Throughout history, women have made amazing contributions to science. From legends like Marie Curie to modern women leaving their mark, the science field would not be the same without them. Their work has broken down barriers for other women who wish to pursue a career in research. Here are 6 female scientists you need to know.
1. Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer Doudna
In 2020, Charpentier and Doudna were awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for their breakthrough research on CRISPR technology. They were the sixth and seventh women in history to earn this prestigious award. According to a Nobel Prize press release their innovation, the CRISPR/Cas9 genetic scissors CRISPR/Cas9, “can change the DNA of animals, plants, and microorganisms with extremely high precision. This technology has had a revolutionary impact on the life sciences, is contributing to new cancer therapies, and may make the dream of curing inherited diseases come true.”
2. Rosalind Franklin
Born in 1920, Rosalind Franklin is best known for her groundbreaking discovery of DNA and RNA. She can be credited for our modern understanding of DNA’s double helix structure, even though many of her mentors and colleagues disagreed with her findings. She also extensively researched several viruses, coal, and graphite. Without her work, we wouldn’t have the same understanding of molecular structure. Although she never won the Nobel Peace Prize due to technicalities, her team continued her work and won the award in Chemistry in 1982.
3. Cynthia Kenyon
Cynthia Kenyon and her team of scientists are developing methods to slow aging and prevent age-related diseases. Her goal is to extend human life by 100 years. In 1993, she discovered that altering a single gene in roundworms can double their lifespan. Through her work, she has pinpointed genes that help us live longer and common hormone-signaling pathways that control the rate of aging in humans.
4. Tu Youyou
Tu Youyou is a Chinese scientist and phytochemist. Her most notable discovery was artemisinin and dihydroartemisinin which are used for the treatment of malaria. She has undeniably saved millions of lives with her work. In 2015, she was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine.
5. Gitanjali Rao
In 2020, Rao was named the Time’s first Kid of the Year for her work in STEM. The young inventor and scientist is best known for her water lead-level measuring device. She also has developed a tool to diagnose prescription opioid addiction. In addition, she has created an AI app that can detect cyberbullying. We can’t wait to see what the young scientist comes up with next as she continues to make advancements for female scientists.
6. Katherine Johnson
A famous mathematician, Katherine Johnson played an instrumental role at NASA. Her work in calculating orbital mechanics led to the success of the first manned space flights in the United States. Over her three decades of work at NASA, her calculations of spacecraft flight paths were critical to sending astronauts to the moon. In 2015, she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Nasa in 2016 named a building in her honor, The Katherine G. Johnson Computational Research Facility.
Women Changing The World
Women make up only 34% of the workforce in science, technology, engineering, and math. Despite being a traditionally male-dominated field, female scientists have made and are continuing to make amazing discoveries that are propelling our world forward. These women serve as role models for girls who want to begin studying STEM-related disciplines. Today, initiatives around the globe are receiving funding to support female STEM education.