Leen Kawas, a PhD of Biomedical Engineering at Columbia University, discusses the steps needed for young women to enter the field of Biotechnology and her personal experiences as she did so.

She points out that there is still a lack of diversity in many fields within STEM, including female scientists who have roles limited to molecular biology or pharmacology, when there is an opportunity for contributions from other areas, such as technical writing and lab management, where there are no barriers in terms of gender or race. This lack of diversity limits the potential scientific innovations from different areas within STEM.

She also emphasizes the importance of increasing the number of female scientists and engineers currently underrepresented in these fields. She says, In my opinion, it is the responsibility of all individuals working in STEM fields to increase the number of women pursuing STEM careers and break down gender barriers.

At Columbia University, Leen Kawas was a research assistant under Dr Soo Yeun Lee. Together they worked on projects ranging from blood exposed to different bacteria to blood that had undergone chemotherapy to improve outcomes for patients undergoing cancer treatments. Leen Kawas applied her knowledge learned through her major, Biomedical Engineering, to her research at Columbia.

When Kawas started to consider the idea of pursuing a PhD, she was unsure what the role would mean for her and how often she could contribute to science. In the end, Kawas decided not to pursue a PhD. However, she acknowledges that it is an important industry standard for young scientists and engineers passionate about research.

Kawas took a position with Dr Maria Simoes-Costa at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Her research focused on regulating the level and function of membrane death receptors to control inflammation. She introduced the C-terminus of DR5 into low-density lipoprotein particles to prevent stress-induced acute inflammatory responses.