Below, hear from three healthcare professionals about how they’ve been impacted by pursuing a career in science and their advice for the next generation of women in healthcare.

Kristiana Xhima, Medical Student

Kristiana is a clinician-scientist trainee at the University of Toronto, and currently a third-year medical student based at the Peters-Boyd Academy at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. She first joined the Sunnybrook community 12 years ago as a student in the Sunnybrook Research Institute (SRI) Focused Ultrasound High School Summer Research Program, and has since completed her PhD at SRI under the supervision of Dr. Isabelle Aubert, focused on ultrasound-mediated drug delivery to the brain for the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.

How have your role models impacted your path in science?

I have been very fortunate to have several inspiring mentors throughout my training in science, who have invested in my journey and encouraged my passion for translational research. Two female mentors in particular have played a pivotal role in my journey – Dr. Isabelle Aubert and Dr. Sandra Black, both senior scientists in the Hurvitz Brain Sciences Research Program at SRI.

I developed my passion for scientific research after working in Dr. Aubert’s neuroscience lab as a high school student, and she’s guided and empowered me throughout my training as an undergraduate and later as a PhD student. I’ve also been inspired working with Dr. Black during medical school, who’s vision of research embedded in patient care has influenced my current path as a clinician-scientist trainee.

What are some current challenges women in science face?

Scientific discovery rarely follows a linear path. Hypotheses are often disproved and experiments fail. These challenges can be isolating and make it difficult to find a path forward, yet the solution is never an individual pursuit. Everyone has a role to play in fostering a scientific environment that is collaborative, diverse and inclusive in which these inevitable moments become opportunities for creativity to flourish.

Do you have any advice for young women and girls hoping to pursue a career in science?

Actively seek out research experiences and opportunities! The different student research programs I pursued at SRI were crucial in forming my passion for translational research and scientific discovery. Fully immerse yourself in these opportunities, be curious and you’ll learn more than you could possibly imagine. These experiences are also perfect opportunities to find and foster relationships with role models that will encourage you to study science and foster your growth.

Melissa Lio, Medical Laboratory Technologist

Melissa is a senior medical laboratory technologist (MLT) in Sunnybrook’s Department of Transfusion Medicine and Tissue Bank. Blood Bank MLTs perform blood grouping, antibody screening and compatibility testing to ensure that patients receive safe transfusions. Prior to starting her role as a MLT in the Blood Bank, Melissa worked in Sunnybrook’s Clinical Pathology office as a foreign-trained technologist, when she decided to return to school to begin her path as a MLT in Canada.

What inspired you to pursue a career in science?

We can’t escape science, it’s everywhere and embedded in everything we do. Science is exciting, interesting, never-ending, and oftentimes, an overload of information. For a very inquisitive person like myself, science feeds my curiosity while also fulfilling my need to help the community.

What is one unique way women can impact the field of science and medicine?

One of the biggest issues that we’re facing in healthcare is a shortage of healthcare professionals. Time and time again, women have proven they’re very effective leaders, so I think to make an impact in medicine and healthcare we just simply have to lead. Women can become mentors for younger generations and inspire them to consider pursuing a career in the health sciences. We need more and more women role models for our children to look up to.

Do you have any advice for young women and girls hoping to pursue a career in science?

Be prepared physically, mentally and emotionally. A career in the health sciences is no easy feat, but it’s extremely rewarding. You must learn to embrace all aspects of your job and be able to take the bad and turn it into something positive, because at the end of the day you get to go home knowing you’re saving lives.

Marley Gimblett, Registered Nurse

Marley has been a registered nurse in Sunnybrook’s Emergency Department (ED) for the past 13 years. She plays a variety of roles in the department as a clinical care leader, triage and trauma nurse, and a resource to new staff joining the ED. She is currently working on a quality improvement project for the Sunnybrook Practice-Based Research and Innovation (PBRI) Toronto Academic Health Sciences Network (TAHSN) Health Professions Fellowship program, which focuses on advancing Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosive (CBRNE) preparedness in the ED.  She also represents the ED in many different research and management projects that work toward improving patient care in her department and across the hospital.

What are some ways we can make science more accessible and inclusive for women and girls?

I think beginning to talk about science when girls are young and in school is an important first step to getting young women excited about science and medicine. We are seeing a shift in the culture related to science, which is creating more and more female role models for the next generation to look up to.

What do you love most about having a career in science?

I love that my role is never static, because science is continually changing. Throughout my time at Sunnybrook, new research has guided changes in my practice and role. I’ve had opportunities to be a part of different research projects and it’s rewarding to see the positive impact that new discoveries have on how we care for patients.

