Award for Young Women in Science runs for second year

From left to right: Dr Margaret Heslin, Miss Precious Adeyemi, Dr Barbara Barrett, Miss Damilola Adeyanju and Professor Paul McCrone. 

Following the success of last year’s programme, the Institute of Psychiatry (IoP) at King’s College London will be offering new Awards for Young Women in Science in 2014. 

The aim is to encourage young women (aged 15-18) from schools in the local area to stay in science and mathematics education, by offering them a week’s placement within a research team at the IoP and ongoing mentoring following the placement. This year, three research centres are taking part: the Centre for Economics of Mental and Physical Health (CEMPH), the Section on Women’s Mental Health (WMH) and the MRC Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry (SGDP) Centre.  

Last year’s winner and runner-up of the CEMPH Award, Miss Damilola Adeyanju and Miss Precious Adeyemi from the Sacred Heart School in Southwark, visited the IoP during August 2013 where they learnt about health economics. 

They met with academics from a number of scientific disciplines and professional backgrounds including economists, nurses, pharmacists, statisticians, geneticists and psychiatrists, to discuss their education and career path options.

Currently studying at the St Francis Xavier Sixth Form College in Clapham, Miss Adeyemi said: “I heard about the Award through my economics teacher at College and was fascinated by the fact that there was a branch of Economics which combined both Healthcare and Economics. Not only that, it allows you to use economic knowledge to help improve health and healthcare all over the world. During my time at the Institute of Psychiatry, I met a wide range of professionals from Health Economists, Medical Statisticians, Psychiatrists and a Geneticist. I think the CEMPH Award has made me think more about the diverse range of careers out there.”

Dr Margaret Heslin, a Research Worker in the Health Service and Population Research (HSPR) Department at the IoP, who organises the Awards said the experience for both the students and staff was a positive one. She said: “It has been an extremely rewarding experience and seems to have really benefitted the two winners who spent four days with CEMPH, shadowing me and meeting a wide range of senior and junior academics from across the Institute of Psychiatry.”

Dr Heslin was nominated for a WISE Award for establishing the CEMPH Award. The WISE Awards (Women in Science and Engineering) are held in association with the Science Museum to acknowledge and highlight the success of women in the fields of science, technology, economics and mathematics. 

The SGDP Award is being facilitated by Freya Rumball and Punit Shah, there are two Awards, one for young men, and the other for young women. The WMH Award is being facilitated by Emma Molyneaux. 

Application forms are available for the CEMPH Award, SGPD Award, and WMH Award

To find out more, please contact Margaret.heslin@kcl.ac.uk