Research*EU Magazine | Number 20 (March 2013)

Women in science - and research to improve women's lives

Summary:

In this issue of Research*EU magazine we interview Sheena Laursen, Director of International Affairs at Denmark’s Experimentarium. In an article opening the new ‘social sciences and humanities’ section, she explains how the EU-funded TWIST project is helping to break down gender stereotypes in science — encouraging more young women to choose scientific careers.

The ‘biology and medicine’ section also features the celebrated work of Professor Molly Stevens of Imperial College who is carrying out research into areas where nanomaterials and biological systems converge. One of the fields in which she is making a significant impact is tissue engineering, where artificial scaffold structures are being used to grow new cells. Prof. Stevens’ research has focused on growing replacement bones by using smart polymer systems.

Then Professor Clara Menéendez of the Barcelona Institute for Global Health introduces us to Pregvax, an ambitious project aiming to improve our understanding of how malaria infections affect pregnancy. As she points out, increased participation of women in leadership roles can lead to more research into problems mainly affecting women. The ‘biology and medicine’ section includes two more such examples: the BASIS project on the ‘Genetic basis of breast cancer’, on page 11 and the Bonequal project on ‘The importance of bone quality in osteoporosis’,

Contents:

Health

Energy

Climate Change and Environment

Industrial Technologies

Digital Economy

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