February 11th was the International Day of Women and Girls in Science! To celebrate, we asked women at CHRIM some questions about how they became interested in science and how we can inspire the next generation of #WomenInSTEM.
Over the coming weeks, we’ll be sharing a series of blog posts featuring different women at CHRIM with careers in science. This week, read about Nichola Wigle.
Nichola Wigle is the Chief Operating Officer at CHRIM. Read below to hear her thoughts on a career in science, the importance of diversity, and how to empower more women and girls to pursue careers in science.
What made you pursue a career in STEM?
I was fortunate in high school that science came fairly easy to me and then I followed that through into university and discovered that I just had a lot of curiosity. I liked discovering the world, I liked discovering things around me, and I gradually made my way into biology and physiology and that answered my curiosity about the body.
What advice would you give to young girls aspiring to enter the world of science?
Timing and opportunity. It’s not just about one path. Making yourself open to those multitudes of opportunities. I started out in bench science, and I took on more and more project lead roles and then I made a switch and moved into an administrative role. I still contribute to science in a very direct way but I’m in a very different role than what I started out in. Again, timing and opportunity, you have to be open and be willing to change directions.
Is there a woman in STEM who inspires you?
The women around me every day inspire me. I’m very fortunate in the role that I’m in at this moment to be able to participate in the research institute and be able to walk the floor, to meet the students, the PIs, the administrative staff; all those individuals that contribute to science, and that’s what inspires me.
Why is diversity important in the field of science?
Diversity is important from two different viewpoints. One: diversity of the ideas around you. Bringing people with different lived experiences into the room just changes the dynamic and you play off one another and get very different points of view. The other aspect is: if we’re looking at research answering questions and we’re focused on what we’re going to deliver for our partners and for the communities around us, then we need to know from their perspective the questions that we need answered. Having diversity in that aspect really helps us to answer questions that our community is engaged in.
How can we inspire and empower more young girls to pursue careers in science?
We need to change the picture. We need to change what we’re focused on. Being able to showcase other women in science that are contributing in a multitude of ways, that’s how we can start to bridge those gaps. Just be positive and encourage young women, show them that there are opportunities in many ways.