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This year marks the 10th anniversary of the United Nations International Day of Women and Girls in Science. The day is designed to recognize the gender gap that has persisted throughout the years at all levels of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines all over the world.

Three Faculty of Arts and Science researchers are working to ensure women are not excluded from the STEM disciplines.

Maria Aristizabal (Department of Biology) says she has always been eager to understand how the world works so pursuing a career in STEM was not a surprise to anyone.

“I figured out that I wanted to focus on molecular biology through a series of events,” Dr. Aristizabal says. “In high school, I heard about a week-long genetics course offered by the University of British Columbia (UBC) and quickly reached out to the school’s career counselor who helped me secure a spot the following year. As I entered university, I heard about the UBC-British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) joint honours biotechnology program. Being able to go in the lab and do the things we learned about in class was an amazing way to learn. The research experiences during co-op placements were life changing, one of them is where I eventually did my PhD.”

In her laboratory, , the team studies the processes that allow cells to use and organize their genetic information. Understanding how these processes work is important because they help organisms respond to changes in their environment and are often altered in disease. Projects in the lab include work examining the function and regulation of Cdk8, a protein involved in turning genes on and off;  understanding the effect of mutations seen in cancer patients that affect histones, proteins that package and organize DNA; mapping the changes in DNA packaging and function that result from exposure to wildfire smoke, an insult linked to lung cancer and increasing in frequency and severity as a result of climate change.

When asked about how she can inspire other young women, Dr. Aristizabal explains a career in STEM can be fun and can take many different shapes. “Know what you want so that you can find what works for you. I would not be where I am today if it weren’t for people that helped me along the way, so dedicate time and effort to building strong and diverse support networks – think of them as extra pairs of eyes and ears helping you find opportunities you may want to access.”

Chungfang Devon Lin (Department of Mathematics and Statistics) says she has always loved mathematics and physics since early in her education. “During my undergraduate studies, I started to learn computer science, which further expanded my interest in analytical, inferential, and computational thinking. I chose to pursue the field of statistics because it uses mathematics and computer science to analyze and understand data. Statistics is the science of learning from data, focused on developing methodologies for efficient data collection and analysis. Through statistics/data science, I have learned to make sense of the world by interpreting data and applying statistical methods to uncover meaningful insights and solve real-world problems.

Dr. Lin’s research focuses on the science of data collection and uncertainty quantification. Her research centers on developing methodologies to collect meaningful and informative data that drives effective decision-making. There are often discrepancies between reality and mathematical models. Uncertainty quantification (UQ) provides tools to assess these discrepancies. It enables her to quantitatively characterize uncertainties inherent in real-world systems and evaluate their impact on model predictions. With UQ, they can make informed decisions even in the face of uncertainty. UQ has far-reaching applications, from designing safe space suits for astronauts and building robust, reliable aircraft to accurately predicting weather disasters such as hurricanes.  

“I am very fortunate to have had incredible mentors in different stages of my education and career,” Dr. Lin says. “In elementary school and middle school, my teachers inspired me to pursue a university degree. Pursuing a university degree opened doors for me to graduate studies and, ultimately, a career in academia. During my graduate studies, my advisors saw my research potential and provided the guidance and encouragement that I needed to confidently pursue an academic career. Their belief in me has been instrumental in shaping my academic journey.”

Her message to other young women looking at a career in a STEM subject. “Believe in yourself, actively engage with your community, and collaborate with like-minded peers.”

Amber Simpson (School of Computing, cross-appointed to the Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences) says she became interested in working in STEM because she was looking for job security. “I looked at my favorite classes in high school and thought: how can I live off this? That’s how I went with computing. It doesn’t matter what happens in the world, there will always be a job for me somewhere. I can program and know SQL (structured query language, programming language for storing and processing information in a relational database). When I started working in a cancer hospital, I realized that I could use computing to have a broad impact on cancer patients and that sealed the deal.”

“When I was an undergraduate student at Trent University, my professor had Professor Selim Akl’s Parallel Computation textbook on the shelf, and I read it from cover to cover. I was obsessed with theory of computation, so I came to Queen’s as an MSc student to work with him. I switched to biomedical for my PhD with Professor James Stewart and Professor Randy Ellis because I wanted to influence human health.”

uses medical data at many different scales to understand human health.

Also asked about inspiring young women to pursue a career in STEM, Dr. Simpson says. “Everything that you do (from sports to academics, to volunteering) culminates in a You that can’t be replicated by anyone else and brings an entirely unique perspective to the world.”

“These women are not only great examples of research excellence and leadership in STEM, but role models for girls to follow their own path in STEM,” says Sharon Regan, Associate Dean (Research).

Learn more about the United Nations International Day of Women and Girls in Science .