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Women in Science Series

Inspiring talks by women working and learning in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in celebration of Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day.

We'd like to introduce you to some of the most fascinating women, and scientists, on the planet who have devoted their lives to better understanding our world. From the outer reaches of space exploration to the hidden world of animal intelligence. From designing soft houses to dissecting string theory. Live with guerillas, eavesdrop on dolphins, connect with coral reefs. These women are passionate about science and we celebrate their contributions.

We encourage young scientists to explore SciGirls, a program designed to empower girls to ask questions, communicate, and encourage one another. This project supports collaborative, tactile learning, setting girls on the "science fast track" toward improved critical thinking skills, enhanced problem solving abilities, and ultimately, career success.

Related Programs:

NPR: Women Scientists Take Role In Rebuilding Iraq
NPR: Henrietta Lacks, Unsung Contributor To Medical Science
NPR: Temple Grandin: The Woman Who Talks to Animals

NPR: Women's History For $1000
NPR: Female Voices Kickoff Women's History Month
NPR: Not-So-Happy Women's History Month
NPR: Author Salutes Women's History With One Exception

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Danielle Ofri on Foreign Immigrants and US Health Care

Danielle Ofri on Foreign Immigrants and US Health Care

February 3, 2010

Writer and practicing internist Danielle Ofri discusses her newest book, Medicine in Translation: Journeys with My Patients. For 15 years, Dr. Danielle Ofri has cared for patients at Bellevue, the oldest public hospital in the country and a crossroads for the world's cultures.

The ABC's of Breast Cancer Prevention

January 13, 2010

Dekalb Medical breast disease specialist and surgeon April Speed focuses on how to be a good steward of breast health and make diet or lifestyle changes that will minimize the risk of developing breast cancer.

Space and Beyond: US Policy, Space Security, and Arms Control

Space and Beyond: US Policy, Space Security, and Arms Control

Joan Johnson-Freese

December 9, 2009

Joan Johnson-Freese, chair of the Department of National Security Strategy at the Naval War College, and Laura Grego, scientist for the Global Security Program at the Union of Concerned Scientists, discuss space security and the future of space relations in a panel moderated by leading political ana

Sarah Hrdy: Evolutionary Origins of Mutual Understanding

Sarah Hrdy: Evolutionary Origins of Mutual Understanding

Sarah Blaffer Hrdy

November 18, 2009

Anthropologist and primate sociobiologist Sarah Blaffer Hrdy discusses her newest book, Mothers and Others: The Evolutionary Origins of Mutual Understanding, in which she emphasizes the need to consider our Pleistocene ancestors' peculiar mode of child-rearing.

Guarding the Gorillas

Clare Richardson

October 15, 2009

Clare Richardson moderates a panel with Tara Stoinski, Mwami Alexis Kalinda, Juan Carlos Bonilla, Katie Fawcett, and Bryna Griffin. The group reports on their fight to save wild gorillas.

Irene Pepperberg and the Hidden World of Animal Intelligence

Irene Pepperberg

National Public Radio host Robin Young interviews Alex & Me author Dr. Irene Pepperberg, who has been studying the intelligence and reasoning abilities of the African gray parrot for more than 30 years.

Connecting Corals and Climate Change

Kim Cobb, Assistant Professor at Georgia Institute of Technology, describes what corals can tell us about climate change. Cobb spent two years at the California Institute of Technology in the department of geological and planetary sciences, after earning her doctorate in oceanography in 2002.

The Elusive Leatherback Sea Turtle

Connie Merigo, senior biologist at the New England Aquarium, delves into the life history and biology of the critically endangered leatherback sea turtle.

Angela Belcher: New Medical Diagnostics and Cancer Research

Bioengineer Angela Belcher discusses her research at MIT, which has applications for new battery technologies, understanding cancer, and new medical diagnostics. This lecture is part of the 2009 Cambridge Science Festival.

The Chemistry of Whale Sharks

Julia Kubanek, from The Georgia Institute of Technology, discusses cutting edge technology used to explore the chemistry of whale shark blood samples from the Georgia Aquarium. Kubanek's research has been published in numerous scientific journals.

NOVA: Doctors' Diaries

The producers of NOVA's long-running documentary series Doctors' Diaries join medical doctors for a screening and a discussion of the series' latest installment.

Weaving Science into Sculpture

Nathalie Miebach

Artist Nathalie Miebach explains how she literally weaves scientific data related to meteorology, climate change, and astronomy into brightly colored, three-dimensional sculptures.

When Doctors Are Writers

Elissa Ely and Tess Gerritsen talk about how writing affects their medical practice, and vice versa.

