Join us as we celebrate International Day of Women and Girls in Science on Tuesday, February 11, 2025!

At BC Children's Hospital and BC Women's Hospital + Health Centre, we are proud to support the next generation of health scientists. At this unique event, designed specifically for grade 10-12 students, you will have the opportunity to connect with inspiring leaders and mentors who are making groundbreaking discoveries and innovations in research | Event poster

Participants in our Women in Science event can expect to: 

  • Hear more about the latest in health research during our keynote lecture.
  • Meet incredible leaders in research who are shaping the future of health science. Discover what inspired them to pursue careers in science, the challenges they've faced, and how they've overcome them.
  • Be part of the discussion! This isn't your typical career panel. You'll have the chance to join small rotating groups of students, each paired with a Women in Science mentor. You'll be able to ask them questions, share your thoughts, and gain valuable insights from these incredible leaders. 

Schedule | Tuesday, February 11, 2025

  • 6:00 pm: Student Registration
     
  • 6:30 – 7:00 pm: Keynote Presentation - hear from a leading expert in health research
     
  • 7:00 - 8:00 pm: Mentorship Connections. Join our inspiring women who are paving the way for research in health sciences. Learn more about what inspired them to pursue a career in science and any stereotypes or other gender-based barriers they faced. This portion of the event will be formatted like a speed networking session. Students will be divided into table groups of 5-7. Each group will be paired with a mentor. You will have 10 minutes to connect, ask questions and engage in meaningful conversation before moving on to another mentor.
     
  • 8:00 - 8:30 pm: Reception - mingle with our Women in Science mentors and other students while enjoying light refreshments. 
Learn more about the 2025 Women in Science Presenters!

Keynote Presentation - Details TBA

Moderated by Dr. Mandy Meijer, Postdoctoral Fellow, Kobor Research Team, BC Children’s Hospital; Department of Medical Genetics, UBC

Mandy is a postdoctoral researcher at the BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute who is aiming to better understand the molecular mechanisms underlying brain development and psychiatric disorders. Mandy received both her BSc and MSc in Biomedical Sciences in the Netherlands, followed by a PhD in Medical Sciences in the Netherlands. Her doctoral thesis focused on externalizing behaviours and associated neurodevelopmental disorders. She did this by studying epigenetic mechanisms, as a link between the genome and environment, across species. During her PhD trajectory, Mandy spent two years in Switzerland to perform research. As a postdoctoral researcher, she is expanding on her previous research by aiming to better understand which genetic and environmental factors contribute to early brain development, and how epigenetics could teach us about the molecular mechanisms in the brain underlying neurodevelopment and psychiatric disorders. When she is not working on exciting science, you can find Mandy dancing (swing, ballet, jazz) or baking cookies and cakes (and sharing them with friends)!

Learn more about the 2025 Women in Science Mentors! 

Our Women in Science Team is hard at work assembling an inspiring group of mentors specifically for you. Stay tuned for more details on our additional mentors!

  • Nasim Abrishami (she/her), Master's Student, Tibbits Research Team, BC Children's Hospital; Department of Biological Sciences, SFU | Research Area: Pharmacogenomics and cardio-oncology | Nasim is proud to attend SFU, a school ranked as the "best comprehensive university within Canada" according to the 2025 Maclean's University Ranking
     
  • Nada Al-Emadi (she/her), Doctoral Student, Steiner Research Team, BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, UBC. Research Area: Infectious diseases and gut health | Nada has had a passion for graphic design since middle school. What started as a fun exploration of Photoshop and Illustrator has evolved into a valuable skill she now uses regularly in her research to create scientific figures. It’s a great reminder that you never know which skills will end up being useful down the road!
     
  • Maddy Baron (she/her), Master's Student, Görges Research Team, BC Children's Hospital - Digital Health Innovations Lab; School of Biomedical Engineering, UBC. Research Area: Digital Health | Maddy balanced her full-time engineering studies with her commitment as a varsity figure skater throughout her undergraduate degree. It was challenging, but incredibly rewarding!
     
  • Annalaura Bellucci (she/her), Doctoral Student, Wright Research Team, BC Children's Hospital; Department of Kinesiology, UBC. Research Area: Metabolism and energetics | Annalaura has worked at two biotech companies, but her interest in exploring the effects of exercise and pharmacological strategies on obesity inspired her to transition into research and to pursue a PhD.
     
  • Kaitlin Berris (she/her), Doctoral Student, Elango Research Team, BC Children’s Hospital; Women+ and Child Health Sciences, UBC. Research Area: Nutrition in pediatric critical illness | Kaitlin works as a clinical dietitian in the pediatric ICU, marking a shift from her original career plan to focus on community care.
     
  • Dr. Thais Rangel Bousquet Carrilho (she/her), Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Hutcheon Research Team, BC Children’s Hospital; Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Faculty of Medicine, UBC. Research Area: Perinatal epidemiology and nutrition during pregnancy | Dr. Carrilho is a member of the World Health Organization Steering Committee responsible for developing global gestational weight gain standards to be used worldwide.
     
