WEST Wisdom Blog

Jo Viney is the President, Co-founder, and Chief Scientific Officer of Pandion Therapeutics. She is a prominent figure in the field of autoimmunity, and a past board member of WEST. She served as the WEST board’s president from 2016 - 2017, and she continues her affiliation with our organization as an active “Friend of WEST” sponsor. She is no stranger when it comes to supporting and inspiring women in the field of STEM. I recently sat down with Jo (virtually), where we talked about her journey. Her smile was infectious, and her journey struck a chord with me.

Topics: Leadership, Science, Transitions, Career, Community, Giving Back, Interview, Women in STEM, Member Spotlight, Biotech, Rockstars, Inspiration, Role Models, Leaders, Impact, Career Development, Mentor, Advice, Advocate, #WESTorg

Dr. Irene Ghobrial is a Professor of Medicine at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute at Harvard Medical School. She is also the Lavine Family Chair of Preventative Cancer Therapies. Dr. Ghobrial received her M.D. from Cairo University in 1995. She trained as a medical oncology fellow and became an Instructor in Medicine at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota from 2001 to 2005.

Topics: Leadership, Science, Career, Community, Interview, Resilience, Women in STEM, Member Spotlight, Rockstars, Inspiration, Role Models, Leaders, Impact, Career Development, Advocate, #WESTorg

 

Anna Barnacka is the CEO and Founder at MindMics. She earned her Master’s in Physics in 2008 and two PhDs in Physics and Astronomy in 2013. Anna worked as a NASA Einstein Fellow at Harvard University from 2015-2018 and focused on turning galaxies into high resolution telescopes. In May 2018, she founded her own company because Anna was interested in applying her knowledge from previous experiences on research on the human body.

Topics: Leadership, Science, Career, Community, Interview, Resilience, Women in STEM, Member Spotlight, Rockstars, Inspiration, Role Models, Leaders, Impact, Career Development, Advocate, #WESTorg

Leadership is shown in many ways, and Anne Cheung has turned working with her introverted nature into a strength, focusing on doing the work and cultivating the passion of others in joining her work. Her style of leadership has resulted in work that improves the lives of others. 

Topics: Leadership, Science, Career, Interview, Women in STEM, Member Spotlight, Rockstars, Inspiration, Role Models, Leaders, Career Development, Advocate, #WESTorg, Be Fearless, Be Brave

Katherine Andersen serves as Head of Life Science & Healthcare Relationship Banking at SVB, which covers growth companies from Series A investment all the way up to Middle Market. She also sits on the Board of Directors for SVB's Joint Venture in China, SPD Silicon Valley Bank. Her team spans the U.S. and focuses on providing advice and delivering specialized solutions in the areas of biotech, tools, diagnostics, healthcare services and IT, medical devices and digital health. 

Topics: Leadership, Science, Career, Interview, Women in STEM, Member Spotlight, Rockstars, Inspiration, Role Models, Board of Directors, Leaders, Career Development, Advocate, #WESTorg, Be Fearless, Be Brave

Mariana Nacht, Ph.D., is the Chief Scientific Officer at Cereius, a Biotech startup in North Carolina. She has been a WEST board member for 5 years. Mariana works with scientific personnel on science strategy to meet goals, get funding, and build a successful company.

Topics: Leadership, Science, Career, Interview, Women in STEM, Member Spotlight, Rockstars, Inspiration, Role Models, Board of Directors, Leaders, Career Development, Advocate, #WESTorg, Be Fearless, Be Brave

Join WESTorg at Takeda on Wednesday, January 23, 2019, for the #WESTawards to honor individuals in the Boston science and technology community that embody WEST’s 2018-2019 theme, ‘Own It: Empowering Your Career & Your Life’. 

WEST is a learning community that provides women in the enterprise of science and technology with the inspiration, knowledge and connections to reach their full potential. Please join #WESTorg and our sponsors, Takeda, Johnson & Johnson and Safety Partners at Takeda’s Cambridge offices for the 2019 #WESTawards and Networking Night to honor individuals in Boston’s STEM community who embody WEST’s mission and our ‘Own It’ theme in their service of inclusivity and empowerment in STEM and STEM initiatives that benefit the community at large.

Topics: Events, Women, Science, Career, Awards, Community, Giving Back, Interview, Cambridge, Success, Network, Inspire, Women in STEM, Networking, Upcoming Events, Professional, Biotech, Rockstars, Connect, Making a Difference, Inspiration, Role Models, Volunteer, Compensation, Strengths, Support, Leaders, Impact, Own It, Sponsor, Advocate

Learn more about past events listed below

6/12: Leadership and Women of the Future Awards and Panel Discussion
5/23: Providing Impactful Feedback Up, Down, and Across
4/26: How to Present Technical Information so People Will Understand, Care, and Remember
4/23: How Does a Start-up Embrace Open Innovation with a Large Corporation
4/11: Innovation and Entrepreneurship Senior Panel Discussion

Topics: Events, Women, Boston, Tech, Career, Communication, Community, Network, Women in STEM, Networking, Upcoming Events, Discussion, Rockstars, Breakfast, Connect

Are you looking for an opportunity to network with local senior tech leaders? If so, this is THE event for you. Enjoy a light breakfast accompanied by lots of conversation with Larry Friedman, Tim Mugherini, and Sabine Schilg. Registration is for WEST MEMBERS ONLY and will be limited to a maximum of 20 participants to ensure an intimate experience. 

Topics: Events, Women, Boston, Tech, Career, Communication, Community, Network, Women in STEM, Networking, Upcoming Events, Discussion, Rockstars, Breakfast, Connect

You probably heard about the detection of gravitational waves a couple of years ago. You know that it was a really, really important discovery, but what exactly was it and why was it important? Come learn about it from one of the most prominent scientists in Scotland, Professor Sheila Rowan, the Chief Scientific Advisor to the Scottish government. When she is  not developing equipment for detecting cosmic gravitational waves, what does Dr. Rowan advise the Scottish government on? What are the most pressing science issues in Scotland today, how do these relate to science issues facing other parts of the world, and how did she get this appointment? Come to the WEST Rockstar breakfast on April 5^th and have an intimate conversation with Dr. Rowan. Maybe you want to know if she’s met the Queen. 

Topics: Events, STEM, Women, Tech, Science, Career, Community, Cambridge, Women in STEM, Networking, Upcoming Events, Rockstars, Breakfast