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Breaking the Odds in Field Epidemiology in Pakistan

Saadeqa Khan
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Breaking the Odds in Field Epidemiology in Pakistan

Epidemiology studies the determinants, dynamics, and distribution of diseases in populations. Countries worldwide now focus on additional support to strengthen public health systems to detect and respond to outbreaks efficiently.

The COVID-19 pandemic has shown that field epidemiologists are essential for providing decision-makers with information to develop effective health interventions. The global health community voices the need for more investment in training and research in this area.

The Ministry of National Health Services Pakistan, in collaboration with the Center for Diseases Control U.S., executes and imparts a comprehensive epidemiology training program as an advanced two-year and a three-month frontline course with a focus on building a skilled workforce of epidemiologists and public health professionals, equipped to address the evolving health challenges for a resilient healthcare system in Pakistan.

Dr Nadia Noreen is a medical doctor and public health specialist with an MBBS, MPH, and MSc in Epidemiology, a graduate of the 2-year advanced postgraduate Pakistan Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Program (FELTP), and pursuing a Doctorate (PhD) in Public Health. She is also a member of the Training Programs in Field Epidemiology and Public Health Interventions Network (TEPHINET), the global network of field epidemiology training programs building a workforce to protect all people from public health threats. 

Nadia currently works as the technical lead/focal person for International Health Regulations (IHR) for Border Health Services (BHS), a Department of the National Ministry of Health in Pakistan. BHS is responsible for implementing IHR and the cross-border spread of disease across the Points of Entry in Pakistan.

Seaports serve as vital hubs of trade, commerce, and international connectivity, so we must continue to provide our border health personnel with excellent training to have the necessary skills to conduct surveillance appropriately and manage risks effectively. 

Her journey blends the power of resilience and the beauty of selfless love. Nadia is a born struggler, facing life’s challenges with steadfast determination, strength, and compassion. The loss of her father during the early days of medical school was undoubtedly a dismaying moment, but she made a conscious decision not to let adversity define her. Instead, Nadia emerged as a source of strength for her family, particularly for her beloved mother, who is her whole world.

Below are a few excerpts from her recent conversation with Scientia Pakistan’s Chief Editor, Saadeqa Khan.

In Pakistan, among limited available opportunities, FELTP training is a unique and excellent opportunity for persons interested in public health and epidemiology to continue their education and training.
In Pakistan, among limited available opportunities, FELTP training is a unique and excellent opportunity for persons interested in public health and epidemiology to continue their education and training. Photo Dr Nadia

Saadeqa: Field epidemiology is primarily considered a male-dominant field in Pakistan. How do you overcome obstacles and hurdles you face?

Dr Nadia: As a graduate of FELTP Pakistan, I proudly acknowledge the strengths, skills, and knowledge gained through the FELTP training without any gender discrimination. FELTP Pakistan provides equal career advancement opportunities based on merit rather than gender. In Pakistan, among limited available opportunities, FELTP training is a unique and excellent opportunity for persons interested in public health and epidemiology to continue their education and training.

Pakistan FETLP is modeled after the U.S. Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) and has a unique, applied training approach focusing on “learning by doing”. FETP trainees (also known as residents, fellows, or officers) spend 75-80% of their time maximizing hands-on training in the field and only a limited but quality time in the classroom.

Classroom time is spent learning the principles of epidemiology, disease surveillance, outbreak investigation, and biostatistics.

Field placements give fellows hands-on experience investigating outbreaks, establishing and evaluating disease surveillance systems, designing and conducting public health studies, and training other healthcare workers.

Learn more about how FETPs train here:  How We Train | Division of Global Health Protection | Global Health | CDC

To date, TEPHINET, with the support of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), has trained more than 23,000 disease detectives to build disease outbreak and response capacity in more than 80 countries, including 286 field epidemiologists from 2-Year Advanced FETP and 338 from short course Frontline in Pakistan.

Working as a field epidemiologist in Pakistan has been a pleasant and positive experience. My journey as an epidemiologist involved in frontline response and emergency preparedness is a testament to my training, areas of expertise, and commitment to public health and saving lives. By excelling in this field, I have paved the way for many other females and inspired them to pursue careers in epidemiology and public health.

Saadeqa: Pakistan’s FELTP has made significant strides in promoting gender equity. Would you like to brief us about it? How did you contribute to their efforts?

Dr Nadia: FELTP Pakistan provides equal opportunities for training irrespective of gender based on a competitive selection screening process and accepts the most qualified candidates. Diversity inclusion is a priority in the selection of fellows and program officers.

Women and minority group representation in Pak-FELTP has been emphasized to ensure a workforce more closely resembles Pakistan’s population distribution. There are 42 female graduates (accounting for 20% of the total graduates), and nine female fellows are currently enrolled in the program.

Saadeqa: Where did you get the idea of the Training of Trainers (TOT) capacity-building workshop for Seaport workers? What were the objectives?

Dr. Nadia: The primary objective of the workshop was to equip participants with the skills, knowledge, strategies, and competencies required to serve as effective trainers of other seaport personnel, build workforce capacities, and improve surveillance systems at the Points of Entry in compliance with IHR to enhance global health security.

Seaports serve as vital hubs of trade, commerce, and international connectivity. However, they also present unique challenges regarding health security and preventing and managing potential outbreaks. The importance of surveillance at these entry points increased significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic due to the potential for rapid disease spread and increased risks associated with potential trade restrictions.

In my capacity as a subject matter expert and the technical lead/focal person for International Health Regulations (IHR) for Border Health Services (BHS), which is a Department of the National Ministry of Health in Pakistan, it is a routine part of my responsibilities to build workforce capacity and train BHS staff to improve surveillance and disease detection and response at Pakistan’s Points of Entry (POEs).

I have designed several capacity-building sessions in the past at various POEs with the support of partner organizations to strengthen core capacities at POEs and improve emergency response. In the spirit of progress and innovation, these initial pilot TOT served as bridges connecting potential to proficiency. I intend to extend this learning experience to all Points of Entry (POEs) for workforce development.

“My journey as an epidemiologist involved in frontline response and emergency preparedness is a testament to my training, areas of expertise, and commitment to public health and saving lives.” ~ Dr Nadia Jamil Qureshi

Saadeqa: What was the experience of these workshops, and what are the outcomes?

Dr Nadia: Conducting TOT workshops to strengthen core disease detection and response capacities at seaports has been a wonderful experience and has tremendously impacted how we conduct surveillance and manage risks at points of entry in Pakistan.

Seaports serve as vital hubs of trade, commerce, and international connectivity, so we must continue to provide our border health personnel with excellent training to have the necessary skills to conduct surveillance appropriately and manage risks effectively. 

The target audience for these TOT sessions includes staff from different sectors working in coordination at all the seaports. The TOT workshop served as a platform for exchanging knowledge and best practices and allowed participants to gain valuable insights and learn from each other’s experiences.

The skills gained from this pilot workshop will help to accelerate emergency response and nurture a culture of continuous improvement that will safeguard public health within Pakistan’s seaports and contribute to a safer, healthier global community.

The most wonderful outcome of these workshops is the sense of empowerment, ownership, belonging, and confidence instilled in the participants and the belief that together we can make a difference in health outcomes.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a test case for many sectors, particularly the public health sector, and increased the need for trained and skilled human resources to manage the pandemic on the frontlines.

Saadeqa: SEAPORT entry points in Pakistan are mostly bypassed regarding healthcare facilities. How did you train seaport workers and health personnel to manage an outbreak response at seaports and ship sanitation operations?