Do you have any advice for young women and girls hoping to pursue a career in science?

There are an endless number of opportunities to pursue in science and healthcare, meaning there are so many different ways girls can apply their interests and goals. If you set your mind to it and work hard, you’ll be able to succeed in a career in science, while simultaneously pursing a role that is meaningful to you and has positive impacts on the community.

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Dr. Harriet Lea-Banks

Dr. Harriet Lea-Banks is a Junior Scientist in Physical Sciences and the Hurvitz Brain Sciences Program at Sunnybrook Research Institute. Her research in Sunnybrook’s Focused Ultrasound Lab explores ultrasound-mediated drug delivery in the brain.

Why did you pursue a career in science?

I originally studied engineering because I wanted to build things that improved people’s lives. The idea of doing a PhD and going into research felt so far from everyday life and frontline engineering. But learning more about biomedical engineering through my undergraduate degree captured my imagination. Using sound waves to image and treat the body sounded like science fiction, but at Sunnybrook we see it in reality, and it truly does improve lives.

How have mentors impacted your career path?

I’ve been fortunate to have several exceptional mentors, both women and men, that have encouraged and challenged me. They are advocates for me, even when I’m not there. I love this quote from U of T Professor Christine Allen – ‘Find mentors who believe in you and are willing to bring up your name and put you forward for opportunities – even when you’re not in the room.’

What advice would you give to young women interested in pursuing a career in research?

Look out for opportunities to test if research is for you, such as the Focused Ultrasound High School Summer Research Program and the SRI Summer Student Research Program. Diversity and representation in science are improving, but the truth is, we need you. Without female representation at every stage, sex biases will continue to limit medical research and the treatments we develop. The best innovations come from the most diverse groups. So, bring your whole self and help us define what a scientist looks like in 2023.

Dr. Candace McNaughton

Dr. Candace McNaughton is an Emergency Medicine Physician and Scientist in Evaluative Clinical Sciences and the Integrated Community Research Program at Sunnybrook. Her research interests include hypertension, heart failure and the impact of COVID-19 on our healthcare system.

What inspires your work in science?

Because I am an emergency medicine physician and epidemiologist, many of my research questions come from clinical work and patient experiences in the emergency department. Every shift, new questions come up and I learn from my patients. Why do some patients benefit from their heart failure or hypertension medications but others don’t, how can we figure out which patients are which, and how can we best support both? Curiosity gets me out of bed in the morning and keeps me motivated through the long hours reading, problem solving, and the rejections that are part and parcel in science.

What’s one thing your career in science has taught you?

By its very nature, science is challenging and exacting, and most experiences involve a lot of time and/or failures. This can create challenges for people like me, who really want to get the right answer on the first try. Science continues to provide daily lessons in humility and determination. Practically speaking, my training has also been invaluable as a parent, and it’s probably saved my own life a few more times than I care to admit.

What advice would you give to young women interested in pursuing a career in medicine or research?

We need women in medicine and research. That said, it is virtually impossible to devote a career to science without either making significant personal sacrifices or having tremendous, multi-faceted support. Behind every successful scientist there are 3-5 full-time-employee equivalents in support — whether that’s in the form of an incredible grants manager, administrative assistant, nanny, household manager, and/or spouse. Carefully cultivate these relationships as explicitly as you do everything else in your career. Despite the additional hurdles that women still often face in science today, our voices and our involvement are as vital.

Dr. Chao Wang

Dr. Chao Wang is a Scientist in Biological Sciences and the Odette Cancer Research Program at Sunnybrook Research Institute. She also holds a Canada Research Chair in Immunometabolism of Neuroinflammation.

Do you have a role model that influenced your decision to work in science?

I’ve been fortunate to have many role models throughout my career and I continue to learn from people that I work or interact with. My first mentor was my undergraduate professor Dr. Jamie Scott who introduced me to immunology and research, and continues to influence me to this day. First and foremost, you have to love what you are studying. And if you love it, identify mentors and the support system that you’ll need to help you succeed.

What are some of the challenges currently faced by women in science?

Juggling work and family and the trade-offs that come with that is difficult. Science is a career that needs an incredible amount of dedication, time and sometimes 24/7 mental concentration. This can often be challenging while trying to be a good mother and/or attend to family. A salute to all the female scientists — you are all wonder women!

What do you love most about working in science?

Working in science allows me to pursue both my medical curiosity and my passion for teaching. It’s an incredibly rewarding and exciting feeling to discover something new, with the hope to benefit millions of people.

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