Women in Research

Jennifer Yu, MD, PhD

Being both a clinician and a scientist gives me a unique perspective. I treat patients with glioblastoma, one of the most aggressive brain cancers, and I lead a laboratory that studies how glioma stem cells survive, resist treatment and drive disease progression. By seeing firsthand where current treatments fall short, I can take those questions back to the lab and search for new answers.

Research is not easy. It demands long hours, creativity and resilience in the face of frequent setbacks. Only about 1 in 10 research proposals is funded, so perseverance and belief in your work are essential. Collaboration is just as important — new solutions often emerge when people from different specialties, backgrounds and perspectives put their heads together. Some of the best ideas I’ve had didn’t come while sitting at a desk; they came in conversation with colleagues, over coffee or while working through challenges as a team.

As a woman in science, I’ve seen the gaps that still exist. While women make up more than half of medical and PhD students, the percentage who advance into leadership drops sharply. That’s why representation matters. Young women need to see role models who inspire them to say, “Why not me?” I want them to know that they belong here, that they can lead, discover and change the future of medicine.

My grandmother continues to inspire me. She was the first woman in China to earn a PhD in chemistry, at a time when women faced immense cultural barriers, and most weren’t even allowed access to higher education. Her determination showed me that even against long odds, extraordinary things are possible. When I look around my own laboratory, where more than half of my team are women, I feel hopeful. We work in an environment of camaraderie and respect, where everyone’s ideas are valued and where young researchers can grow into leaders themselves.

My hope is that more women will step into research and leadership roles, and that our culture will continue to shift toward greater flexibility, collaboration and support. The future of medicine depends on it — and so do our patients. 

Shehroo Pudumjee, PhD

For me, research and clinical care are inseparable. Research guides the decisions we make in clinical practice; clinical problems point us toward the next study.

Alzheimer’s is a good example. Years ago, diagnosis relied heavily on clinical presentation. Those day-to-day uncertainties in practice pushed researchers to ask better questions, and that science is now reshaping care, telling us what works and what doesn’t, allowing us to continually evolve and provide the best possible care.

Gender and sex matter in this work. Consider neuropsychology and Alzheimer’s. As we age, verbal memory tends to be better preserved in women than in men. If we compare a woman’s test results to a mixed-sex reference group, subtle decline can be missed, delaying diagnosis and care. Getting the science right for women starts with including women correctly in the research.

Representation changes conversations. When more women are in the room where decisions are made — about studies, training, hiring, patient care — the outcomes are informed by a broader set of lived experiences. I also think that our clinics need to be ready to respectfully and effectively meet the memory concerns of patients with a variety of lived experiences that may potentially inform what treatment would be most effective.

I was born and raised in India, in a culture where the population far outpaces available mental health resources. Through my early work as a master’s level clinician in a tertiary oncology unit, I found a passion for psychological assessment. In parallel, I observed my grandparents aging, particularly the impact on my grandmother, a fierce woman and doting caregiver. It was clear to me then that I wanted to devote my career to understanding brain–behavior relationships, especially in the area of cognitive aging.

My advice for young women and girls is simple: Stay curious and keep asking why — in science, in culture, in the expectations placed on you. When the why is clear, the path forward is, too.

Crystal Gadegbeku, MD

As a clinician-scientist, what inspires me is the ability to bridge patient care and research. Every day I spend with patients hammers home the challenges they face as a result of gaps in treatments. Patients ask, “What is going to happen to my kidneys?” My colleagues and I are motivated to find the best treatments and even imagine cures. For example, I help lead networks focused on nephrotic syndrome, a devastating disease affecting people from infancy through adulthood. By studying patients from all backgrounds, we hope to design precision treatments — the right drug at the right time — for each individual.

That inclusivity is critical. Kidney disease disproportionately affects people of color, women and people with diabetes. Research must reflect the populations most impacted. In the past, studies often excluded women as well as other demographic groups, limiting our ability to understand women’s unique risks, such as higher stroke rates in end-stage kidney disease or kidney complications that arise during pregnancy.

For me, it’s also personal. I witnessed two aunts suffer and die from kidney disease. Without women in research, we cannot advance women’s care.

Equal access to healthcare is at the heart of my work. At Cleveland Clinic, I’ve seen real commitment to fairness — in supportive leadership, in addressing social factors that drive disease and in educating the next generation of physicians to carry this forward. Social drivers such as where people live, their income and their education play an enormous role in health, far more than medical care alone. By acknowledging and addressing these realities, we can begin to close longstanding gaps.

My passion for science was shaped by my parents. My father, a civil engineer from Liberia, and my mother, a chemist who grew up in Washington, D.C., showed me the power of perseverance. They taught me I could do anything.

I feel privileged to be part of this generation of women physician-scientists, and proud to help shape a future in medicine where everyone feels supported and valued. I want to pass that same message to young women and scientists: You can do it. It won’t always be easy, but it will be deeply rewarding.

Watch Party: Women in Research

This video series celebrates the remarkable women who have led the way at Cleveland Clinic and whose work continues to influence what’s possible today.