  • Alisha Buttar (she/her), Master's Student, Nutritional Epidemiology of Population Health Lab, Department of Human Nutrition, UBC. Research Area: Nutrition policy evaluation and disease prevention | Alisha, a Registered Dietitian, founded the Graduate Wellness and Athletic Collective (GWAC) at UBC to promote wellness and build community among students.
     
  • Rosalyn Carr (she/they), Doctoral Candidate, Digital Health Innovation Lab, BC Children's Hospital; School of Biomedical Engineering, UBC. Research Area: Patient Engagement and Research Ethics | Rosalyn initially planned to attend medical school, believing it was the only path to a career in medicine. However, she unexpectedly found herself in the field of Biomedical Engineering, which turned out to be an even better fit than she had ever imagined!
     
  • Laura Chan (she/her), Doctoral Candidate, Leavitt Research Team, BC Children's Hospital; Department of Medical Genetics, UBC. Research Area: Genetics | Before joining the Leavitt Research Team, Laura participated in a rotation program at UBC, which gave her the opportunity to explore various labs to help her determine where she wanted to focus her research.
     
  • Dr. Jessica Dawson (she/her), Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Hayden Research Team, BC Children’s Hospital & CMMT;  Department of Medical Genetics, UBC. Research Area: Neurodegenerative and Huntington's disease | As a South African Medical Scientist, Dr. Dawson is focused on uncovering how genetic diversity and modifiers influence neurodegenerative diseases.
     
  • Rachael Devenyi (she/her), Master’s Student, Zwicker Research Team, BC Children’s Hospital; Women+ and Children’s Health Sciences, UBC. Research Area: Motor outcomes in children with congenital heart disease | Rachael has experience working on global childhood malnutrition studies in both Malawi and Bangladesh.
     
  • Katelyn Eisner (she/her), Master's Student, Wright Research Team, BC Children's Hospital; School of Kinesiology, UBC. Research Area: Pharmaceutical and exercise interventions in type 2 diabetes/obesity | Katelyn initially considered pursuing careers in professional modern/contemporary dance, physiotherapy, pulmonary perfusion, or even medical school. It wasn't until her final year of undergrad that she discovered research was the right path for her. Her journey taught her that it's perfectly okay to not know what you want to do, so long as you continue to apply yourself to whatever you do.
     

  •  Zoe Lofft (she/her), PhD Candidate, Devlin Research Team, BC Children's Hospital; Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UBC. Research Area: Diabetes and fetal programming | Zoe's training has spanned four Canadian universities across three different provinces.
     

  • Ava Momeni (she/her), Doctoral Student, Woodward Research Team, BC Children’s Hospital; Department of Psychiatry, UBC. Research Area: Cognitive neuroscience | During her undergraduate studies, Ava threw herself into multiple labs to discover her passion. At one point, she was simultaneously investigating whole-brain networks in psychosis patients, analyzing brain activity tied to spontaneous thoughts, and exploring the link between babies' attachment styles and their social judgments. Though it was a whirlwind of research, the experience helped her pinpoint the research she was passionate about. 
     
  • Jenni Nguyen (she/her), Master's Student, Pouladi Research Team, BC Children's Hospital; Department of Medicine, UBC. Research Area: Neurodegenerative and neurodevelopmental diseases | Jenni spent several years working in the biotech industry before pursuing graduate school.
     

  • Kwestan Safari (she/her), PhD Candidate, Sly Research Team, BC Children's Hospital Research Institute; Department of Pediatrics, UBC. Research Area: Inflammatory Bowel Disease - Crohn's Disease | Kwestan is the first individual from her community to pursue a doctoral degree.
     

  • Simran Samra (she/her), Doctoral Student, Turvey Research Team, BC Children’s Hospital; Department of Pediatrics, UBC. Research Area: Rare diseases | Simran has landed all of her previous positions through the power of networking.
     
  • Marina Viñeta Páramo (she/her), Doctoral Candidate, Lavoie Research Team, BC Children's Hospital; Women+ and Children’s Health Science, UBC. Research Area: Pediatric respiratory infections | Training as a physician-scientist has taken Marina around the globe, including opportunities in Spain, Switzerland and Canada.
     
  • Dr. Enav Zusman (she/her), Doctoral Student, Oberlander Research Team, BC Children’s Hospital; Women+ and Children's Health Sciences, UBC. Research Area: Perinatal pharmacoepidemiology and reproductive mental health | In addition to being a PhD student, Dr. Zusman is also a pharmacist.

Interested in Participating?

Grade 10 - 12 students of all genders are welcome to participate in this free evening event. Space is limited.

This is an in-person event hosted at BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, 950 West 28th Avenue, Vancouver. Students will be expected to make their own arrangements for transportation to and from the research institute.  

Learn more about how to register for Women in Science

 

What is International Day of Women and Girls in Science? In 2015, UNESCO and UN Women established an annual day to honour the important role women and girls play in science and technology. Together they are making a global call to "smash stereotypes, defy gender biases and defeat discrimination that hold women and girls back in STEM fields."  Become part of the conversation by following #WomenInScience on Instagram!

Women in Science is presented by BC Children's Hospital Research Institute, Women's Health Research Institute and BC Mental Health & Substance Use Services Research Institute. 

Do you have additional questions? Contact researchevents@phsa.ca.  


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