One hundred children discover science through female role models at VHIR

More than one hundred students from Years 5 and 6 visited the laboratories of the Vall d’Hebron Research Institute (VHIR) to gain first-hand insight into biomedical research and meet the women researchers working at the centre. The initiative, organised once again as part of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, celebrated every 11 February, aims to bring science closer to children, stimulate their curiosity and provide female role models to inspire them to imagine future scientific careers.

Throughout the morning, children aged between 10 and 12 met several VHIR women researchers and learned about their research projects. This year, more than 70 professionals took part, sharing their motivations and experiences from different perspectives and career stages, including predoctoral and postdoctoral researchers, principal investigators, group leaders, laboratory technicians, nurses and clinical trial coordinators, among others. This diversity clearly shows that research is possible by the combined efforts of multiple professional profiles working together to improve people’s health.

The pupils discovered a broad range of research areas studied at VHIR, including cancer, migraine, rare diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, liver diseases, autoimmune diseases, among others.

The visits concluded with a participatory activity in which the children shared their experiences and what they had learned on a panel. “I really like science, and I found everything they explained in the labs very interesting. I would like to see equality in the future and for boys and girls to work together”, explained Soraya. “The visit has inspired me to become a scientist in the future”, said Indara.

In addition, each child received an inspiring message with a sticker featuring a famous woman researcher from the history of science and medicine, encouraging them to continue pursuing their dreams. As Patricia Bath, ophthalmologist and inventor born in the United States in 1942, once said: “Do not let your vision be limited by prejudice; believe in your ability to change the world.”

Although only three schools took part in the on-site visits, VHIR has also made available ten short video capsules in which several women researchers explain their research and the reasons behind their interest in science. The videos are publicly available on YouTube.

Science at VHIR through a women’s lens

The presence of women in biomedical research at VHIR continues to strengthen and gain prominence across all areas. Women currently represent 63.66% of the centre’s staff and lead 53.30% of its scientific publications, a figure that has grown steadily in recent years.

Although challenges remain regarding access to positions of highest responsibility, the data point to a positive trend reinforced by generational renewal: more than 70% of enrolments in VHIR master’s programmes are women, a trend that suggests an increasingly balanced and diverse future for research.