FW June Newsletter

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My newsletter intro this month is your mid-year PSA to stop and take moment for some self-care! (And yes, I can feel your eye rolls from here…lol)

I can write this thanks to the gift of hindsight as I sit on a rooftop in Crete where I am taking a break to spend time with my extended family who I haven’t seen since before Covid.

It has been good for the soul to sit on the beach each day, drinking Greek coffee, followed by a *big* home-cooked meal, a nap and then strolling the streets until the sun sets.

But go back to when we were planning this trip, and I would have told you it was not possible because there was just Too. Much. To. Do. In the months and weeks leading up to the trip, I was starting to hit peak stress levels with the FW calendar filling up (mentoring program, our new members connect events, wiki edit-a-thons!), the to-do list getting longer and longer, and so many emails left unread leaving me with an awful feeling of guilt at the end of each day.

Isn’t it funny how all these feelings fade away as soon as you take a break. Giving yourself space from the daily grind offers moments of clarity, perspective and ultimately self-care.

Obviously taking a break won’t always be an overseas holiday, but when you notice that life is starting to control you versus the other way around, it is important to find something that helps you to step away from the day-to-day to reset on what matters the most and why. And when that is not possible, remember to be kind to yourself 💓.

Please enjoy this month’s newsletter with so much goodness from women in our sector. See you in July when I am back after my big self-care dose of sun and sea and family.

Happy reading,

P.s that's newsletter curator Amy Vassallo and I saying hello from the top if our shiny new newsletter format! We hope you like it, any feedback (loves or improvements) please send our way 😄

Our Founder Melina contributed to an article in Women’s Agenda about government funding for STEM

Applications opened for WILD Board X, preparing women in STEM for board positions

MTPConnect released a report showing that Australia’s clinical trials sector generated $1.6 billon for the Australian economy

Registrations opened to host an event with Jean Hailes for Women’s Health Week

Applications opened for ATSE’s Elevate program, offering scholarships, mentoring and networks to boost women’s participation in STEM

Early bird registrations opened for AusBiotech 2024, Australia’s biggest week in biotech

Nominations opened for the Women in MedTech Individual Champion Award

The hunt has started to find Australia’s next Chief Scientist

Finally, congratulations to all the women in STEMM who were celebrated in this years King’s Birthday Honours! Special shout out to Prof Karen Canfell who was awarded a Companion of the Order of Australia!

Meet Dr Hannah Barden

Senior Clinical Researcher in the Brain Injury Service at Westmead Hospital. She's also a FW-sponsored mentee in the 2024 Franklin Women Mentoring Program.

Here she talks about the evolving trajectory of her career, holistic health services and aligning work with your values.

At FW we are big believers in the value of mentoring for career progression, personal development and enjoyment.

Here Dr Laura Yeates, cardiac genetic counsellor at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research, and Rebecca MacIntosh, general genetic counsellor at Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network, share their approach to the development and evaluation of a mentoring program for their professional society:

Mentoring is like yoga: you know it's good for you but if you don't make it a priority, it slips its way down the to-do list!

In 2018, we joined the executive of the Australasian Society of Genetic Counsellors (ASGC), a special interest group of the Human Genetics Society of Australasia (HGSA). The ASGC is a volunteer organisation providing leadership, representation, advocacy and support for our 450+ members...

We recently launched our 2024 Wikipedia Edit-a-thon in Sydney and Canberra (registrations are filling fast)! During these events the FW community gathers to learn how to edit Wikipedia and increase the visibility of women from our sector.

Here Dr Melanie Zeppel, Manager Natural Capital and Carbon Analytics at New Forests and one of the Superstars of STEM 2023–2024 cohort, writes about her motivations, inspirations and joys of writing Wikipedia pages:

Always, my motivation to write Wikipedia pages is to uplift women in STEM, but sometimes it’s delightful to create balance after witnessing microaggressions. When I witness misogyny, I write a Wikipedia page for another woman. Lifting up another person is a great antidote to create hope for a better world...

Mid-year reset! To mark the end of the first half of 2024 I’ve done a mid-year reset to refocus on self-care (it’s the second-best option to a holiday in Greece 😂). Here are some tips if you’d like to do the same:

Reflect on your vision, goals, challenges and achievements for 2024 so far

Find a system that works for you to set your goals and track your progress – I’m loving the done app for this

Add in a daily gua sha facial massage to reduce jaw tension

Reset some self-care boundaries (side note – if you can nab a ticket for the Sashi Perera show Boundaries, I highly recommend it!

Finally, don’t forget to celebrate your wins

Till next month, your Newsletter Curator, Amy

Thank you to The George Institute of Global Health for investing in Franklin Women and our mission to create a health and medical research ecosystem where women thrive.

Thank you for being a part of our fabulous FW community. Spread the love and tell a brilliant woman in STEMM about us!

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