Author Archives: camawise2004

Book review: Jennifer Rohn’s The Honest Look

Posted on May 4, 2012 | Leave a comment

I was really looking forward to reading The Honest Look for three or four reasons but it turned out to be even more than I bargained for! I am not going to sketch the story line of this book about a young woman, freshly graduated from her doctorate, and also hope the following won’t give too much away…

The novel is lablit, literature set in a scientific lab. Jenny coined that term! Ever since my PhD I’ve been toying with the idea of writing a novel loosely based on my and colleagues’ experiences but just haven’t got the literary talent or drive to have a proper go. Luckily, Jenny does.

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Posted in Biological Sciences, Book reviews & bits and bobs

AWiSE awarded Biochem Soc grant – sponsored places for WiSE-UP

Posted on May 2, 2012 | Leave a comment

Like the idea of the WiSE UP: Strategies for Success in STEM career day on 22nd June but not sure you can afford it?

There is good news if your science background is in biochemistry (in the widest possible sense).  Cambridge AWiSE has been awarded one of three Biochemical Society Gender Equality in Science Grants 2012 allowing us to offer three fully sponsored places to attend the event.

Fancy applying?  See here for all the details – deadline 28th May.

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Posted in Biological Sciences, CamAWiSE events, CamAWISE news, Medicine, Returners, Uncategorized

“My Sister Rosalind Franklin”, with Jenifer Glynn, author

Posted on April 19, 2012 | Leave a comment

“My Sister Rosalind Franklin”, with Jenifer Glynn, author
17th May 2012,  6-7 pm Wood-Legh Room, Lucy Cavendish College, Cambridge

Cambridge AWiSE and Lucy Cavendish College are delighted to welcome writer and historian Jenifer Glynn to speak about her new book, “My Sister Rosalind Franklin”.  Rosalind Franklin, a British biophysicist and x-ray crystallographer made an important contribution to the discovery of the structure of DNA and led pioneering work into viral structure.  In this family memoir, Jenifer paints a picture of Rosalind’s life, education and influences.

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“What Next After Academia: Life Science Careers and Company Networks” Harriet Fear, CEO, One Nucleus

Posted on April 18, 2012 | Leave a comment

“What Next After Academia: Life Science Careers and Company Networks” Harriet Fear, CEO, One Nucleus (www.onenucleus.com)
Friday 25th May, 12:15-14:00 (talk from 12:30-13:15, followed by networking lunch).  Max Perutz Lecture Theatre, MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Addenbrooke’s Site

Cambridge AWiSE are delighted to welcome Harriet Fear to our 5th MRC-AWiSE event.  Harriet will discuss the role company networks play in global business and how networking on all levels contributes to success.  One Nucleus (formerly ERBI) is the largest membership organisation in Europe, with over 450 members including pharmaceutical, biotech, medical device and diagnostic companies. Its mission is to maximise the global competitiveness of its members.  This talk will be of interest to those pursuing a career in academia or industry and looking to make the most of networking and networks to augment research, development and commercialisation.

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Posted in Biological Sciences, Business and Entrepreneurship, CamAWiSE events, Networking, Physical Sciences

Profile: Harriet Fear – CEO, One Nucleus

Posted on April 18, 2012 | 1 Comment

Harriet joined One Nucleus (formerly ERBI) as CEO in February 2009. She previously worked as a Diplomat with the British Foreign Office for 21 years serving in over 17 countries around the globe. Half her career was spent in the commercial field, latterly heading UK Trade & Investments national life sciences trade team for over 5 years.

During her varied Foreign Office career she was Deputy Ambassador three times, Private Secretary to the Minister for Europe, led an evacuation of Brits out of the Congo and worked in Khymer Rouge territory with Scotland Yard on a hostage crisis. She now enjoys a calmer life in the UK!