Dr Nadia: Cross-border health threats represent a considerable challenge to both developed and underdeveloped countries. Therefore, the practical application of health measures at points of entry is essential to prevent the spread of disease across borders.

Pakistan has designated and maintained core capacities at 18 Points of Entry. The capacity required at all times for the point of entry is developed but not sustained due to logistics and human resource constraints.

Pakistan has three international seaports, namely the Port of Karachi, Bin Qasim, and Gawadar, which are the designated seaports as per the IHR list of authorized ports to issue Ship Sanitation Certificates along with developed referral systems/ linkages with tertiary care facilities.

The training content for the workshops was crafted and adopted from the latest updated guidelines of WHO and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) with detailed, comprehensive learning of IHR, Global Health Security (GHS), and ship sanitation adopted from Guide to Ship Sanitation Third Edition by WHO, CDC Vessel sanitation programme, CDC maritime guidance, Vector and reservoir control program, public health events on board ships management handbook by WHO.

My writing and computer skills acquired through FELTP training enabled me to develop comprehensive training materials like presentations, case studies, and flip charts.

Saadeqa: I read a fascinating story of two female crane operators working at Karachi Sea Port. You visited there: are you pleased with the working environment there for females?

Dr Nadia: Seaports are hubs of ceaseless activity, diversity, and ingenuity. My visits to seaports have always been enjoyable as the work environment for females is very supportive. For example, a female medical officer has been serving as a port Health officer for over the years. Likewise, my experience at seaports in a leadership role for over three years has been enriching. An environment emphasizing skills, knowledge, and collaboration supports it.

This environment keeps us focused on the work rather than gender and creates a brighter, healthier, safer, and more prosperous future for all of us on the frontline of public health.

Saadeqa: What strategies should we implement to increase gender inequity in such places?

Dr Nadia: The working environment for females in all places and walks of life must be safe, inclusive, and free from discrimination. Employers and organizations must ensure that female workers have equal opportunities, access to training and career development, and are treated with respect and fairness.

Promoting gender diversity in the workplace benefits individual women and contributes to the overall success and innovation of organizations. Encouraging more women to pursue careers in non-traditional fields is a step in the right direction towards achieving gender equality and creating inclusive work environments.

It's a powerful testament to the importance of family and parents nurturing their children's dreams and aspirations. Photo Dr Nadia/ CDC, U.S.
It’s a powerful testament to the importance of family and parents nurturing their children’s dreams and aspirations. Photo Dr Nadia/ CDC, U.S.

Saadeqa: Is there anything else of public interest I missed that you can add about your or FELTP’s efforts to promote gender and health equity in Pakistan?

Dr. Nadia: First, I want to express my profound acknowledgement of my mother’s selflessness, dedication, and support that have shaped my life. I want to pay a heartfelt tribute to the sacrifices she has made, the encouragement she has provided, and the prayers she has offered for my well-being and success.

It’s a powerful testament to the importance of family and parents nurturing their children’s dreams and aspirations. It’s a reminder that behind every success story is often the enduring dedication, motivation, and prayers of a loving parent. My father in heaven and my mother in my home are my real heroes.

I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely acknowledge and express my heartfelt gratitude to the exceptional teachers and mentors at FELTP who have played a pivotal role in shaping my drive for continuous learning and skill development.

I am also deeply appreciative and pay profound gratitude to my competent authorities at the National Health Ministry and headquarters, whose commitment to fostering an enabling and inclusive environment has been instrumental in my professional journey.

Their dedication to creating a workspace where everyone, regardless of background or identity, can thrive, contribute, and flourish is commendable. Within this nurturing environment, I have found the inspiration to excel and support others in reaching new heights.

As I move forward, I carry the invaluable lessons, mentorship, and supportive framework my teachers, mentors, and competent authorities provide. With their continued guidance and the foundation they have laid, I am empowered to embrace challenges and opportunities and contribute positively to my field and beyond.

A profound “take-home” lesson I have learned throughout these years of continuous response and engagement is that health security knows no boundaries, and the collaborative strength of diverse voices leads us to a safer, healthier world.

Acknowledgement:

The said piece of TOT was done with the support of Jhpiego- an affiliate of John Hopkins University, under the patronage of the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations & Coordinations.

Also, Read: Sania Alam— The Super Learning Queen

Viral Conjunctivitis— All You Need to Know

Mohamaad Irtaza Tafheem
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Viral Conjunctivitis— All You Need to Know

Recently, over 10,000 conjunctivitis incidents have been reported in Punjab alone, and it’s still increasing. At the same time, the metropolis of Karachi is also at risk for the outbreak despite decreasing cases lately. Within a few weeks, due to a conjunctivitis outbreak in Punjab, schools were closed for a few days to prevent transmission.

With an increasing outbreak in different regions of Pakistan and some at risk, it’s better to know about this disease and how to protect ourselves and others from it. 

What is Conjunctivitis?

Conjunctivitis, or “Pink Eye”, is an inflammation of the conjunctiva (the outer transparent layer of your eye and inner linings of your eyelids), with dilated blood vessels infiltrating white blood cells into the conjunctiva and removing foreign particles. The disease may result in swelling of conjunctiva and eyelids, accumulating water inside your tissue (known as edema). Also, the eye redness is due to dilated blood vessels and the pain from this inflammation.

What causes Conjunctivitis?

It can be caused by infection (such as bacteria, viruses, or parasites) or by non-infection means (through reactions with allergens, toxins, or a deregulated immune system).

The disease becomes complicated to diagnose, whether direct or indirect, based on its aetiology. For instance, Gnorrhoea, a sexually transmitted disease, can develop Conjunctivitis, apart from other organ complications.  

Among all these causes, viral Conjunctivitis is the most common globally. 

Viral Conjunctivitis

The virus infection accounts for a significant fraction of all cases related to eye diseases. Adenovirus (AdV) is the most common among many pathogens, with around 90% of all viral eye infection cases. 

Adenovirus

The species is classified into seven (A to G), comprising more than 100 strains. The virus is a 90 – 100 nm, non-enveloped nucleocapsid embedded inside with double-stranded DNA of 35k base pairs. Among the seven, D is known to have many strains causing Conjunctivitis, with AdV-D8, D19, and D37 found to be abundant among overall AdV conjunctivital cases.

At present, no specific treatment for conjunctivitis has been developed.
At present, no specific treatment for Conjunctivitis has been developed.

How is it transmitted?

AdV conjunctivitis is commonly spread by interacting with infected individuals. The fluid exposed by the patient, due to frequent eye rubbing can affect your eyes if exposed. Also, improper hygiene practices and improper chlorination of swimming pools can transmit the illness as well. 

Diagnosis

Several interpretations were made to distinguish bacterial and viral Conjunctivitis. However, most symptoms overlap, and it becomes hard to deduce the cause based on physical examination. Specific lab tests, like microbial culture, can detect the bacterial cause and see the viral reason, Real-Time PCR with 94% specificity and 89% sensitivity. 

Current Treatment

At present, no specific treatment has been developed. However, published studies directed to finding the AdV conjunctivitis treatments were based on lab culture. Fortunately, most cases are non-severe and take around a week or two to get cured. 

Also, based on public health experts’ recommendations, avoid taking unprescribed medication alone. To seek an emergency, visit a healthcare institute and make an appointment. Make sure to take a leave from your work and have rest. 

Preventions

Even if you get through with it, there might be a risk of drawbacks, affecting your eyes for an extended period. It’s better to take preventive measures, protecting your eyes and your loved ones. 

