5 Female Scientists that Revolutionized the Field

Learn about scientists from all over the world! Enjoy!

Sanghamitra Bandyopadhyay

Born in 1968, Sanghamitra Bandyopadhyay was an Indian computer scientist. She specialized in computational biology which is “using and developing computer algorithms for analyzing biological data”. She was a professor at the Indian Statistical Institute, the same institute in which she got her PhD. From August 2015 to July 2020, she became director of the institute. Her research includes evolutionary computation and pattern recognition. In addition, she authored and co-authored over 300 research articles. She has received several awards including Infosys Prize in Engineering and Computer Science and TWAS prize for Engineering Science.

Meemann Chang

Meemann Chang is a paleontologist from China. Her contributions in her field were incredibly significant, so much so that four animal species are named after her, such as the dinosaur Sinovenator changii. Chang’s discovery revolutionized the knowledge of how the first fish crawled on land. Because of her discovery, Dr. Chang earned the Romen-Simpson Medal, and the L’Oreal-UNESCO Award for Women in Science. In addition, she was elected president of the Paleontological Society of China.

Samia al-Amoudi

Samia al-Amoudi is a Saudi obstetrician and gynecologist. She suffered from breast cancer herself, and went public with her diagnosis. She became the first Saudi woman to write about her chemotherapy and cancer experience. By writing articles about cancer, she raised awareness and described the importance of self care. Al-Amoudi is the head of the Sheik Mohammed Hussen Al-Amoudi Center of Excellence in breast cancer. On the Arabian listing of most influential females, the Power 100, al-Amoudi was #5.

Mae Jemison

Mae Jemison is an American engineer, physician, author, and former NASA astronaut. She was born on October 17th, 1956 in Decatur, Alabama. When she was younger, she often watched the Apollo airings on TV and this is cited as the reason for her interest in astronomy as she was often upset because of the lack of people who looked like her. In 1989, Jemison and six other astronauts went into space on the shuttle Endeavor and she became the first African American woman to travel in space. She was also inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame and International Space Hall of Fame.

Kathrin Barboza Marquez

Born in 1983, Kathrin Barboza Marquez is a Bolivian biologist and is a leading expert in bat research. With her mentor, Aidee Vargas, Barboza conducted a year-long expedition to find a species of bat (called the sword-nosed bat) which was believed to be extinct in Bolivia since the early 1930s. She has also taught courses on bats across Bolivia, Brazil, Costa Rica, Peru, Spain and Uruguay.She was also named as one of the “Top 10 Latin American Women in Science” by the BBC. In 2010, she was awarded the National Geographic’s “Young Explorer Grant”.