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Dr Melanie McConnell Dr Melanie McConnell was born inWellington and grew up on the Kapiti Coast. She moved to Otago University and completed a BSc (Hons) in virology, then her PhD studying childhood kidney cancer. From Dunedin, she moved to NewYork City, where her research centred on leukaemia. On repatriation to New Zealand, Dr McConnell set up the brain cancer stem cell program at the Malaghan Institute inWellington. Since then, she has focused on neuro-oncology, particularly how brain cancers resist therapy, and why they are so difficult to kill. What advice would you offer young people (specifically females) looking to start a career in science? “Be flexible and take opportunities as they arise. You can’t plan too many steps of a research career in advance…Don’t be afraid to make the systemwork for you if you can see that changing something will make things better, then ask for those changes to be made. The worst that can happen is that the answer is no.” Dr Corinne Bareham Following Dr Corinne Bareham’s undergraduate degree at the Victoria University of Wellington, she was privileged to be awarded a Commonwealth Trust Scholarship to support her PhD at the University of Cambridge, UK. During the final year of her PhD, she accepted a 2-year postdoctoral position in Brisbane, Australia, after which Dr Bareham returned to Cambridge for a second postdoctoral position in clinical neurosciences. In 2019, she was awarded funding from the Neurological Foundation, which enabled her to repatriate to New Zealand and the Victoria University of Wellington to continue her research on healthy alertness and spatial attention following stroke. What advice would you offer young people (specifically females) looking to start a career in the science/ research field? “Persistence is key, but it is also important to maintain balance. Working in science and research can feel challenging, and sometimes like a tough playing field; make sure you have things in your life that make it worth the battle. Recognise your successes. Take every opportunity to upskill and learn as much as you can, as these are opportunities you might miss later. Make sure you keep hold of your friends in the field along the way; their support and specialised knowledge will be invaluable for your journey. If you can, find a female mentor with an established research career who can provide advice and guidance to support your career aspirations.” Women in Science: Wellington 12 February 6.30 – 8.30 pm Harbourside Function Centre, The Loft, 4 Taranaki Street For more information and to get a ticket please visit wis2020-wellington.lilregie. com or call our head office at 0508 BRAINS (0508 272 467). Headlines 7