Make a habit of hand-washing frequently, and if you interact with an infected individual, keep your distance from them and avoid making physical contact, even handshakes. If you did, wash your hands and avoid rubbing your eyes unless cleaned.

Furthermore, wipe exposed surfaces or disinfect surfaces in healthcare institutes. The virus, being non-enveloped, is stabilized on the surface for an average of three weeks. And ensure properly chlorinated swimming pools. 

And yes, if you are still reading this article, protect yourself and your family from the current outbreak of Conjunctivitis. 

Note: Mohammad Irtaza Tafheem wrote this piece in collaboration with Dr. Muhammad Hamza Khan.

ABOUT THE COLLABORATOR: Dr. Muhammad Hamza Khan, currently a Consultant Ophthalmologist at Liaquat National Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan, is a Surgical Skills Faculty of The Royal College of Ophthalmologists. He has over nine years of experience interacting with eye patients and presenting at conferences worldwide.

REFERENCES:

  • Azari, A. A., & Arabi, A. (2020). Conjunctivitis: a systematic review. Journal of ophthalmic & visionresearch, 15(3), 372.
  • Azari, A. A., & Barney, N. P. (2013). Conjunctivitis: a systematic review of diagnosis and treatment. Jama,310(16), 1721-1730.
  • Muto, T., Imaizumi, S., & Kamoi, K. (2023). Viral Conjunctivitis. Viruses, 15(3), 676.
  • Rajaiya, J., Saha, A., Ismail, A. M., Zhou, X., Su, T., & Chodosh, J. (2021). Adenovirus and the cornea: more than meets the eye. Viruses, 13(2), 293.
  • Zhang, L., Zhao, N., Sha, J., Wang, C., Jin, X., Amer, S., & Liu, S. (2016). Virology and epidemiology analyses of global adenovirus-associated conjunctivitis outbreaks, 1953–2013. Epidemiology & Infection,144(8), 1661-1672.

Also Read: THE GERM FILES: SEVEN BOOKS ABOUT DISEASES OUTBREAKS TO ADD TO YOUR TBR

Scientia Pakistan serves as a Community Partner of SJF23

Scientia Pakistan
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Scientia Pakistan serves as a Community Partner of SJF23

We are absolutely thrilled to announce that Scientia Pakistan is a community partner of this year’s highly anticipated Science Journalism Forum 2023 (SJF23)!

Mark your calendars as SJF23 is set to take place from the 23rd to the 26th of October, focusing on the theme "Seeking Best Practices."
Mark your calendars as SJF23 is set to take place from the 23rd to the 26th of October, focusing on the theme “Seeking Best Practices.”

The Science Journalism Forum is returning for its 4th Edition, and this year, it brings a set of unique advantages, promising an exceptional experience you won’t want to miss. Mark your calendars as SJF23 is set to take place from the 23rd to the 26th of October, focusing on the theme “Seeking Best Practices.”

Join at: https://sciencejf.com/shop/

Here’s a sneak peek into what SJF23 has in store for you:

  • Tailored Guidance: To ensure you make the most of your experience, SJF23 is providing a special-tailored guide designed to lead you through SJF23 based on your unique interests. Whether you’re a seasoned science journalist or just starting out, this guide will help you navigate the event with ease.
  • Innovative Tools: Dive into a treasure trove of innovative tools that have not only revolutionized science journalism but continue to shape its future. 
  • Best Practices and Success Stories: SJF23 will feature presentations from prominent speakers in the field who will share their success stories and shed light on the best practices in science journalism. 
  • Impactful Initiatives: Discover impactful science journalism initiatives that have left an indelible mark on the field. These initiatives have shaped the course of science journalism in profound ways and continue to drive positive change.

But that’s not all! Secure your ticket now with 50% OFF by using promo code (Insert Promo Code). Don’t miss out on this fantastic opportunity to be a part of SJF23 with this unbeatable offer.

Also, Read: All Set for Lahore Science Mela

AI-Descartes: The AI Scientist Revolutionizes Scientific Discovery

Mohsin Iqbal
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AI-Descartes: The AI Scientist Revolutionizes Scientific Discovery

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has revolutionized the scientific discovery process by enabling the combination of data and theory to derive meaningful and accurate models of natural phenomena. One powerful approach to this integration is AI-Descartes, a method that combines logical reasoning with symbolic regression. By leveraging the strengths of both techniques, AI-Descartes allows scientists to derive scientific laws and formulas that are not only empirically accurate but also consistent with prior knowledge expressed through logical axioms.

René Descartes: A Renaissance Man

René Descartes, a prominent figure of the Renaissance, made significant contributions to philosophy, mathematics, and science. He possessed many skills and knowledge, making him a true polymath. Descartes’ philosophy placed great importance on rationality and logical reasoning, which laid the foundation for his famous statement, “I think, therefore I am.”

This idea was instrumental in shaping the notion of a machine mind distinct from its physical form, a key concept in AI.
This idea was instrumental in shaping the notion of a machine mind distinct from its physical form, a key concept in AI.

During the 17th century in France, Descartes played a crucial role in developing artificial intelligence by introducing the concept of dualism. According to Descartes, the mind and body are separate entities that are interconnected. He believed it was possible to mentally separate these “substances,” such as the mind, from the physical body. This idea was instrumental in shaping the notion of a machine mind distinct from its physical form, a key concept in AI.

Descartes also viewed animals as “automata,” or self-moving machines, following predetermined instructions like programmed machines do today. He applied his theories practically by improving clock designs and constructing robot-like machines, effectively bridging the gap between philosophy and technology. This foresight demonstrated his understanding of the potential relationship between humans and machines.

By leveraging the strengths of both techniques, AI-Descartes allows scientists to derive scientific laws and formulas that are not only empirically accurate but also consistent with prior knowledge expressed through logical axioms.

The Power of Symbolic Regression

Artificial neural networks (NN) and statistical regression are commonly used to discover patterns and relationships in data. Neural networks provide “black-box” models focusing on prediction, while regression models require a predetermined functional form and concentrate on parameter fitting.

Symbolic regression (SR) offers a different approach by allowing the functional form to be composed from a given set of operators and calculated from the data. SR models are often more interpretable than NN models and require less data, making them suitable for discovering laws of nature from experimental data.

The Challenge of Model Derivability

While SR can generate models that fit the data, identifying scientifically meaningful models consistent with prior knowledge is the challenge. Previous approaches have focused on balancing accuracy and complexity, but they must guarantee consistency with known background theories.

The problem becomes more complicated when logical axioms are involved, and automated theorem provers need help to generate theorems consistent with experimental data from a set of known assumptions.

Introducing AI-Descartes: Combining Reasoning and Symbolic Regression

AI-Descartes has been developed to address the challenge of derivable scientific discovery. AI-Descartes combines logical reasoning with symbolic regression to enable principled derivations of models of natural phenomena from axiomatic knowledge and experimental data. This approach integrates statistical and symbolic AI techniques to synthesize models that are both data-driven and based on first principles.

The Discovery Process

The AI-Descartes system follows a discovery cycle inspired by Descartes’ scientific method. Rather than starting with hypotheses derived from theory and testing them against data, AI-Descartes generates and assesses them against known background theories. The system consists of two main modules: the symbolic regression (SR) and reasoning modules.

The SR module outputs a set of candidate formulas that fit the data but may not be derivable from the background theory.
The SR module outputs a set of candidate formulas that fit the data but may not be derivable from the background theory.

