In celebration of International Women and Girls in Science Day on 11th February 2021, High Force Research Ltd (HFR) hosted a virtual event to recognise the achievements of women in chemistry across the North East of England. With an audience of over 160 attendees, the aim of NEWIC 2021 was to demonstrate the breadth of careers open to those interested in Science, and celebrate the achievements of those currently working in the North East.
The North East has a thriving research and commercial chemistry scene demonstrated by our selection of speakers, each at varying points in their careers. During the morning session, leading female academics from universities across the North East shared their personal career journeys, offering advice on how to set and achieve career goals.
A combination of personal accounts and chemical research offered an authentic and relatable group of presentations from Dr Kate Madden, a NUAcT Fellow in Drug Discovery at Newcastle University; Dr Stephanie Myers, a Senior Lecturer in Medicinal Chemistry at Sunderland University and Professor AnnMarie O’Donoghue, a Professor in Physical Organic Chemistry at Durham University. The general message of the session was to follow your intuition when making decisions and find mentors who can support and encourage you.
In the afternoon session, the focus on the event switched to life outside of academia, with presentations from prominent north east female scientists in industry. Nicola Brown, UK Sales Manager for Teledyne Technologies, spoke about opportunities in sales, whilst Gemma Alderson, QC Manager at High Force Research Ltd and Remya Norris, Technologist at AkzoNobel, spoke about their experiences in lab-based roles. The afternoon closed with two further presentations from Denise Bowser, Commercial Director at Onyx Scientific and Professor Carrie Ambler CSO at LightOx and Professor of biology at Durham University, who spoke about entrepreneurship and the commercial-side of chemistry. You can view videos of all speakers from the online event below.
Following the event, HFR received an overwhelmingly positive response, with many attendees commenting on how engaging, informative and inspirational the talks had been. The event allowed us to demonstrate the rich chemical ecosystem within the North East, and how it offers opportunities for anyone looking to pursue an exciting and fruitful career.
With all the great feedback we have received, HFR are looking to organise NEWIC 2022. If you would like to be involved in next year’s event, please get in touch with one of the NEWIC team. We can’t wait to see you next year!
