International Women's Day - Who Inspires You?

To celebrate International Women’s Day, my colleagues and I take the time to consider who inspires us. I have decided to choose Dame Sarah Gilbert.

Why I Have Chosen Dame Sarah Gilbert this International Women's Day?

On International Women’s Day this year, I have turned my attention not to the amazing women in history, but to women who are living and influencing the world we live in today. There are so many women who are at the forefront of their political careers or artistic careers, but for me this year it has to be a scientist.

For me at this moment in time following on from the last two years of dealing with the Covid-19 in all its variants, the woman who stands out as inspirational is not a business leader but is a scientist Dame Sarah Gilbert.

Who Is Dame Sarah Gilbert?

Dame Sarah Gilbert was born in Kettering in April 1962 and she is also the mother of three children. However, she is best known to the outside world for her work in the area of Vaccinology. She has written a book on how the pandemic unfolded and her work involved in the race against the virus.

Her earlier work before the Covid-19 virus was in respect of the use of vaccine vectors, so that the body produced a T cell response to a virus and this work has been used in cancer treatments. The work she undertook in March 2020 led to the release of a vaccine in September 2020. And for many there was light at the end of a dark tunnel of the reality of Covid-19 and how it would affect us all.

When the genetic makeup of the virus was made known by the Chinese, work began on finding a vaccine for Covid-19 and helping the body to fight off the virus. She was a woman of influence in 2020 but remains so today as her work in virology continues.

Now we are in March 2022 and looking back over the last 2 years of an unprecedent pandemic her contribution to the health of us all was stellar. She said in the midst of the pandemic:

“We can be resilient enough to get through this year. It’s a time to concentrate on what really matters: health, education and good relationships with others.”