Advancing Israel’s top female scientists
(L-R) Hayley Sieff and Arabella Duffield
Supporters of Weizmann UK have once again given generously to help fund the Weizmann Institute of Science’s innovative Women in Science programme that financially assists the most promising Israeli women scientists to complete their postdoctoral training overseas. £80,000 was raised by the Women in Science lunch in October which was attended by over 100 UK supporters. The lunch was kindly hosted at the St John’s Wood home of Lady Rosa Lipworth CBE.
The title of the event was We Need to Talk about Autism and we were privileged to be joined by Dr. Noga Zilkha to give an insight into the latest autism research taking place at the Weizmann Institute. IT entrepreneur and philanthropist Dame Stephanie Shirley gave an inspirational account of her life from Kinder Transport refugee to successful business woman. She spoke movingly on her experiences in raising an autistic child and her philanthropic initiative that arose as a result.
The appeal to support the Women in Science Program was made by Arabella Duffield. The programme, which this year celebrates its 10th anniversary, has so far funded 116 women to undertake their postdoctoral studies at leading international Institutions. Of the 62 women who have so far completed their fellowships, 51 have gone on to lead their own labs—43 of them in Israel.