Celebrating women’s breakthroughs in global healthcare
On March 8th, the School of Pharmacy hosted a seminar titled “Women in Pharmacy & Global Healthcare” to highlight and celebrate women’s breakthroughs in leadership and their contributions to science and pharmacy, in light of International Women’s Day. The session was attended by Professor Sharmind Neelotpol (Chairperson, SoP), along with other faculty members, students, and staff. With the theme, “Give and Gain”, it focused on mentorship and the sharing of professional experiences among women.
Shamima Tabassum Hossain (Pharmacovigilance Scientist, Novo Nordisk Inc.) was the guest speaker of the session. Shamima obtained her Master’s in Clinical Trial Sciences from Rutgers University after obtaining a Bachelor’s and Master’s in Pharmacy from Jahangirnagar University. Reflecting on her own contributions to global healthcare, Shamima urged the younger women in STEM to leverage their knowledge beyond traditional career paths. Afra Ibnat (Senior, SoP) shared, “Listening to her success story has inspired me to believe that we can dream and achieve beyond the constraints of our backgrounds”.
During her speech, she discussed the opportunities and challenges women face in the healthcare sector and drew on her experiences from previous roles. Furthermore, she depicted the importance of pharmacovigilance and regulatory practices for medication safety. Nashrah Mustafa (Senior Lecturer, SoP) expressed, “Such events empower more women to not only pursue a career in STEM but to dream big and bring an impactful change to society”.
Acknowledging the resilience needed to grow a career in pharmacy, Shamima ended her speech by highlighting women’s leadership in science. The session concluded as a celebration and acknowledgement of women’s contributions to the fields of pharmacy and science.