The SR module takes as input a set of operators, a grammar, and constraints on the functional form. It uses mixed integer nonlinear programming to find an expression that minimizes the least-square error between the model and the data. The SR module outputs a set of candidate formulas that fit the data but may not be derivable from the background theory.

The reasoning module is responsible for assessing the derivability of the candidate formulas. It takes the background theory and the candidate formulas as input and uses automated theorem provers and deductive reasoning to determine whether a formula is derivable. If a formula is derivable, it is returned as the chosen model for prediction. If none of the candidate formulas are derivable, the reasoning module provides a quality assessment based on the distance between the formulas and the background theory.

Experimental Validation

The AI-Descartes system has been tested on three problems to validate its capabilities.

  • The first problem involves deriving Kepler’s third law of planetary motion from solar system data and background theory. The system rediscovered Kepler’s third law, demonstrating its ability to extract meaningful formulas from data and logical reasoning.
  • The second problem focuses on Einstein’s relativistic time-dilation formula. While the system did not recover the formula from the data, it helped identify the formula that best generalizes it. The system could determine the theory that better explains the phenomenon by analyzing the reasoning errors with different sets of axioms.
  • The third problem involves Langmuir’s adsorption theory, which includes material-dependent coefficients. The system used existential quantification to logically prove one of the extracted formulas by relating the SR-generated models’ coefficients to the background theory coefficients.

Industry Insights

AI-Descartes possesses a distinct advantage when it comes to handling intricate real-world data. While typical models, such as symbolic regression programs, tend to become overwhelmed by the minutiae, attempting to account for every minor alteration, AI-Descartes effortlessly sifts through the chaos.

It is akin to discovering the melody in a noisy room – this AI model hones in on the crucial patterns concealed within the data. The result? Models that are more transparent and dependable avoid excessive analysis and accurately reflect the occurrences within the data.

Tyler Josephson, co-author of the study and an assistant professor at UMBC, clarifies, “In this work, we relied on human experts to formalize the axioms of the background theory in a computer-readable format. If any axioms were missed or incorrect, it would hinder the system’s functionality.”

This implies that the experts translated the fundamental assumptions or principles of the theory into a format that the AI system could comprehend. Any errors during this process could limit the effectiveness of the system. Josephson adds, “In the future, we aim to automate this process, allowing us to expand our exploration to various domains of science and engineering.”

Conclusion

AI-Descartes demonstrates the value of combining logical reasoning with symbolic regression to obtain meaningful models of physical phenomena. By integrating data and theory, AI-Descartes synthesizes models that are both data-driven and based on first principles. This approach could revolutionize the scientific discovery process by accelerating the discovery of models consistent with prior knowledge. AI-Descartes is an accessible and knowledgeable guide, helping researchers uncover meaningful scientific insights from their data.

References:

Also Read: HIPPOCRATES VS PASTEUR: IS MODERN MEDICINE AN UPGRADE?

A look at the case of Thalassemia in Pakistan

Maham Maqsood
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A look at the case of Thalassemia in Pakistan

Nasreen* sobbed as she told the story of her family. She had lost two of her children to thalassemia. Two of them were lying on the hospital bed in front of her as blood was being transfused into their bodies. Her husband was the sole earner of her family who labored hard to keep the lives of their children safe and provide medication and treatment for their condition. This was my experience at a thalassemia center in the city of Rawalpindi, Pakistan and sadly, Nasreen’s story is not the only one. There are many people experiencing similar pain and difficulties due to a lack of consultation and awareness. The blood disorder of thalassemia occurs around the world and some of its sub-types are extremely lethal.

Thalassemia has a high incidence in Pakistan

The deadly blood disorder

Thalassemia is a genetic disorder i.e. it is a disease which an individual inherits from parents. The number of red blood cells in the body is extremely low which is due to unavailability of the compound hemoglobin, that carries oxygen in the fluids.  The mutation in the genetic material i.e. the DNA causes disruption in the normal production of the blood cells leading to anemia. There are several types of thalassemia depending on the number of the mutated genes one receives from one’s parents and it is also proportional to the severity of the disease. The symptoms appear at a very early age.

The hemoglobin molecule is made up of two chains i.e. alpha and beta-globin, both of which can be affected by mutations. If there is one alpha gene missing than the person is a silent carrier and the increased number of missing genes corresponds to the extremity of this disorder. The most extreme cases are: Hydrops fetalis relating to mutation of alpha chains, Beta thalassemia major and Cooley’s anemia relating to mutations in beta chains. The symptoms are decreased blood production, growth of various organs such as the spleen, abnormalities of bones, and growth issues. The only treatment of severe cases is blood transfusions with medications. Some have frequent transfusions in a month especially those exhibiting severe symptoms, and some may have transfusions once in a while.

The symptoms of Thalassemia appear at a very early age.

Addressing Thalassemia in Pakistan

As mentioned in the beginning, I got to experience the environment at a thalassemia center and noted some important points regarding the occurrence of this disease in this region of the world. One of the main reasons why the incidence is higher is because of cousin marriages. These marriages have been a tradition for a very long time and seemingly there aren’t any problems with it as such. But in certain areas, there are families that have genes for deadly disorders like thalassemia. The establishment of a relationship between such individuals may result in a doomed household. According to my observation, most of the patients had the disease in their family and certain couples had all their kids affected because both parents were the carriers of this disease. This shows that lack of awareness and education leads to a terrible situation.

For longtime survival it is necessary that it is addressed at the very beginning and treatment should be started after immediate diagnosis. Pakistan Thalassemia Welfare Society was developed by experts and qualified doctors from around the country in this regard. It is under the direct management of the Ministry of Health, Government of Pakistan. There has been the establishment of different centers for blood transfusion, most of which aim to offer treatment for free or subsidized rates. The Society is also a recognized member of Thalassemia International Federation, Cyprus and keeps itself updated about the latest and ongoing research in this mentioned health sector. Pakistan Thalassemia Welfare Society is also registered with the Pakistan Science Foundation and works with the help of donations and funds from their members and other philanthropists throughout the country. It also works to raise awareness about the disease and provide counseling to the people. Every month, different donors from colleges, universities, Pakistan Red Crescent Society, and the Armed Forces Institute of Transfusion help to provide required blood to patients.

Many transfusion centers have been established across the country

These days not only the government has started to take steps to address the issue, but private groups are also diving in to provide their help and support. Many transfusion centers have been established across the country as mentioned and some of them do more than just providing blood. They also provide counseling to families of affected individuals and assist in marriages by genetic testing. Many programs have been introduced to make the people more aware of the ways through which they can combat this issue and save the lives of their families. In many cases, counseling encourages people to seek proper guidance for their future decisions and to avoid troublesome circumstances.

Issues during treatment

There are various issues that patients may face while seeking treatment. The most common is the lack of availability of blood. Often, patients are not able to find donors at blood transfusion centers and they must undergo a great deal of trouble to get one. This especially happens during the months of summer when the most generous blood donor group i.e. the students is not available. There are also many side effects of the treatment such as the buildup of iron in body fluids after repeated transfusions which is dangerous in high amounts to the vital organs of the body like the heart, liver, etc. Again, therapies and medications are required to lower and stabilize iron concentrations.

There are various ongoing efforts that address to control this disease and provide support to the patients. Not only do such individuals need medical support but they also require emotional assistance. Their lifespan depends on the quality of treatment and the severity of the disease. In the West, many thalassemia patients have lived a long life but unfortunately, in Pakistan, the lifespan of such beings isn’t very extended and there is a need to put in more effort at research and medical level to develop efficient therapies and treatments.