Saving Georgia's Dolphins

February 25, 2009

Peach Hubbard, president of The Dolphin Project, talks about preserving the habitat for Georgia's bottlenose dolphins and much of the state's coastal ecosystem. The project is an all-volunteer, non-profit research organization, logging 20 years of bottlenose dolphin research.

Water War: Georgia vs. Florida vs. Alabama

November 11, 2008

Carol Collier, executive director of the Delaware River Basin Commission, shares lessons learned and addresses the 18-year struggle over water between Georgia, Florida, and Alabama.

Sheila Kennedy's Soft House

October 30, 2008

Sheila Kennedy’s approach to architecture invites us to reconsider the boundaries of the material world by integrating high technology and architecture. Her innovative multi-disciplinary design practice brings together experts in various fields to create design concepts with practical applications.

Life Beyond Earth?

October 30, 2008

Sara Seager says that there is life beyond Earth. What’s more, she predicts that we will detect its biosignature on planets beyond our solar system in her lifetime.

Space Suit: The World's Smallest Spacecraft

October 30, 2008

Dava Newman describes and demonstrates her innovative custom-fitted space suit, which combines science, engineering, and art, and gives astronauts greater mobility while conserving energy as they explore the surface of the moon or Mars.

Whales: Candles, Cheeses, and Pigs in Disguise?

Heather Koopman

October 6, 2008

Heather Koopman proposes that whales may not process all of the fats they ingest, because whale feces tends to float at the surface, and fat floats in water.

Lynn Margulis: Tales of Science and Love

September 18, 2008

Internationally renowned evolutionist Lynn Margulis reveals science from the inside: its passions, disappointments, and triumphs.

Carbon-Free Home

Stephen and Rebekah Hren discuss their book, The Carbon-Free Home: 36 Remodeling Projects to Help Kick the Fossil-Fuel Habit.

Jessica Kagle: Immersing Children in the World of Amphibians

February 25, 2008

Jessica Kagle, author of Exploring Natural Consequences, discusses the importance of encouraging young people to pay attention to local amphibian populations and how to use a creative exploration approach to increase amphibian awareness. Interactive games are used to demonstrate.

Gorilla Conservation and the Karisoke Center

November 13, 2007

Katie Fawcett speaks about the current conservation status of gorillas and the Karisoke Center, which celebrated its 40th anniversary this year and is one of the longest running field research programs in the world.

Burning Issue: Flame Retardants in Harbor Seals

October 16, 2007

Dr. Shaw discusses her investigation of the effects of toxic pollutants in harbor seals in the northwestern Atlantic. Her work shows that these seals are contaminated to the extent that their immune systems may be compromised.

Translating Science for Public Understanding

Susan Nall Bales

October 2, 2007

Speakers at this forum take on conventional wisdom to demonstrate the contribution that research-based communications can make to public thinking and child-oriented public policy.

Exploring the Space Frontier

Sunita Williams

September 17, 2007

Sunita Williams shares her experience being a crew member of the International Space Station and the Space Shuttle. While on the International Space Station, Williams set a world record for women with four spacewalks totaling 29 hours and 17 minutes. Williams has logged a total of 195 days in space.

Celebration of the World's Barrier Islands

Mary Edna Fraser

September 4, 2007

Orrin Pilkey and Mary Edna Fraser describe the fragility of Barrier islands, which protect the mainland of most of the eastern United States from natural disaster.

Teeth of the Lion: The Beloved and Despised Dandelion

Anita Sanchez discusses the ecology of the ubiquitous dandelion, and how humans have spread it to areas far beyond its natural range.

Lucy Ellen Sewall and the MA Infant Asylum

Martha N. Gardner

Martha N. Gardner explores Lucy Ellen Sewall's medical and social attitudes, as well as the complicated position that women held in the field.

African Americans and the Environment

Valerie Jackson

WABE-Atlanta radio talk show host Valerie Jackson moderates a town hall-style panel discussion on Global Warming and other environmental challenges, featuring national environmental leaders.

Coral Reefs in Danger

Coral reefs have traditionally been considered robust ecosystems, surviving unchanged over thousands of millennia, and rebounding after tremendous insults such as hurricanes and nuclear testing.

Unexpected Interface: Proteins and Evolutionary Change

Susan Lindquist

Susan Lindquist describes protein folding, and how this phenomenon allows orgnisms to evolve rapidly in response to new environmental conditions. All proteins start out as long strings of amino acids. Before a protein can function, it must fold into an extremely precise, highly complex structure.

Commotion in the Ocean

February 28, 2007

Oceanographer Amy Bower tells of the adventures she and her team have shared, as they try to put together the complex puzzle that is our Earth's climate system.This includes battling pirates on the high seas.

