Steve was introduced to Ailon Haileyesus several months ago. 'It was refreshing to hear how much she enjoys acting as an Engineer, and how respected she is by her colleagues,' Steve commented. Ailon attributes her focus and calmness to her faith, which is explored in this podcast. 

Ailon is a Staff Engineer at Stryker - developing products for spine surgeries while interacting directly with surgeons worldwide. Prior to this role, Ailon completed her M.S.E. (CBID Program ‘18) and B.S.E. (‘16) in Biomedical Engineering. Ailon was a Harvard-Amgen Scholar (2015) and interned in USAID’s Global Health Bureau (2016). As a first-generation Ethiopian American and female engineer, Ailon is passionate about innovating within the global healthcare field and empowering others to do the same.

Part of The IN Group Communities, Race in STEM a safe, judgement-free space to share one another’s experiences and ideas. Together, we can challenge the status quo and showcase the excellence of the underrepresented in STEM.

Keep in touch and find out more about RACE in STEM!

We held our very first Race in STEM webinar, ‘Women in STEM: Combating Biases and Celebrating Excellence’ hosted by Founder Steve Fuller. We spoke about the challenges and biases women have historically faced in STEM, and how this has continued to trickle into today’s context. We also discussed the importance of celebrating women in STEM, and how in a world where you may feel unrepresented, having assurance and encouragement can support you with confidence and feeling like an ‘imposter.’  

Key insights from the discussion included: 
- Addressing the ‘leaky funnel’ 
- The pay divide: negotiate and challenge 
- Value of transferable skills 
- Importance of advocates and allies 
- Tall Poppy Syndrome and how this can impact women 
- Why we need to continue to celebrate women  

Thank you, Archita, Ana, Tea and Magali, for all your insights! 

Part of The IN Group Communities, Race in STEM a safe, judgement-free space to share one another’s experiences and ideas. Together, we can challenge the status quo and showcase the excellence of the underrepresented in STEM.

Keep in touch and find out more about RACE in STEM!

Check out our latest episode where our US Ambassador interviewed Andrew Obadiaru to discuss Black Resistance. 

Andrew is the Chief Information Security Officer at Cobalt, which provides a Pentest as a Service (PtaaS) platform that is modernizing the traditional, static penetration testing model. At Cobalt, Andrew is responsible for maintaining the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of Cobalt's systems and data. Prior to joining Cobalt, Andrew was the Head of Information Security for BBVA USA Corporate Investment banking, where he oversaw the creation and execution of Cyber Security Strategy. Andrew has 20+ years in the security and technology space, with a history of managing and mitigating risk across changing technologies, software, and diverse platforms.

Part of The IN Group Communities, Race in STEM a safe, judgement-free space to share one another’s experiences and ideas. Together, we can challenge the status quo and showcase the excellence of the underrepresented in STEM.

Keep in touch and find out more about RACE in STEM!

Steven sits down with the wonderful James Kusena,  who discusses his philosophy when dealing with adversity within STEM.

James is the Vice President of Bioprocessing & Applications at MicrofluidX, where they are developing the Cyto Engine, a cell therapy bioprocessing and manufacturing platform. James has experience in cell and gene therapy process development and manufacturing optimisation. His work has focused on understanding the translational requirements for robust product realisation, considering aspects such as process development, manufacturability and ultimately the clinical adoption and health economic implications. He holds a Ph.D. in regenerative medicine from the Centre of Biological Engineering at Loughborough University, UK and is an awardee of the Royal Academy of Engineering’s Shott Scale Up Accelerator Award.

Part of The IN Group Communities, Race in STEM a safe, judgement-free space to share one another’s experiences and ideas. Together, we can challenge the status quo and showcase the excellence of the underrepresented in STEM.

Keep in touch and find out more about RACE in STEM!

In this episode, Steve interviews respected Global Quality Assurance Consultant, Adam Slater. Adam is a white man and was bought up in Africa from 3 months old until his late teenage years.

A Quality Professional with over 30 years’ experience within the pharmaceutical, healthcare and biopharmaceutical industries. Adam is qualified in both Microbiology and Analytical Chemistry. He has completed the EU Qualified Persons qualification and has worked within large global pharma, start-ups, CRO’s and CDMO’s. The positions he has held have included senior leadership positions in Quality Assurance, R&D, Regulatory and Quality Control.  These roles have included managing large and diverse teams, leading complex change initiatives and continuous improvement programmes. He has experience of working in industries throughout the UK, Europe, USA and Asia. For the last 12 years has run his own independent consultancy company providing interim senior leadership roles, project management, conducting international audits, and leading remediation and inspection readiness initiatives for biopharmaceutical and ATMP companies.