*Note: Names have been changed to main confidentiality.

Siri Paye and Saturn’s moon, Enceladus, share a significant life component!

Rebah Tanvir
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Siri Paye and Saturn’s moon, Enceladus, share a significant life component!

The curiosity to solve the world’s mystery is essential for humans to understand themselves and find the purpose of their existence. An exciting way to do that is to search for life beyond Earth.

Saturn is the sixth planet in the distance from the Sun and the second-largest planet in our solar system; it is also well-known for its most spectacular rings. Just like the Earth, Saturn has its own set of moons orbiting around it, and one of such moons has grabbed the scientists’ attention as it could potentially host life!

The uncanny similarity of the existence of phosphorus in bone broths and water-spraying plumes of Enceladus is what is called a “chef’s kiss”.

Life on Enceladus

The building blocks of life and water are carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur. Saturn’s icy ocean moon, Enceladus, is thought to have liquid water oceans beneath its frozen shell. Cassini spacecraft had collected and analyzed samples from this moon, which, after decades of research, proved to have the existence of organic material on Enceladus.  

Enceladus sprays its ocean into space from plumes that the Casisinis Cosmic Dust Analyser sampled and detected. Scientists at NASA have determined that Enceladus has most of the chemical ingredients needed for life and likely has hydrothermal vents spewing hot, mineral-rich water into its ocean (Choblet et al., 2017). 

The search for extraterrestrial life in our solar system became more exciting when a team of scientists, including Southwest Research Institute’s Dr Christopher Gleinin 2020 discovered new evidence that the subsurface ocean of Saturn’s moon Enceladus contains a fundamental building block for life. “Using data from NASA’s Cassini mission, the team directly detected phosphorus in the form of phosphates originating from the moon’s ice-covered global ocean.” (Postberg et al., 2023)(qtd.in SWRI)

Phosphorus — A key component of Life

Phosphorus is the second most abundant mineral in the body, second to calcium. About 85% of the body’s phosphorus is stored in the bones and teeth of humans and animals as phosphates and in their DNA, RNA and cell membranes (Avenue et al., 2022).  It is also a vital component of food in nutrients and minerals.  Phosphorus is globally consumed in a variety of foods like beef or legumes and dishes made of bone broths, such as Siri Paye across  Pakistan and South Asia. 

Siri paya is a traditional Pakistani stew made with the head and feet of an animal (typically goat, cow, or lamb), called Siri and paya in Urdu, respectively. It is a typical breakfast meal in the country. The bones are slow-cooked in boiling water with added spices for 4-6 hours. This bone broth is considered nutritious and is enjoyed in the winter among the Pakistani community (Siri et al.). When served with bone marrow, Siri Paye is called “Nalli Siri Paye”, the most delectable version of this dish.

What does Siri Paye have to do with Enceladus?

The revelation of understanding the connection between phosphorus in the human diet and the plumes of Enceladus helps bridge gaps in our understanding of the universe. Bone broth of a Chinese dish called ‘sweet-sour-spareribs’ is also cooked similarly to Siri Paye. A study was conducted by scientists at Oregon State College, Corvallis, to detect how much nutrition this Chinese dish can provide, such as calcium and phosphorus. (Hoh et al., 1934) 

The presence of calcium and phosphorus was analyzed before and after cooking, which showed a generous presence of phosphorus at 0.384 gm (Hoh et al., 1934). Similarly, bone marrow is also enjoyed in a variety of dishes. Studies on the nutritional value of bone marrow suggest that “one tablespoon (14 grams) of raw caribou bone marrow provides 1% Phosphorus of the RDI.(Hassan et al., 2012).These studies help reveal its presence in our diets. 

This uncanny similarity of the existence of phosphorus in bone broths and water-spraying plumes of Enceladus is what is called a “chef’s kiss”. Life on Earth is just as complex yet simple as we seek it in the universe to be. Such analogies between Earth and other habitable planets or moons can help us take steps further into Astrobiology. 

Credits: Cassini Imaging Team/SSI/JPL/ SWRI/ Freie Universität Berlin
Credits: Cassini Imaging Team/SSI/JPL/ SWR Freie Universität Berlin.

 Dr Glein is a leading expert in extraterrestrial oceanography; his team found that phosphate concentrations are at least 100 times higher in the moon’s plume-forming ocean waters than in Earth’s oceans” (qtd.in SWRI). They analyzed a class of salt-rich ice grains with Cassini’s Cosmic Dust Analyzer, which showed the presence of sodium phosphates. The team’s observational results and laboratory analogue experiments suggest that phosphorus is readily available in Enceladus’ ocean as phosphates (Postberg et al., 2023).

This breakthrough discovery for astrobiology can lead studies in the search for life beyond Earth. Glein believes “the next step is to return to Enceladus to see if the habitable ocean is actually inhabited”.(Postberg et al., 2023). If that is the case, Pakistani food enthusiasts must keep a keen eye on Enceladus to someday enjoy extra-terrestrial Siri Paye. 

References:

Beyond Pulsars: Jocelyn Bell’s Journey of Discovery and Empowerment

Adnan Mirza
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Beyond Pulsars: Jocelyn Bell’s Journey of Discovery and Empowerment

“We often don’t get the credit for doing something that’s actually of value to society.”

This story of meeting and listening to someone so famous yet humble is quite an experience. I remember that day well.

It was a quiet and pleasant afternoon in 2018 when I was in Germany for higher studies. I was sitting in my department’s waiting area with a few classmates. Recent lectures were pretty brain-scratching, and I thought some relaxation was much needed. My classmates and I just got out of a scientific writing course lecture and were waiting for lunchtime. I was scrolling down my phone, looking at recent news, updates, and social media, when one of my friends asked, “Did you complete your cosmology exercises?”

I came back to my senses, “No! It was pretty hard.” I looked at him. “I am thinking of having a group session with some other classmates. You may join as well.”

We were talking when another classmate came over to us. “Are you guys going to attend the guest lecture due today?” She asked.

“Who is it?” I looked at her.

“It’s the lady who discovered pulsars.”

“Oh my God! Really? Jocelyn Bell?”

Believe it or not, I jumped off the chair with these exact expressions. The next moment, I ran towards the nearby research centre where she would present her talk.

In the lecture hall, there she was – Jocelyn Bell, giving lectures on how she became a distinguished woman in science. Answering many questions and narrating her story, I learned that women face much discrimination in technical fields.

Jocelyn’s Early Life

Dame Susan Jocelyn Bell Burnell, born on July 15 1943, is an astrophysicist from Northern Ireland. She was a postgraduate student and discovered pulsars in 1967.

She grew up in Lurgan, Northern Ireland, where she went to the Preparatory Department of Lurgan College and studied science despite the beliefs that boys and girls who studied technical subjects were supposed to learn cooking and cross-stitching. She completed her secondary education in 1961 from The Mount School, a Quaker girl’s boarding school in York, England. She received her Bachelor’s science degree in natural philosophy from Glasgow University in 1965, and then in 1969, she got her PhD from New Hall, Cambridge.

Jocelyn Bell
Jocelyn Bell grew up in Lurgan, Northern Ireland, where she went to the Preparatory Department of Lurgan College.

In Cambridge, she, with Antony Hewish and others, constructed an interplanetary scintillation array to study quasars. The Interplanetary Scintillation Array is a radio telescope built in 1967 at the Mullard Radio Astronomy Observatory in Cambridge, England, and was run by the Cavendish Astrophysics Group. The instrument’s initial area was 16,000 m2 or around 4 acres. It was expanded in 1978 to 9 acres and renovated in 1989.