March of the Penguins

November 20, 2006

In a lecture with Susie Ellis, learn about the challenges facing the important and charismatic taxonomic group: penguins. Their dire situation is a clear reflection of the escalating crisis facing the world's marine ecosystems, including global climate change.

Boston Firsts: Innovations and Inventions in Beantown

Lynda Morgenroth

November 2, 2006

Author Lynda Morgenroth describes the scientific advances and breakthroughs in culture that are woven in Boston's fascinating and quirky history. The first ready-made suit, automatic bargain basement and subway all belong to Boston.

Nanotechnology and Cancer Drug Discovery

October 29, 2006

Cynthia Bamdad, chief scientific officer of Minerva Biotechnologies Corporation, describes her company's nanoparticle-sized biochips and how they are being used to understand how cancer starts and how

Weight Gain and Breast Cancer Risk

Heather Eliassen

October 8, 2006

Heather Eliassen from Brigham and Women's Hospital and the Harvard Schools of Medicine and Public Health, talks about weight gain as a risk factor for breast cancer. She notes that while many risk factors for breast cancer have been identified, only a few of them are easily modified.

Over My Dead Body

Marie Galbraith

September 29, 2006

A panel discusses the fate of Mattatuck Museum's skeleton, Larry, and tries to resolve issues surrounding what happens to our bodies after we die, and who decides what is okay. Where is the line between respect for the human body after death, and the use of human remains for display and education?

Mass Strandings of Dolphins and Whales

Connie Merigo describes how New England Aquarium personnel provide event management techniques, safety protocols, animal health assessments, and transportation methods when dolphins and whales get stranded on Cape Cod.

IDEAS Boston Youth Summit: Dr. Amy Wagers

Amy Wagers talks about her research on defining the mechanisms that regulate the movement, growth, and regenerative potential of blood-forming and muscle-forming stem cells; and she discusses what led her to her current work. This lecture is presented by the Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston.

Harvard Physicist Lisa Randall's Warped Passages

Harvard Professor Lisa Randall is a theoretical particle physicist who sees past the rest of us to a world of extra dimensions and parallel universes.

Choosing Ocean-Friendly Seafood

Lydia Bergen discusses how we can maintain our natural marine resources and feed our global community, a question that the Seafood Choices Movement is striving to tackle and a process in which the New England Aquarium is deeply embedded.

Stem Cells 101 and Beyond

Divya Mathur and Chris Lengner from Rudolf Jaenisch's lab at the Whitehead Institute discuss the basics of stem cell research, as well as their latest findings.

Franklin's Gulf Stream: Science in the Atlantic

Joyce E. Chaplin

Benjamin Franklin drew one of the first accurate charts of the Atlantic Gulf Stream enabling ships to take full advantage of the swifter current. Joyce E.

Lisa Randall: String Theory, Multiple Dimensions

October 7, 2005

Lisa Randall discusses her research which focuses on string theory and the idea that there are multiple dimensions in space. Professor of physics at Harvard University, Randall discusses her research which focuses on string theory and the idea that there are multiple dimensions in space.

Boston IDEAS 2005: Amy Smith

October 6, 2005

A MacArthur fellow and mechanical engineer, Amy Smith discusses her interest in creating elegantly simple life-enhancing solutions and labor-saving technologies for the developing world.

Paula Johnson: Improving Women's Healthcare

October 6, 2005

Nationally recognized for her leadership in women's health, Paula Johnson discusses policy, research and clinical care and how that tripartite mission can offer better access and quality of care for all women.

Boston IDEAS 2005: Robin Chase

October 6, 2005

Robin Chase, founder and former CEO of Zipcar, discusses current ways in which wireless technology can be used in the transportation industry to reduce dependency on fossil fuel.

Origin and Evolution of Life on Earth I

Lynn Rothschild

October 5, 2005

Lynn Rothschild, NASA astrobiologist, talks about cosmic evolution. Cosmic evolution is the modern scientific story of who we are and whence we came; the story of us.

Tinkering with Eden: Non-Native Species

Kim Todd investigates the stories of 16 exotic species, from those brought by the first European colonists to species still being imported today, as described in her book, Tinkering with Eden, winner of the Sigurd Olson Nature Writing Award. Starlings. Honeybees. Pigeons. Brown trout.

Monsters, Dwarfs, and Everything in Between

Sally Baliunas discusses how physics enables us to study rare and distant stars, from monsters 100 times heavier than the sun, to white dwarfs no larger than Earth but more than 100,000 times more dense.

