IGWA Women International

In this episode, I speak with Dr. Maryam En-Nosse, a gynecologist and gynecologic oncologist at the University Hospital Giessen in Germany, with additional training in plastic reconstructive surgery focused on the vulva and clitoris.

We trace her path from global health and oncology into one of the most neglected areas of women's health — and what it meant to step off a conventional university career track to train in microsurgical reconstruction under a pioneer in the field.

Our conversation covers:

• Training gap among clinicians about the clitoris and Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C)
• What reconstructive surgery actually restores — form and function — and how it differs from aesthetic procedures
• Rebuilding with a patient's own tissue after FGM, cancer, or trauma
• Building capacity internationally — including a train-the-trainer project at KCMC Hospital in Tanzania 

When I asked about her vision for the future, her answer was simple and unwavering:

"I think all women deserve the best care."

In this episode, we speak with Gabrielle Paquette, a women’s health researcher and consultant based in the UK, about the structural gaps in women’s healthcare and the realities of building in Femtech.

We explore her journey from neuroscience to reproductive health, and her mixed-methods research on heavy menstrual bleeding—highlighting how patient voices reveal barriers in accessing care within the NHS.

The conversation also dives into the “Bias Burden Report,”* uncovering how Femtech founders face censorship, financial exclusion, and systemic misclassification as “adult content.”

From delayed diagnoses and trial-and-error treatments to algorithmic bias and funding inequality, this episode sheds light on how women’s health remains underfunded—and what needs to change.

*Link: https://www.censhership.co.uk/research

This episode is part 2 of the interview with Dr. Luigi Gresele.

Here, we discuss academic life in machine learning, such as:

• Machine learning conference culture (NeurIPS, ICML), 

• The scale of global AI research

• Supervision and mentorship

In this episode, I speak with Dr. Luigi Gresele, a postdoctoral researcher at the Copenhagen Causality Lab. 

We discuss Dr. Gresele’s research topic including

• What “representation” really means in deep neural networks

• Why neural networks are powerful — and still largely opaque

• The cocktail party problem and how ICA differs from PCA

In this episode, I had the privilege of speaking with Dr. Stephanie Both, sexologist at Amsterdam UMC.

Our conversation covered many topics, including:

• The vicious cycle behind sexual pain disorders

• How cognitive behavioral therapy can break that cycle

• Why clitoral education is essential in clinical practice

• And why sex education should start earlier — and include pleasure, not only risk

In this episode, I speak with Anastasia Spirina, a medical doctor turned health-tech product manager, about what it really means to bridge medicine, technology, and business in today’s healthcare landscape. Drawing on her experience across clinical practice, telemedicine, digital health startups, and product management, Anastasia reflects on how COVID-19 reshaped healthcare delivery and accelerated the need for cross-disciplinary roles. 

Beyond product development, we also talk about career pathways outside traditional academia and the importance of community-building in health technology ecosystems. This conversation is especially relevant for clinicians, researchers, and professionals considering roles at the intersection of healthcare, technology, and business.

Located in Amsterdam, Anastasiia regularly organizes social events called ‘HealthTechSpark NL,’ where anyone interested in bridging medicine, technology, and business can network with each other.

HealthTechSpark NL Link: https://www.linkedin.com/company/healthtechspark-nl/posts/?feedView=all

A German professor living in Korea.

A Korean postdoc living in the Netherlands.

A story of a 10-year-long mentorship.

I met Christian during my undergraduate studies in Korea . Over the next ten years, our paths crossed only occasionally—in different countries, at different career stages.

There was no formal supervision. No regular meetings.

Just someone who, every few years, reminded me: 𝘺𝘰𝘶’𝘳𝘦 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘮.

Academia measures success in papers and grants.

But careers often survive because someone, somewhere, believes in you long enough.

This is a conversation about science, careers, and the small moments that make a life in academia meaningful.

If you’re early-career and feeling unsure, I hope this conversation provides some guidance.

(this episode was recorded in April 2025.)

When I first entered the field, I worried that new research might unintentionally repeat old mistakes—like the 19th-century claims that women’s “smaller brains” proved inferior intellect, or more recent arguments from evolutionary biologists suggesting men are “naturally” more likely to become geniuses.

So how do we talk about sex differences responsibly?
How do we build better science without giving fuel to existing inequalities?

“Even if a difference is real, it doesn’t mean inequality is inevitable. We created these structures—and we can change them.”

says Katharine Jenkins, a philosophy professor at the University of Glasgow. 

Our conversation helped me find clarity in a dilemma I had been carrying for a long time.

I hope it brings something valuable to you as well.

(The recording took place in August 2024.

Music credit: https://gongu.copyright.or.kr/gongu/wrt/wrt/view.do?wrtSn=13380235&menuNo=200020)

“The clitoris is always considered a miniature penis. 

𝗜 𝗼𝗯𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗴𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗹𝘆.”

When I started preparing for my research on the neuroanatomy of the clitoris, I felt a need for guidance. So I reached out to people who have already done the work I admire.

That’s how I found 𝗗𝗿. 𝗘𝗹𝗰𝗶𝗻 𝗧𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗸𝗼𝗹.

Her PhD is one of the few comparative studies examining the nerves of the clitoris and the penis. I invited her to my podcast and had a wonderful conversation.

This conversation felt like the lecture on 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗻𝗲𝘂𝗿𝗼𝘀𝗰𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 that I just needed.

If you’re interested in women’s health, neuroanatomy, or the science of pleasure, this episode is worth listening to.

A warm welcome to the IGWA Women International Podcast.

This is your host, Ju Young.