Her Story

Her words echoed in the hall, “It was pretty tough because, at that time, it was a tradition that when a woman entered the lecture halls, all the men whistled, stamped, catcalled, and banged the desks. These were wooden lecture theatres, so you could easily make a lot of noise.

As the only female in the class, I had to face that. I learned to control and manage my blushing. At least when faced with that, I no longer blushed. I walked in still-faced and took my seat.”

I was surprised when I learnt how women are discriminated against in every field of life, yet I was impressed how Burnell stood her ground in the world of men. A world where women were discouraged from studying technical and tactical fields and forced to work on cooking and embroidery. There is no shame in women learning cooking and stitching, nor should there be a boundary created for them not to choose science fields.

She added, “It is true that there is a lot of hard work, and it took two years to build the radio telescope. For two years, she was working outdoors in all kinds of weather. Very healthy! But also a lot of work. In Britain, the Ph.D. program is three years, so two-thirds of my program was on building the equipment. We did not do the building full-time.

Typically, you would work in the mornings to build the equipment. There would be afternoon classes, lectures, discussions, or other work. It was quite a good mix. Healthy outdoor work in the morning and indoor intellectual creation in the afternoon. For some people like me, it was quite a lot of manual work. For other people, it is perhaps more pencil and paperwork, or these days, computer work. So, there is variety. Quite often, when you are training as a researcher, there is quite a lot of monotonous stuff.”

A world where women were discouraged from studying technical and tactical fields and forced to work on cooking and embroidery. There is no shame in women learning cooking and stitching, nor should there be a boundary created for them not to choose science fields.

Jocelyn’s Career and Research

At Cambridge with Antony Hewish, in 1967, Bell Burnell was trying to find more quasars, but they needed a new radio telescope. With her five colleagues, Burnell made a new radio telescope, was the first to operate it, and found new data for hundreds of quasars.

On August 6, 1967, Burnell received strange data on her readouts, which she couldn’t recognize, so she labelled it with a question mark and moved on. But the data kept coming from a specific part of the sky, lodged in Burnell’s mind. It seemed like a bit of scruff data, a series of rapid impulses coming at 1.3 seconds, appearing too fast to be coming from a star. The data didn’t seem to go from the quasars they were looking for, but it was coming regularly from the same patch of sky, which drove their curiosity.

A chart on which Burnell first recognised evidence of a pulsar, exhibited at Cambridge University Library
A chart on which Burnell first recognized evidence of a pulsar, exhibited at Cambridge University Library

In those days, they didn’t have computers or screens to monitor real-time data. The data was printed on long horizontal sheets of paper, and people had to analyze it by the eye. During her guest lecture, she told us she was so curious about this new signal that she had to study 3-kilometre-long papers daily. We think life is hard for us today, but going through 3 km long paper is just. I can’t imagine the hassle!

Bell and her advisor, Hewish, jokingly named this scruff of data as “little green men.” Both of them were convinced that the signal was artificial or that it could be alien signals.

However, she started to get the same type of signals from another place, then from third and fourth place. It was unusual because neither aliens’ signals could reach them from four different places in the sky, nor could it be some strange artificial interference. It was a strange mystery to them; one cannot be ignored. Later, the objects were identified as pulsars, rapidly spinning neutron stars sending pulses in their direction.

In February 1968, they published a paper explaining the mysterious signals named pulsars. 1974, Hewish and his collaborator Sir Martin Ryle were awarded a Nobel prize for this discovery. Unfortunately, Bell Burnell was not included in it, which remains controversial.

The critical discovery of pulsars will always be associated with Jocelyn Bell. Her narrative motivates everyone who aspires to make their mark in the scientific community, not only for women but everyone else. Jocelyn symbolizes what makes a great scientist—unwavering determination, a dedication to meticulous observation, and a courageous exploration of the unexplored.

Listening to the awe-inspiring story of Jocelyn Bell by herself was a fantastic experience. The last thing, or the best advice for scientists or aspiring scientists, I received from her was:

“Always look for anomalies. No wonder what lies in there!”

Also Read: HIPPOCRATES VS PASTEUR: IS MODERN MEDICINE REALLY AN UPGRADE?

Hippocrates Vs. Pasteur: Is Modern Medicine an Upgrade?

Haseeb Irshad
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Hippocrates Vs. Pasteur: Is Modern Medicine an Upgrade?

I know what you’re thinking: Is there even a question of modern Medicine’s superiority? This is a well-settled debate—a moot point to most of us. We have entered and acclimated to an era of modernity in almost all our lives, and Medicine is the first. Since Pasteur ended the theory of spontaneous generation nearly two centuries ago, traditional Medicine has all but died out except in the most remote parts of the world.

But in a world of modern Medicine’s hegemony, there now exist pockets of darkness that few of us can deny. Around us, we are witnessing a change in attitude towards this complete dependency on modern Medicine to solve our aches. The recent rise in the popularity of herbal and organic Medicine attests to this.

What does “Traditional Medicine” really refer to?

Traditional Medicine is a term that encompasses a vast number of medical disciplines and arts. It varies in shape, form and methodology from place to place. Its diversity in the cures for a particular disorder, the source of the medication and even the philosophy behind the practice lends traditional Medicine so much of its success.

You see, the traditional Medicine of one locality can be wildly different from another and still manage to achieve the same rate of recovery in its patients as the other. This is mainly because local diseases are best treated with local resources. If nightshade populates a particular locality, its cures abound in the same region, and the ecosystem would have collapsed a while ago.

With such a broad definition of traditional Medicine, it includes any medicinal arts practised in all parts of the world, relying strictly on plant or animal-based organic Medicine. This means herbal, Hippocratic-greek, ancient Chinese and Indian or ayurvedic Medicine are all considered traditional medicinal practices.

Antidepressants can aggravate suicidal tendencies in an individual along with insomnia.

Defining “Modern Medicine”

Modern Medicine is characterized by a focus on isolating substances that are considered to help alleviate disease symptoms. This intense pursuit of extracting the miracle drug from seemingly impure sources has dominated the field of Modern Medicine. If a plant or animal tissue is found to have a substance that produces positive results in battling symptoms, the set goal is to separate the desired substance and discard the rest.

Prednisone depression or psychosis if used for longer periods
Prednisone depression or psychosis if used for more extended periods

Why this approach is problematic?

You may be asking this question: If it has worked for a century and a half without any hiccups, why challenge it now? The correct answer is that there have been hiccups and quite a lot of them. Let’s look at them together.

  • Unwanted Side-effects

This is the most commonly known issue with modern Medicine. There is barely a drug out there that does not produce some side effect in its consumer, whether noticeable or not. Almost all drugs in the modern pharmacist’s arsenal, from the ones we use daily and freely to those only employed under exceptional circumstances, produce some degree of changes that are not originally intended.

Sometimes, these changes are harmless on a biological level, like drowsiness caused by muscle relaxers. However, more often than not, the side effects are concerning, like weight loss caused by corticosteroids or skin rashes caused by amoxicillin. In both cases, the medication used is relatively common, with amoxicillin even being available over the counter in most places.

  • Antibiotic Resistance

Staying on the topic of unwanted side effects, antibiotic resistance is perhaps the worst nightmare of anyone familiar with pharmacology. In short, antibiotic resistance occurs when bacteria develop an innate resistance to a particular antibiotic that had previously managed to eliminate them.

