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Public perception of science is still dominated by the image of men, and male scientists are interviewed and quoted more frequently in the media than their female colleagues. Therefore, the BIH wants to represent women scientists with its portrait series and illustrate their inspiring contribution to translational research, from basic research to clinical application. Science is diverse!

We invited all interested parties to join with us to set an example of women in science. The keynote was delivered by Dr. Rana Dajani, Associate Professor of molecular cell biology, Hashemite University, Jordan. Then followed a panel discussion with the portrayed women and the guests.

The evening was moderated by Dr. Stefanie Seltmann, Head of Communication & Marketing (Berlin Institute of Health).

About the Speaker

Rana Dajani, professor and author of “Five Scarves: Doing the Impossible — If We Can Reverse Cell Fate, Why Can’t We Redefine Success?” (https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-018-05891-7 ), is a molecular biologist and currently Associate Professor at Hashemite University, Jordan, and additionally a Harvard Radcliff fellow, a Fulbrighter (two awards), Eisenhower fellow, Yale and Cambridge visiting professor. She is the world expert on genetics of Circassian and Chechan populations in Jordan and established stem cell research ethics law in Jordan. She is an advocate for biological evolution and Islam, Jordan team leader in studying refugee youth with Yale University and the epigenetics of trauma across generations.

Dajani is an active campaigner for science education for women visible through her work as higher education reform expert EU-TEMPUS, founder service learning center (Hashemite University), and member UN women Jordan advisory council. She has published in Science and Nature, established a women mentor network which received PEER award 2014 and organized the first gender summit for the Arab world 2017. She is recognized as one of the most influential women scientists in Islamic World, and received the King Hussein Cancer Institute for cancer and biotechnology award 2009 and 2016 Global Changemaker Award IIE/Fulbright. She is a speaker at TEDxDeadsea, McGill University and MIT, World Islamic Economic Forum 2012 and World Science Forum 2015

The community-based model she developed “We love reading” which encourages children to read for pleasure leading to establishment of 330 libraries in Jordan alone, received numerous awards including UNESCO literary prize 2017.

View video portraits

Photos: BIH/Karin Dascal