To encourage women to fulfil their scientific careers and take on leadership roles, on December 6 (2022) a Female Leadership workshop was held at the LIOS. Five successful women in the science and biotechnology business shared their unique and inspiring experiences:
- Dagnija Loča, Dr.sc.ing., professor at Riga Technical University, Director of the Rudolfs Cimdins Riga Biomaterials Innovations and Development Centre of RTU
- Maija Dambrova, Dr.pharm., professor at Riga Stradiņš University, Head of the LIOS Laboratory of Pharmaceutical Pharmacology a
- Una Riekstiņa, Dr. biol., professor at Latvian University, Director of the Pharmacy – bachelor study programme
- Agnese Stunda-Zujeva, Dr.sc.ing., Co-founder and CEO at “SpirulinaNord”, docent at Riga Technical University
- Anna Ramata-Stunda, Mg. biol., Co-founder and CEO at “Alternative Plants”, researcher Latvian University, Faculty of Biology
Panellists briefly discussed their career paths, the most important decisions and turning points in their career, challenges they have faced and still facing in their academic and professional carrier, what important skills are essential to become a good leader and how to have a work-life balance.
The Female Leadership workshop is one of the actions of LIOS’s Gender equality plan to address LIOS women to continue professional growth and not to stop their career on receiving a degree, but to pursue their career advancement and become principal investigators and scientific Lab leaders.