It works like this: someone takes a dose of antibiotics to fight off a bacterial infection. The dose is enough to kill 99% of the bacteria, but as always, some survive. This is particularly likely if the patient misses the last few doses of the antibiotic, thinking the first few will do the job.

Bacteria divide very quickly and evolve with each successive generation. So, it doesn’t take long for the surviving bacteria to grow to withstand the usual antibiotic dosage. As expected, the bacterial infection returns, more robust and unaffected by the previous antibiotic dosage. The patient administers a higher dosage but fails to complete the antibiotic course again because of early success.

The cycle repeats until the bacterial strain becomes virtually immune to the drug. In a short time, this has created a population of bacterium that is impossible to fight off with the usual or even lethal doses of medication. Unless a new antibiotic can be found, the rogue bacteria can threaten to wipe off the entire population that is vulnerable to its infection.

The easy availability of high-potency antibiotics worldwide, sometimes without even the need for a prescription, is only accelerating this process.

  • Effects on mental health

Modern Medicine is in no way holistic the way traditional Medicine was. In a race to administer the purest form of a drug, modern Medicine throws the normal metabolism wildly out of control. It’s like trying to eat the pizza sauce without the pizza or drinking pure vinegar instead of salt and vinegar chips; it is not a pleasant experience.

The drugs are present in an entire lattice-work of substances, working in harmony at their source, a plant or an animal. In their natural state, the medications are strictly regulated in production and operation. Not so when a drug’s pure and isolated form is introduced into a body. The result is a series of damaging developments around the body, most noticeably in the brain.

While specific medication is known to make people less sociable, drugs like antidepressants can aggravate suicidal tendencies in an individual, along with insomnia and even sexual dysfunction. Corticosteroids like prednisone, used in treating asthma or allergies, can cause anxiety and hypomania in its early days and cause depression or psychosis if used for extended periods.

  • Big Pharma

The sad reality of today’s world is that almost all life-saving and innovative drug technology is owned by a handful of giant capitalist conglomerates, which use this privilege to extort the most profits and influence worldwide. The most prominent example of this is Insulin, the patent for which was sold for just $1 a hundred years ago in an attempt to make this life-saving drug available for everyone.

Today, companies that own the patents sell the drug for upwards of $300 per vial. The average insulin user pays somewhere in the ballpark of $1000 every month so that he can live to see another such month.

The past few years of the COVID-19 pandemic saw the behemoths of the pharmaceutical world, affectionately termed the “Big Pharma”, including well-known names like Pfizer, Johnson and Johnson and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), use the crisis to their advantage and rake in billions of dollars in revenue.

As countries worldwide struggled to cope with the viral infection raging inside their borders, the COVID-19 vaccines were used as leverage to gain influence and political clout.

  • Failure as a complete science

Every doctor and pharmacist will admit that most of today’s medication is aimed at treating the symptoms of a disease and not the disease itself. Painkillers form a considerable part of this group. In hospitals and clinics worldwide, a patient is administered doses upon doses of antipyretics to reduce his fever(symptom). Still, the root cause of the fever is addressed much later due to a lack of understanding of fevers as a defence mechanism.

Such practices inevitably lead to the development of high tolerance towards everyday drugs in the patient.
Such practices inevitably lead to high tolerance towards everyday drugs in the patient.

Such practices inevitably lead to high tolerance towards everyday drugs in the patient. This manifests in varying degrees of addiction and over-reliance on medication for the patient to function. Absence of the medicines from the patient’s routine causes withdrawal symptoms such as mood swings, depression, nausea and fatigue.

Conclusion

While it is true that traditional Medicine relied heavily on the practitioner’s intuition and less on inflexible rules, which may have contributed to its perception as a pseudo-science, it was also much gentler towards the patient’s health and more holistic in its approach.

Unlike modern Medicine, which tends to focus on the disease at a micro level, in traditional Medicine, the diagnosis is made at a macro scale, considering the patient’s mental and physical state in the context of his social and spiritual character. In this way, traditional Medicine is aware of the “bigger picture”, while modern Medicine arrives at that conclusion after much back-and-forth.

This litany is not controversial against modern Medicine as a science. Indeed, it is much more of a science than traditional Medicine claims to be. Instead, it should be looked upon as an enumeration of concurrent issues that are plaguing modern Medicine. Modern Medicine can learn something from its predecessor in almost all aspects listed.

A more cohesive approach towards medication that builds upon both medicinal crafts is the need of the hour, one where the singular intensity of Modern Medicine is applied towards battling the causes of a disease rather than the symptoms. One where the drugs are not as isolated from their naturally occurring forms and are administered about the patient’s holistic health and not just a singled-out organ. 

*AI generates all photos

References:

Also Read: FEMALE EDUCATIONAL LEADERS IN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

Female Educational Leaders in Science and Technology

Muniba Usman
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Female Educational Leaders in Science and Technology

Historically, the male-dominant culture prevailed in almost every educational field. That is why we have only a handful of female names in various fields. Stats and studies have been conducted extensively to highlight women’s challenges, fears and barriers in displaying prominent positions.

Several studies suggest that this is about more than just their contribution. Nevertheless, women are mostly underrated owing to their extraordinary participation in educational and academic perspectives and business, STEM fields, and social and political pursuits. 

Despite significant gains in several areas of science and technology, women still do not participate equally in all areas of STEM. According to fields like mathematics, geology and earth sciences, agriculture and horticulture, women are over-represented in biology and the social/psychological sciences. Nevertheless, gaps persist in physics, engineering, and computer science.

Barriers Faced by Women in Leadership Roles

Why do women feel underprivileged during their career development? To answer this, countless authors have highlighted the gendered culture within the institutions as a root cause to serve as the challenging barrier to women’s progress.

Individual Barriers

The career preferences, lifestyle choices and family obligations suggest the lack of participation of women in science fields, mainly because women do not want to work 80 hours per week and spend their lives in the lab.

In the flurry of media attention following this statement, one off-cited book was Women in Science by Xie and Shauman (2003). This heavily researched book discusses and examines several factors and reasons purported to hinder women. 

They dismiss several (research productivity, marriage, deficient backgrounds, among others) but show that career paths are affected by constrained choices. Societal constraints and pressures can and do force women to make ―choices that often distract or lead them away from STEM.

Institutional Challenges

Research studies conducted to investigate the cause of lagging women’s leadership suggest that from recruitment and selection to retirement, women struggle to navigate their careers in gender inequality atmospheres. Male dominance also influences daily working practices directly and indirectly. 

Moreover, covert and outright discrimination, implicit biases, and sexual harassment are some of the leading issues for women counterparts in institutions.

Lack of Role Models

Innate human psychology demands set footprints and torchbearers to follow. In the case of feminine leadership, the lack of role models and mentors also serves as one of the significant problems in encouraging women to enter technical fields. Most of the time, young girls are not presented with good examples of women in the STEM fields.

Research shows exposure to female STEM – increased positive attitudes, self-efficacy, and connection with the discipline for female college students

A study was conducted to test how the presence or absence of female role models or mentors affects women’s career preferences. Stout and colleagues (2010) showed that exposure to female STEM ―increased positive attitudes, self-efficacy, and connection with the discipline for female college students. 

A bulk of literature produced on improving women’s contribution to science emphasises the need for mentors and role models (Pritchard, 2006; AWIS, 1995). When examining the literature on barriers to women in leadership, one sees a remarkably similar theme to what one finds with women and STEM. In the literature contribution “Through the Labyrinth,” Eagly and Carli (2007) discuss what hinders women’s leadership potential and argue that the glass ceiling is no longer a proper analogy.

