Women in Science

This International Day of Women and Girls in Science, meet some of the scientists undertaking fundamental plant biology research at the Sainsbury Laboratory Cambridge University (SLCU).

Mahwish Ejaz sitting on a stool working at her lab bench at the Sainsbury Laboratory

Stretching plant cells with micro-robots

Dr Mahwish Ejaz is researching how altering cell size affects the mechanical properties of specific tissues in plants to better understand multi-cellular organ development.

Dr Colleen Drapek

Investigating how legume root organs form

Dr Colleen Drapek is investigating how plant cells and organs acquire identity and how plants adapt their development in response to other organisms.

Dr Tamsin Spelman

Using mathematics to understand plant growth

Dr Tamsin Spelman uses computational models and mathematical techniques to study plants, including movement and shape of the nucleus in the root hair.

Dr Dora Cano Ramirez

Revealing how plants survive in fluctuating environments

Dr Dora Cano Ramirez is studying how random gene expression in plants affects their survival under fluctuating environments and how it is an advantage.

Dr Sabine Brumm

Stopping pathogens in their tracks

Dr Sabine Brumm is using novel genome editing techniques to produce barley plants with broad disease resistance.

Dr Helen Saville

Exploring cytoskeleton processes in cell division

Dr Helen Saville is researching the role of the cytoskeleton in cell and developmental biology using synthetic and systems biology approaches, and computer modelling.

UN website

International Day of Women and Girls in Science

Even though women have made tremendous progress towards increasing their participation in higher education, they are still under-represented in science fields.

Women in Science websites and blogs

Websites, resources, networks, articles and blogs relating to women in science and equality, diversity and inclusion.

Plant science at Cambridge

The University of Cambridge is home to one of the largest concentrations of plant research anywhere in the world. Visit the below organisations to find out about their work in sustainable agriculture, conservation and fundamental research.

Department of Plant Sciences

Crop Science Centre

Cambridge University Botanic Garden

Cambridge University Herbarium

Cambridge Global Food Security

Cambridge Centre for Physical Biology

Conservation Research Institute

Plants @ Cambridge Hub

TIGR2ESS