Tissue Engineering: Challenges of Imitating Nature

Gordana Vunjak-Novakovic

Gordana Vunjak-Novakovic imagines a world where we could engineer living tissues to cure a disease, heal an injury, or fix a broken heart. Tissue engineering combines the principles of biology, engineering and medicine to create biological substitutes of native tissues.

Long and Wide: Far-Reaching Earthquakes

February 4, 2005

Seismologist Susan Hough lectures on far-reaching earthquakes and their impact on our planet and on the science world. In 1992, the Landers earthquake struck north of Palm Springs with a magnitude of 7.3.

Inside a Stem Cell Laboratory

January 6, 2005

Ann Parson, author of the recently published The Proteus Effect: Stem Cells and Their Promise for Medicine, shares some basic information about stem cells and what the future holds for medicines based on them.

Eavesdropping on Dolphins

Kathleen Dudzinski

November 1, 2004

Following a screening of the IMAX Film Dolphins, Dr. Kathleen Dudzinski, director of the Dolphin Communication Project at Mystic Aquarium & Institute for Exploration, presents details from her 14 years of studying dolphin communication in the Bahamas, Japan and Honduras.

The Acoustic World of Whales

Dr. Green discusses her work with humpback whales in Hawaii, where she studies their use of sound to communicate. She shares video and sound recordings to illustrate her work and present research on the effect of thrill craft and engine noise on the whales. Dr.

Angela Belcher: Nature to Nanotechnology and Back

Angela Belcher discusses her work as a materials chemist with expertise in the fields of biomaterials, biomolecular materials, organic-inorganic interfaces and solid state chemistry.

Journey to the Galapagos

Carole Baldwin describes her experiences exploring 3,000 feet below the ocean surface to identify a colorful array of rarely seen animals and plants, including more than a dozen previously unknown species.

Einstein's Unfinished Symphony

Marcia Bartusiak

Marcia Bartusiak discusses new observatories that allow astronomers to place their hands upon the fabric of space-time and feel the very rhythms of the universe.

Exploring Mars: Landscapes and the History of Water

January 2, 2004

Maria Zuber of MIT discusses her experiences working with the Mars Exploration Rover 'Spirit', and the discoveries it made. Taking advantage of Earth's proximity to Mars, astronomers and scientists are launching several missions to Mars to find out more about our red neighbor.

Acadia to Zion: Understanding Our National Parks

December 5, 2003

Gillian Bowser, former assistant to the Director of the National Park Service and chief scientist in many NPS research efforts, talks about the what, why and who of the National Park System.

Space Exploration: JFK to Dr. Mae

December 2, 2003

Dr. Mae Jemison describes the United States' efforts at space exploration from the Kennedy years through the present. Mae C. Jemison blasted into orbit aboard the space shuttle Endeavour on September 12, 1992 as the first woman of color to go into space. Dr.

Medical Malpractice in Massachusetts

Madge Kaplan, senior editor of American Public Media's Marketplace Health Desk moderates a discussion about malpractice law reform with several Massachusetts physicians. Threats of malpractice lawsuits hang over doctor's heads from the day they earn their degrees.

Power of the Coin: Power of Faith

Caroly Shumway describes global collaborative efforts between conservationists and the faith community, including the New England Aquarium's Changing Hearts and Minds Project in Papua New Guinea.

When Smoke Ran Like Water

Devra Davis combines her deep personal connection to issues of health and the environment with her formidable scientific expertise, arguing for fundamentally new ways of thinking about health and the environment.

Global Climate Change: The Media

Usha Lee McFarling

November 23, 2002

The Southern Ocean, the body of water surrounding Antarctica, is a key region in determining global climate. Recent studies show that the Southern Ocean is undergoing an alarming warming trend that may affect climates in the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian Oceans.

Global Climate Change: The Southern Ocean

November 23, 2002

Sarah Gille, physical oceanographer at Scripps Research Institute, addresses the long-standing and pervasive myth that human input is local not global. She argues that damage to the earth's polar areas might finally be proving just how wrong this type of thinking is.

New England Forests: A View from Space

Mary Martin and Marie-Louise Smith explain how scientists use space age tools to track and assess changes in New England's forests.

Making Sense of Sex-Based Biology

Denise L. Faustman

Dr. Denise Faustman, professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, takes an honest look at sex-based biology.

In Search of Our Ancestors: What Mummies Tell Us

Heather Pringle

February 1, 2002

They're not just characters in horror films or objects in museum displays, mummies and the information they carry about ourselves are found all over the world.

Normal Adolescent Development and Behaviors

January 9, 2002

Jean Frazier, assistant professor at Harvard Medical School, discusses the differences between the mood swings and identity formation of normal development in adolescence and the warning signs that can indicate illness or future behavioral problems.