Each year on February 11th, The International Day of Women and Girls in Science is celebrated around the world. This day provides an opportunity to honor the achievements of women and girls in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields and to continue important advocacy efforts to advance gender equality and representation in STEM fields. The International Day of Women and Girls in Science was established by a resolution passed by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015. An Assembly is held annually, and a different theme is chosen every year to raise awareness of a particular element of gender equality in science.

For 2024, the main theme is “Women and Girls in Science and Leadership, A New Era for Sustainability”. At Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute (MRRI), we acknowledge and value the significant contributions of women at MRRI and beyond. Within MRRI, women have been instrumental in conducting pioneering research at our Institute and excelling in leadership roles. Women have served and continue to serve in important leadership positions, and women at MRRI have been pivotal in shaping the Institute, its science, and its culture.

Women not only make up the majority of MRRI’s staff, they comprise more than half of the Institute’s scientists, research assistants, post-doctoral trainees, and administrative support staff. At MRRI, women hold prominent roles in senior leadership positions, including the Associate Director (current and past) and Director of the Aphasia Center. This notable representation is rooted in the Institute’s 30-plus year history, with the pioneering presence of MRRI co-founder Myrna Schwartz, who served as the institute’s first Associate Director.

The inclusion of women in science is also evident in our international collaborations, and our current Scientists in Residence are women hailing from University College London and McMaster University in Toronto. Additionally, a Fulbright Fellow from the French National Center for Scientific Research is visiting MRRI currently, further deepening our connections to the international community of women in science.

MRRI would not be the vibrant research institute it is today without the effort, talent, and dedication of each of the remarkable women who have been part of the institute, and we look forward to continuing to help train and support the next generation of female leaders in neuroscience and neurorehabilitation. “The women of MRRI continue to blaze a trail in the United States and abroad. The breadth and influence of their work can be seen through their engagement onsite at the Institute as well as at scientific conferences, within professional societies, and in the scientific literature. Thank you to all of the women of MRRI for your remarkable and ongoing contributions, no doubt you are an inspiration for girls considering a future in science,” remarked MRRI Director, Dylan Edwards, PhD.