Women have broken through and are in positions of power; the Forum on Public Policy 4 barrier is not impenetrable. Nor is it transparent. Instead, they propose the idea of a labyrinth: many possible routes and dead ends exist.

Wrong turns and backtracking are likely and familiar, yet there is a successful (though not visible) path to a worthwhile goal—leadership.

How to Overcome the Gender Gap?

Over the years, much research has focused on the causes of this gender gap and possible remedies. As legislation and awareness helped reduce these issues, other problems arose or were drawn into visibility.

Why Women’s Leadership is Significant?

Women are naturally designed to be innovative and diversely experienced; hence, they are more decisive and can carry out multiple tasks quickly. When women are leaders, they bring forth talents, novel ideas and views, producing better solutions.

Recent research documented by Business Insider showed that women are perceived as better and more capable leaders than their male counterparts. Women as executives bring and discover talents, new perspectives, and exemplary unique ideas.

Moreover, women as leaders are considerably more empathetic and tend to create an environment-friendly and growth-oriented atmosphere, providing the nourishing judgment to lead their subordinates. They are well-versed with good collaborative and communication skills. Their ability to pay heed to details comprehending and controlling the contingency or emergency make them efficient leaders, along with their strong-willed aptitude. Their tactical and cognizant capacity in comparison to men makes them terrific mentors.

Creola Katherine Johnson was one of the reputable mathematicians from America

Women Leaders in Science and Technology 

The world has witnessed female luminaries’ roles in biological sciences, medical sciences, chemistry, aeronautics and space sciences, IT and commerce. Women entrepreneurs from around the world are leading their respective fields with distinctions.

  • Creola Katherine Johnson was one of the reputable mathematicians from America whose calculations done for orbital mechanics as a forefront  NASA employee were crucial to the success of the USA’s first and subsequent crewed space flights.
  • Lydia Villa Komaroff is a cellular and molecular biologist whose significant contributions are considered valuable in her respective fields as a scientist and an administrator of the university. During her postdoctoral research, she also served as a team member who discovered insulin using bacterial cells.
  • Dr. Li is the co-director of Stanford’s Human-Centered AI Institute and was the Vice President at Google. She also worked as a Chief Scientist of AI/ML at Google Cloud. ImageNet, a database of over 15 million images used in deep learning and AI, was invented by Dr. Li. She also co-founded AI4ALL, a non-profit project to diversify the role of AI.

Leads from Pakistan

  • Farzana Aslam is a famous astronomer and physicist. Her areas of expertise are nanotechnology, photon and LASER sciences. Due to her significant contributions in the field of physics, she received a commendation award at the Photon 04 conference organised by the Institute of Physics at Glasgow.
  • Tasneem Zehra Hussain is also one of the prestigious scientists. She is a famous theoretical physicist from Pakistan and has a physics doctorate. She is the first female string theorist invited as a guest speaker in Pakistan’s schools, colleges and universities.
  • Azra Quraishi was an eminent and skilled botanist from Pakistan whose expertise included some unique tissue culturing techniques. She also worked on improving the potato production in Pakistan. Due to her significant contribution to agriculture, she was awarded the Borlaug Award (1997) and the Ordre des Palmes académiques (2002). An increase in the potato yield by 5% in Pakistan is one of her well-known achievements.

Women leaders have always set stellar footprints for the generations to come. Women as leaders play a vital role in running any organisation or industry. With their expertise, they can bring forth hidden talents, nurture young minds with healthy judgments, create a peaceful and growing atmosphere and make their organisation a success story.

Also. Read: The STEM Gap— Contribution of Women in Science and Technology in Pakistan

“Picture a Scientist” Unveils the Struggles and Triumphs of Women in STEM

Syeda Laiba Tayyab
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“Picture a Scientist” Unveils the Struggles and Triumphs of Women in STEM

The documentary “Picture a Scientist” stands out as a potent and moving depiction of the difficulties experienced by women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) in a world that continually seeks innovation and pushes limits. This eye-opening documentary, directed by Ian Cheney and Sharon Shattuck, provides an uncensored look into the lives of female scientists while exposing the often-untold hidden stories. “Picture a Scientist” inspires us to imagine a world where gender equality rules in the scientific community by fusing human experiences, data-driven analysis, and a call to action.

The film is honest in investigating the historically widespread gender discrimination and profoundly established biases that have afflicted the STEM field. The film stresses the enormous discrepancy between the accomplishments of women and the attention they receive through open interviews and personal experiences. It exposes the uncomfortable truth that, despite their innovative work, female scientists still encounter obstacles like unequal pay, limited prospects, and a hostile work environment. The documentary highlights the universality of this issue. It dispels the myth that gender discrimination is a thing of the past by weaving together the experiences of scientists from various backgrounds and areas.

One of the film’s strengths is blending personal narratives with hard-hitting statistics. The moving stories of scientists like Dr Raychelle Burks, Dr Nancy Hopkins, and Dr Jane Willenbring, who overcame hardship to carve a niche in their fields, are presented to viewers. Their experiences are set against startling statistics that highlight the underrepresentation of women in STEM leadership roles and the depressing turnover rates of female scientists as their careers advance. These contrasts urge us to work together to address these systemic problems while being a painful reminder that progress has been slow.

The moving stories of scientists like Dr Raychelle Burks, Dr Nancy Hopkins, and Dr Jane Willenbring, each of whom overcame hardship to carve a niche for themselves in their fields, are presented to viewers.
The moving stories of scientists like Dr Raychelle Burks, Dr Nancy Hopkins, and Dr Jane Willenbring, who overcame hardship to carve a niche in their fields, are presented to viewers.

Beyond concentrating on the negative, “Picture a Scientist” also highlights the achievements and determination of women who have overcome obstacles. Rosalind Franklin, a chemist, is one of the unsung heroes of science history whose accomplishments were overshadowed by those of her male colleagues.

But the documentary doesn’t only list issues; it also suggests solutions. It presents practical ideas to promote diversity and equality in STEM through powerful interviews and knowledgeable comments. The documentary offers a road map that can spark dramatic change within the scientific community, from instituting unconscious bias training to revising institutional regulations. “Picture a Scientist” exemplifies how collective action may topple the existing power structures that uphold gender inequities by highlighting initiatives like the “MeTooSTEM” campaign, which empowers victims of harassment and discrimination.

“Picture a Scientist” is a success of cinema that vitally highlights the voices of those underrepresented in STEM disciplines.

The skilful direction and storytelling of Ian Cheney and Sharon Shattuck produce a gripping storyline that holds viewers’ attention from beginning to end. The documentary’s emotional impact is increased by the seamless incorporation of interviews, animations, and archival material. The filmmakers’ aptitude for navigating challenging situations with tact and understanding guarantees an accurate portrayal of the experiences of the ladies depicted.

In conclusion, “Picture a Scientist” is a success of cinema that vitally highlights the voices of those who are underrepresented in STEM disciplines. The documentary serves as a catalyst for change by its open depiction of the challenges, triumphs, and goals of women scientists. It motivates viewers to challenge latent prejudices, challenge the status quo, and fight for a more egalitarian scientific environment. We are reminded that the future of STEM is unquestionably brighter when everyone, regardless of gender, is given the chance to grow as we watch the persistence of these women and their unflinching dedication to their subjects.

Also Read: WOMEN IN AI— BREAKING THE GLASS CEILINGS

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