International Day of Women and Girls in Science 2026
11 February 2026
Today, 11th Feb 2026, is International Day of Women and Girls in Science. To celebrate, our MSc Medical Physics/Radiobiology students honour five pioneering women who shaped nuclear medicine and inspired them on their own journeys in science.
Today, 11th Feb 2026, is International Day of Women and Girls in Science. To celebrate, our MSc Medical Physics/Radiobiology students honour five pioneering women who shaped nuclear medicine and inspired them on their own journeys in science.
- Edith Quimby: a trailblazer in medical physics, Quimby helped establish safe and accurate radiation dosimetry standards that laid the foundation for modern radiation therapy
- Lise Meitner: a physicist whose work was central to the discovery and explanation of nuclear fission
- Chien-Shiung Wu: the "First Lady of Physics", an experimental physicist known for the ground-breaking Wu experiment, which reshaped our understanding of nuclear physics.
- Elizabeth Fleischman Aschheim: one of the first women radiologists, she pioneered the early medical use of X-rays and radiation, ultimately sacrificing her life due to radiation exposure.
- Andrée Dutreix: a medical physicist who advanced radiation protection and quality assurance in radiotherapy, and who was deeply committed to education and training, helping to shape generations of medical physicists across Europe.
Today, we celebrate their legacy. Thank you to Priya, Riya, Susan, Joy, Amelie, and Masa, and all the women in science continuing to inspire the future of medical physics and nuclear medicine.
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