More women than ever before are pursuing careers in STEM, yet women in science remain vastly underrepresented in the STEM sector, particularly in leadership positions. The main leak in the STEM pipeline coincides with the time when women are starting a family, and recent research shows that new mothers are nearly 3 times more likely to leave their STEM careers than new fathers or their childless peers. COVID-19 has magnified these longstanding inequalities and action must be taken to remain women in STEM careers. Dr. Isabel Torres will discuss the invisible structural barriers that silently push women in STEM away from their career track and explain why motherhood should be at the center of discussions and interventions to close the gender gap in STEM.   

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SPEAKER:

Dr. Isabel Torres is co-founder and CEO of Mothers in Science, an international non-profit organization that aims to increase the retention of women in STEMM careers by advocating for workplace equity and inclusion of mothers and caregivers. After completing a Ph.D. degree at the University of Cambridge, UK, and a postdoc at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Isabel established a scientific editing and consultancy business. More recently, she founded Pretty Smart Science, a science communication platform that combines science and art to promote scientific literacy and increase the visibility of women in science. Isabel is passionate about promoting women in STEMM and advocating for gender equality.