Meeting of women in science: breaking down myths and barriers

Together with leading academics and students, the first ¨Encuentro of women in science: breaking down myths and barreras¨ organized by the Centre for advanced chronic diseases- ACCDiS , with the support of the Department of graduate and postgraduate of the Vice-Chancellor of academic affairs, the Faculty of chemical and pharmaceutical sciences and the Faculty of Dentistry of the University of Chile, within the framework of the "stimulus program for academic projects of graduate students- call 2017-2018 ".

This initiative was born from a postulated project call for proposals annual which engages the Department of postgraduate and postgraduate to graduate students from the University of Chile. The proposal of the Meeting of women in science It was carried out by three researchers ACCDiS PhD thesis: Andrea Ramirez, Mariela Inostroza, and Maria Gabriela Villamizar, who saw the need that women in academic training to meet, share and be encouraged so that they find the motivation and the tools that allow them to deal with a scientific career and his rise in it, highlighting the role of women and their importance in the scientific world.

¨We have great references academic and invite them to participate so that they tell us your experiences, the barriers that have been found on the road and how to they them bore, this with the aim of providing tools for students from pre and post degree continue in the way scientific. ¨ says María Gabriela Villamizar, Organizing Committee and PhD student of pharmaceutical sciences.

"That is important is that women from different disciplines come together to reflect on how such discrimination is expressed" (…) very specifically in some areas. This of generating conversational discussion spaces is a work that links individual reflection with collective action, and is the way to promote the changes."says Alicia Salomone, Director of the Department of graduate and postgraduate of the Vice-Chancellor of academic affairs of the University of Chile.

The workday had Carmen Andrade Lara conferences, Director of gender equality of the University of Chile, Evgenia Spodine Spiridonova, ACAL member and academic of the University of Chile, Natalia Hassan Lopez, Metropolitan University of technology researcher and member of ACCDiS, Jessica Gonzalez Mahan, Director of the Center for community women leadership and Nancy Hitschfeld-Kahler, Network Adelina Gutierrez Facultad of chemistry and pharmaceutical of the University of Chile.

The assistants participated in conferences that guests delivered with learning, data and above all experiences as women in science:

¨Compartir our experiences and to identify the barriers that we've had on the road is important to do so with students to motivate them, but above all to deliver a message to be persevering, because there is still a profound change by hacer¨ said Natalia Hassan, Member of ACCDiS that highlights the support to continue research and researcher at the Universidad Tecnológica Metropolitana.

The attendees also took part in a Poster session, where the students presented their research. The first was Javiera cuts rivers, awarded for his work mathematical ¨Modelamiento of the circadian rhythm of blood pressure in humanos¨.

¨MUCHAS times is difficult to interact between different colleges and universities, having these conversation spaces for experience closely with teachers that one admires and follows is very motivante¨ – Javiera cuts rivers

The event was attended by around 60 people among students from different national and regional universities, Directors of lyceums, representatives of the Ministry of women and gender equality and CONICYT, organizations of civil society and academic authorities. The closure of this day was held with the words of the Director of ACCDiS, Sergio Lavandero, who also motivate more meetings like this in the future delivered an important message about the gender equity in science:

"From the ACCDiS Center in addition to participating in the Organization and call for this meeting, We have assumed the commitment to promote gender equality, and supporting the training of future researchers in an integrated manner. Today the society demands to these centers as well as research areas also are what in other dimensions of the human being."