NEW PUBLICATION FEATURES WOMEN IN SCIENCE CAREERS AT THE NATIONAL INSTITUTES
OF HEALTH
"Women in Science at the National Institutes of Health 2007-2008" is a new
publication showcasing the achievements of some of the accomplished women at
the NIH and is intended to inspire a diversity of girls and boys, women and
men to enter or continue in science careers. Sponsored and prepared by the
NIH Office of Research on Women's Health (ORWH) with assistance from the
members of the NIH Coordinating Committee on Research on Women's Health, the
book celebrates the careers and accomplishments of 289 talented female
scientists and administrators who are part of the NIH community. Each NIH
Institute, Center and Office recommended up to 15 doctoral-level women to be
featured in the publication.
The book features a wide range of the roles, positions, and contributions of
women across the NIH, including but not limited to, clinicians, basic
scientists, program directors, policy analysts, computer scientists,
epidemiologists, geneticists, and statisticians, as well as directors and
deputy directors of NIH Institutes and Centers. Each profile consists of
biographical information and research interests, descriptions of experiences
that shaped their careers, how they manage work/life balance, and each
woman's thoughts on the importance of mentoring-both being mentored and
mentoring others.
"I have personally been inspired by these women scientists, who have earned
the great respect with which they are regarded, both by those in the NIH
community as well as by those in the greater scientific community," said
Vivian W. Pinn, M.D., NIH associate director for research on women's health
and director of ORWH. "Rather than a directory of the totality of women
scientists at the NIH, this effort is meant to highlight examples of the
variety of roles, positions and contributions of doctoral-level women across
the NIH."
Readers will learn about the different paths each woman has taken and be
encouraged by the women's personal stories. The book features women who
started their education at community colleges, women who didn't go to
graduate school until they were in their 40's and women whose childhood
circumstances led them into a particular field of interest, such as
addiction science. Some of these women pursued high-level science careers
while raising children alone; others balanced the demands of their job with
the demands of a husband's equally challenging job.
The book models the success stories of women in science to encourage
aspiring science students as well as for established scientists and serves
as a guide to the diversity of policy, administration, and research areas at
the NIH. The publication honors the exemplary leadership of Dr. Ruth
Kirschstein, the first woman to serve as director of a NIH institute, and
former Deputy Director and Acting Director of NIH, who among her many
accomplishments established the Office of Research on Women's Health in 1990
and served as a role model for scores of women and men in research and
scientific leadership positions. Dr. Kirschstein, who spent more than 50
years as a civil servant, died in October 2009.
To download an electronic copy or order a hard copy of "Women in Science at
the National Institutes of Health 2007-2008," go to:
<http://orwh.od.nih.gov/>
The Office of Research on Women's Health (ORWH), Office of the Director,
National Institutes of Health (NIH) serves as a focal point for women's
health research at the NIH. For more information about NIH's Office of
Research on Women's Health, visit <http://orwh.od.nih.gov/>.
The Office of the Director, the central office at NIH, is responsible for
setting policy for NIH, which includes 27 Institutes and Centers. This
involves planning, managing, and coordinating the programs and activities of
all NIH components. The Office of the Director also includes program offices
which are responsible for stimulating specific areas of research throughout
NIH. Additional information is available at <http://www.nih.gov/icd/od/>.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) -- The Nation's Medical Research
Agency -- includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services. It is the primary federal agency
for conducting and supporting basic, clinical and translational medical
research, and it investigates the causes, treatments, and cures for both
common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs,
visit <www.nih.gov>.
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This NIH News Release is available online at:
<http://www.nih.gov/news/health/nov2009/od-12.htm>.
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