Neuro-psych for Women (NoW) is dedicated to improving education on campus about women’s issues in neuroscience and psychology. Our mission includes spreading awareness of recent research of women’s issues and fostering discussions around these topics. In addition, we address how neuroscience and psychology research can overlook and misinterpret women’s data, and to explore the consequences of these problems in research and clinical practice.
Biased research contributes to a lack of understanding around issues that predominantly or uniquely affect women, such as the menstrual cycle, menopause, female presentations of mental and neurological illness, and diagnostic biases. Medicine itself is often designed and trialled primarily on males, leading to treatments that may be less effective (or even harmful) for women. NoW aims to raise awareness of these gaps and support students who are interested in challenging the status quo. NoW is relevant for a range of subjects such as bioscience, medicine, dentistry and public health. Events will be accessible to students coming from any discipline and all will be warmly encouraged to join.
NoW will include 4 events: the “Miss Interpreted” Journal Club; the “Women in Focus Symposium”; the “Neuro-psych of Women Conference”; as well as “Pink Tank” socials.
Miss Interpreted is a monthly journal club where members come together to discuss relevant papers which focus on women's issues in neuroscience and psychology. Students can volunteer to present papers they are interested in. The journal club aims to create a collaborative, welcoming space for learning and critical thinking. NoW takes an intersectional approach and are committed to representing all women, including transgender women and women of colour, recognising that overlapping identities shape both individual experience and systemic inequality. Therefore, after presentations discussion prompts will always address intersectionality (for instance, “Who is centred in this paper?” and “How might findings be affected by overlapping identities, such as race, class and gender?”).
The Women in Focus Symposium is a supportive space for students to share and present their own academic work (such as essays, research proposals or dissertation) and critically reflect how students might address (or could better address) women’s experiences. This will take place once a semester. Participants are encouraged to discuss how they might better ensure gender inclusivity in their research design and analysis and explore ways to reduce male-centric norms.
The Neuro-psych of Women Conference will take place at the end of the year, providing students a platform to present their dissertations and other work. The conference will have a focus on how student’s ensured women’s data and experiences were included ethically, as well as showcasing student’s work which focused on specific women’s issues in psychology, neuroscience and related fields. Showcasing and celebrating student work helps student’s build their CV as well as encouraging reflection on campus about how we can challenge bias and address crucial gaps in the literature.
Alongside these academic events, NoW will hold casual socials (“Pink Tank”). We aim for all Pink Tank events to be free for all students. For example, walks in the park, board game nights or movie showings. NoW is passionate about advocating for women in STEM more broadly and building a community for female science students. This is especially important in the face of the “leaky pipeline,” where women are disproportionately lost from science at postgraduate and career levels.