Part of The IN Group Communities, Race in STEM a safe, judgement-free space to share one another’s experiences and ideas. Together, we can challenge the status quo and showcase the excellence of the underrepresented in STEM.

Keep in touch and find out more about RACE in STEM!

In this episode, Steve is joined by Rosemary Lakeru to discuss the pillars of identity within STEM.

Rosemary Lakeru is the Founder and CEO of ACORN IQ, a data-driven clinical research Patient Recruitment & Engagement company committed to changing the face of clinical research; with a mission to bridge the disparity gap, improve clinical trial experiences and drive clinical research across Africa and emerging markets for better health outcomes. 

Prior to ACORN IQ, Rosemary worked directly with life sciences organisations to deliver successful clinical trials that are equitable and Inclusive. She specialises in innovation for trial participant study design and involvement, addressing access to clinical trial barriers, and Enrolling participants from underrepresented populations for medical research through RWD.

Part of The IN Group Communities, Race in STEM a safe, judgement-free space to share one another’s experiences and ideas. Together, we can challenge the status quo and showcase the excellence of the underrepresented in STEM.

Keep in touch and find out more about RACE in STEM!

In this episode, were joined by the fabulous Sharmaine Kelly who spoke with us as we recognised this year's Black History Month in the US, discussing the current theme of Black Resistance. 

Sharmaine Kelly is from Durham NC having lived in the area majority of her life. She attended North Carolina Agriculture & Technical State University for Psychology then transferred and graduated from Shaw University Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology. At home, she lives with her fiancé and two teenage daughters along with a long hair chihuahua, an English Agora Rabbit and Guinea Pig (which feels like a small farm).  In her free time, she enjoys audiobooks, making candles, spending time with her family and travelling, most recently to Costa Rica.

Part of The IN Group Communities, Race in STEM a safe, judgement-free space to share one another’s experiences and ideas. Together, we can challenge the status quo and showcase the excellence of the underrepresented in STEM.

Keep in touch and find out more about RACE in STEM!

‘You’re going to go through some hard times, but you’re going come out the other side.’ This episode of My Race in Science delves into the risks of ignoring changing terminology, the importance of mutual respect, and the necessity of representation at every level of the life sciences industry. 

We discussed the pitfalls and the positives experienced by people of colour in the LGBTQ+ community, the resources available, and the power of being yourself, even when the negativity around you starts to take its toll. 

How do we open up positive discussion? How do we empower others in the life sciences? It all starts with a willingness to learn. 

Part of The IN Group Communities, Race in STEM a safe, judgement-free space to share one another’s experiences and ideas. Together, we can challenge the status quo and showcase the excellence of the underrepresented in STEM.

Keep in touch and find out more about RACE in STEM!

‘Standing out in some way is part of the journey of life.’ In this episode of My Race in Science, we explored the infinite value of self-belief, mentoring, and meaningful allyship in the fight against discrimination in the life sciences space. 

From sharing stories to speaking up for others – you don’t need to have experienced first-hand discrimination to be an impactful advocate. 

While diverse teams are starting to populate senior leadership positions, the persistence of the ‘Old Boys Club’ mentality still acts as a barrier to progression for minorities in today’s world, particularly for women of colour. 

How do we break the mould and inspire change, and what does that process look like? 

Part of The IN Group Communities, Race in STEM a safe, judgement-free space to share one another’s experiences and ideas. Together, we can challenge the status quo and showcase the excellence of the underrepresented in STEM.

Keep in touch and find out more about RACE in STEM!

Corryn Gardiner is a Director of her own Quality Assurance Consultancy who works with pharmaceutical companies to help with the set-up and/or ongoing maintenance and responsibilities relating to the Pharmaceutical Quality System and maintaining licences.

After spending over 10 years working in Quality Assurance Corryn believes and strives for quality and compliance to work hand in hand, without one being compromised for the other. Corryn has worked at and supported global pharmaceutical companies and related organisations including Fisher Bioservices part of Thermofisher Scientific, Eisai, Roche and Alexion. In addition to her varied Quality Assurance roles across the lifecycle of a medicinal product, Corryn acts as a Responsible Person and Responsible Person of Import. 

Corryn holds a BSc in Biochemistry with Forensic Science from the Queen Mary University of London.

Part of The IN Group Communities, Race in STEM a safe, judgement-free space to share one another’s experiences and ideas. Together, we can challenge the status quo and showcase the excellence of the underrepresented in STEM.

Keep in touch and find out more about RACE in STEM!