Nov 14, 2022 - News

Five women scientists in Colorado named among best in the world

Illustration of a golden microscope trophy.

Illustration: Lindsey Bailey/Axios

Five Colorado-based women researchers are considered the best female scientists in the world in Research.com's inaugural rankings.

Driving the news: The list, compiled by the online research portal for scientists, seeks to inspire women scholars and those considering a career in academia, according to Imed Bouchrika, its head of content.

Details: The recognized women work in a variety of scientific fields.

  • No. 83 Kristi Anseth (University of Colorado Boulder) studies chemical and biological engineering, and she's known for research in tissue engineering, which the university website says could have applications in medicine.
  • No. 125 Philippa Marrack (National Jewish Health and University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus) is a researcher who focuses on T cells, which spot infections in the body, and her studies are trying to determine how they learn to react this way.
  • No. 128 Linda Watkins (University of Colorado Boulder) focuses her studies on how pain works and how to manage it.
  • No. 853 Margaret Murnane (University of Colorado Boulder) has for years specialized in laser physics, working with X-ray lasers, which can take photos of molecule-length events, and have other applications.
  • No. 863 Leslie Leinwand (University of Colorado Boulder) leads the BioFrontiers Institute, where she focuses on genetics and molecular physiology in heart-related diseases.

What they're saying: "[W]e believe that female scientists deserve an equal chance to be represented and praised for their achievements," Bouchrika writes for the website.

  • The issue of representation extends to how research is promoted: An article published in the science journal Nature in June suggested women on research teams are "significantly less likely than men to be credited with authorship."

Editor's note: This story has been corrected to reflect that Philippa Marrack works at University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, not the University of Colorado Denver.

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