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Posted in Business and Entrepreneurship, CamAWiSE events, Networking, Role Models & Profiles

CamAWiSE @ the Science Festival

Posted on March 25, 2012 | Leave a comment

CamAWiSE stand was well placed in the Biology Zone at the Cambridge Science Festival and attracted a steady stream of people of all ages; children could assemble a skeleton or test bridge structures while parents and mothers discussed careers in science for themselves or daughters thinking of applying for science degrees.

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Posted in Uncategorized

Why we do what we do in a nutshell

Posted on March 10, 2012 | 1 Comment

Dr Tennie Videler,  Co-chair of Cambridge Association for Women in Science and Engineering

Women are under-represented in employment in science, technology, engineering, maths and medicine (STEMM), both inside and outside academia. Even in the biosciences, where women make up over half of the undergraduates, women still account for only 15% of professors. In all STEMM subjects, qualified women are not retained in similar proportions to men with the result that women are severely under-represented in senior positions. For example, among science, engineering and technology (SET) academic faculty in the US in 2003, women comprised 18 to 45 % of assistant professors (26% lecturers and 18% senior researchers/lecturers in the UK in 07/08) and 6 to 29 % of associate and full professors (9% in the UK in 07/08). Not just in academia, but in general SET occupations, fewer women with undergraduate SET qualifications enter SET professional or associate professional occupations. Possible reasons for this are multi-faceted, not easy to solve, but worth exploring:

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Posted in Uncategorized

Do you have a “sod all” box?

Posted on February 25, 2012 | Leave a comment

A meeting report for the Peer Mentoring Workshop…

Most of the Cambridge AWiSE AGM was devoted to a workshop on peer mentoring. We defined peer mentoring as providing mentoring in a group of peers. In such a group everyone mentors each other.

We brainstormed rules for our peer mentoring session and came up with the following:
• Professionalism and respect to each other and regarding others
• Listening to what each has to say as well as talk, giving each roughly equal airtime
• One conversation at a time
• Conversations should be cooperative, constructive and solution focused
• Conversations should be challenging rather than pedestrian
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Posted in CamAWiSE events, Mentoring

Meeting Report: Kate Atkin ‘New Year, New You’ January 25, 2012

Posted on February 22, 2012 | Leave a comment

Kate Atkin spoke on how to achieve confidence in the workplace.  Thoughts transform your outlook and actions so not being in control of your thoughts can lower your confidence. Negative thoughts in the workplace often include how you try to perceive the recognition of your ability by your colleagues and this can affect your outlook holding you back. You can take control of those negative thoughts by recognising the blocking thought and making a small change to think of something positive to remove the block.

The impressions you create for yourself by your own thoughts and words when moving out of a comfort zone make a difference to your outlook. You can move these ‘rocks in the road’ one at a time with small changes each step of the way. There are 3 cues to be aware of in your interactions for the impressions you give out in order to achieve your goals: verbal, vocal, visual. Keeping your goals in mind as you balance thoughts versus actions are essential to balance effort with results.
Since January 25 was Burns Night, Kate finished with an appropriate Burns quote: ‘ Oh would some power the gift to give is to see ourselves as others see us’.
Jenny B.

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Posted in CamAWiSE events, Networking

Development of vaccines and immunotherapies against human papillomaviruses, the cause of cervical cancer

Posted on February 15, 2012 | 1 Comment

Please join us on 15th March 2012 for an evening lecture with Professor Margaret Stanley.

The development of vaccines and immunotherapies against human papillomaviruses, the cause of cervical cancer.
Woodlegh Seminar Room, Strathaird, Lucy Cavendish College, 15th March,  6-7pm.
Followed by Formal Hall (cost £21). Please contact Jenny Koenig (jk111 at cam.ac.uk) if you would like to attend. Book early as places are limited.

Professor Stanley is Professor of Epithelial Biology in the University of Cambridge.  Her research focuses on mechanisms of host defence and the development of vaccines and immunotherapies against human papillomaviruses, the cause of cervix cancer.  She will also discuss the current vaccination programme for girls.

For more information please see here
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Posted in Biological Sciences, CamAWiSE events