the understanding of biology and disease. She is a Core Member, Chair of the Faculty and Director of the Klarman Cell Observatory at the Broad Institute of MIT, Professor of Biology at MIT, and an Investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Read more.

First American Woman to Walk in Space Reaches Deepest Spot in the Ocean
Astronaut and oceanographer Kelly Sullivan, who was the first woman to walk in space on October 11, 1984, has just become the first woman to reach the deepest known spot in the ocean. On June 8, 2020, she emerged from a 35,810-foot dive to the Challenger Deep, the lowest of many seabed recesses that crisscross the globe. She and Victor L. Vescovo, an explorer funding the mission, spent about an hour and a half at their destination, nearly 7 miles down in a muddy depression in Mariana Trench, about 200 miles southwest of Guam. Upon returning to their ship, the pair called a group of astronauts aboard the International Space Station, about 254 miles above earth. According to Dr. Sullivan: “… this was an extraordinary day, a once in a lifetime day, seeing the moonscape of the Challenger Deep and then comparing notes with my colleagues on the ISS about our remarkable reusable inner-space outer-spacecraft.” Read more.

Johnson & Johnson Announces Winners of 2020 Women in STEM²D Scholars Award
On June 18, Johnson & Johnson announced the six winners of its third annual Women in STEM²D (WiSTEM²D) Scholars Award, each representing one of the STEM²D disciplines: Science, Technology, Engineering, Math, Manufacturing, and Design. This global initiative, open to female scholars working as assistant professors (or the global equivalent), seeks to recognize women at critical points in their careers by supporting their research and inspiring career paths. Read more.

NIH Taps Dr. Shannon Zenk as Director of the National Institute of Nursing Research
Francis S. Collins, MD, PhD, NIH Director, has selected Shannon N. Zenk, PhD, MPH, RN, FAAN, as director of NIH’s National Institute of Nursing Research. She will begin her new role in early fall 2020. NINR supports and conducts basic and clinical research that spans and integrates the behavioral and biological sciences, and develops the scientific basis for clinical practice. As a registered nurse, nurse educator, and leading nurse researcher, she is “an ideal” choice for this position, according to Dr. Collins. Dr. Zenk’s own research focuses on social inequities and health, with a goal to identify effective, multi-level approaches to improve health and eliminate racial/ethnic and socioeconomic health disparities. Read more.

Documentary ‘Picture A Scientist’ Spells Out Collective Cost of Sexism Within Science
Sharon Hattuck and Ian Cheney, documentary filmmakers of science-based films, have had difficulty finding women and people of color to feature in their films. In addition to the observable lack of women in STEM (only 30% of working scientists) are the “qualitative experiences,” namely, sexual harassment that affects 50% of women faculty and staff in academia, along with other insidious forms of discrimination. To address this issue, Hattuck and Cheney have created a new documentary based on the groundbreaking 1999 MIT Report, “A Study on the Status of Women Faculty in Science at MIT,” spearheaded by Nancy Hopkins, PhD, Professor of Biology Emerita, MIT. The film, “Picture a Scientist,” combines the firsthand recollections of sexist and racist treatment of three women at different stages of their careers with irrefutable current data. According to Dr. Hopkins, who is featured in the film, “’You hear people talking endlessly about diversity. What is the problem? Let’s do it.’” Dr. Hopkins is a founding Board member of the Rosalind Franklin Society and has spoken at our annual meetings. Read more.

Honoring Women in Life Science 2020, a Video by GEN
GEN: Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News, a publication of Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., Founder and Executive Vice President of RFS, has produced a wonderful new video acknowledging the indispensable contributions women have made throughout history in the life sciences. GEN is the publisher’s flagship publication, launched in 1980. For a sneak preview of the video, please watch here. 

Moves Are Afoot in Africa to Keep More Women in Science Careers 
Though women scientists are essential to Africa’s development and transformation, they remain notably underrepresented in higher education and in STEM. Women are perceived and treated by society as inferior and less capable than men, which impacts their educational and professional lives. Beyond Africa, this is recognized as a global issue. Women account for 53% of the world’s bachelor’s and master’s degree graduates and 43% of PhD graduates, but only 28% of researchers in all fields. Only 30% of women in higher education move into STEM-related fields. Initiatives to close the gender gap in African STEM are growing, as reported in this article. Read more.

Star Player Who Expressed Interest in Going to an HBCU May Shake Up How Athletes Select a College
Mikey Williams, one of the nation’s best 15-year-old basketball players, generated a great deal of interest when he tweeted that he might go to an HBCU. A star player in college athletics can help a school generate significant revenue and expand its sports program. But, because HBCUs are historically underfunded and therefore unable to compete with some Division I peers for recruits, they are less likely to attract the most talented players. The timing of Williams’ decision is not surprising as black youth are grappling with their own racial identities and the systemic disparities of race in the U.S. Read more.

Black Women Scientists Missing from Textbooks, Study Finds
In contrast to research showing the importance of diverse, relatable role models in science, a recent study published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B found that scientists featured in textbooks are predominantly white men, with U.S. biology textbooks featuring seven men for every woman scientist. Black women were not represented at all in any of the works analyzed. Data were based on an analysis of more than 1,000 scientific names featured in seven modern biology textbooks for undergraduates entering science and medicine in the U.S. The researchers predict that based on the current rate, “it will be centuries before books used to teach undergraduate biology will match the diversity of their readers.” Read more.

Miss America, a Scientist, to Make History with Two-Year Reign Due to Coronavirus Pandemic
Camille Schrier, who won the 99^th Miss America crown in December 2019, made history for being the first contestant to perform an on-stage scientific experiment during the talent portion of the show. In another unprecedented first, she will hold the title for two years because of the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. The next competition will be held in 2021. As a student at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Pharmacy, she has aimed to promote drug safety in addition to advocating for STEM education. Read more.

How to Mentor and Support Other Women – and Help Them Succeed
Pat Mitchell, the first female president of CNN Productions and PBS and the first woman to own and host a nationally syndicated daily talk show, is a “passionate” mentor. In this article, she offers practical advice on how to best empower women. She believes that mentoring is one of the strategies that can close the gender leadership gap in the U.S. and around the world. Being a great mentor, according to Mitchell’s experience, involves the following: matching your skills and interests with your mentee; identifying the preferred way of connecting (in person, phone, email, Skype, etc.); offering supportive rather than direct advice; asking smart questions rather than having all the answers; recognizing that not all mentorship ends with a feeling of satisfaction; being clear that your role is mentor, not mother or therapist; and, allowing for the possibility that being a mentor can lead to a collaborative relationship. Read more.