At SPIOMET4HEALTH, over the past years we have made a conscious effort to give visibility to the voices of the young women living with PCOS, and especially those participating in our clinical trial. Their experiences, expectations and hopes are at the heart of everything we do. Today, however, we want to turn the spotlight to the women who work every day to make this project possible.
Every 11 February, the International Day of Women and Girls in Science invites us to reflect on the role women play in advancing scientific knowledge, healthcare and innovation. Behind the data, protocols and milestones of our project, there is a multidisciplinary team of women scientists, clinicians, researchers, and innovators. Their work spans laboratories, hospitals, offices and institutions across Europe, united by a shared goal: improving the lives of girls and young women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) through a targeted, safe and efficient treatment.
Women driving science, healthcare and innovation
Working in science and healthcare today often means navigating complex challenges: demanding careers, structural inequalities, and the responsibility of being role models —consciously or not— for the next generation of girls who may one day see themselves in science.
Within SPIOMET4HEALTH, women play a central role at every level of the project. Their perspectives shape research questions, clinical decisions, patient engagement strategies and communication efforts. This diversity of voices strengthens the project and reinforces our commitment to inclusive, responsible and impactful health research.
To mark this International Day of Women and Girls in Science, we invited several members of the SPIOMET4HEALTH team to share their reflections by answering two simple but powerful questions: What does working on SPIOMET4HEALTH mean to you? What does being a woman working in science, healthcare or research mean to you today?
Their words offer a glimpse into the motivations, challenges and sense of purpose that drive their daily work.
Voices from the SPIOMET4HEALTH team
“SPIOMET4HEALTH represents the opportunity to promote population health through biomedical research and the development of innovative therapies, with particular emphasis on women’s health”.
“Being a woman in science today means having the opportunity, and the responsibility, to make women visible in research and to inspire future generations to pursue scientific careers”.
— Judit Bassols, Head of Metabolic and Maternal-Fetal Research at IDIBGI
“It is meaningful to contribute to the development of a potential new treatment option for PCOS, especially since there are currently no medications specifically approved for the PCOS indication, despite the condition affecting 10–17% of women globally”.
Working and conducting research on PCOS for 25 years has been an exciting and enlightening journey—revealing the multifaceted nature of the syndrome. It has been deeply rewarding to work with, and for, women living with PCOS”.
— Eszter Vanky, professor and gynecologist in NTNU and SPIOMET4HEALTH local principal investigator in Norway
“We believe that through the Spiomet4Heath study, we have made a difference for girls and young women with PCOS. That means a lot to us”.
“We believe, as women in science/healthcare/research, that we can help to increase focus on women´s health in general”.
— Bente Sejrskilde Hansen, Study coordinator and Biomedical Laboratory Scientist, and Pernille Ravn, Primary Investigator, professsor and senior consultant in gynecology. Both from Odense University Hospital, Denmark
“Today, being a woman in science is about continuing to open doors, inspiring others, and proving that knowledge and innovation are spaces for everyone. Working on SPIOMET4HEALTH is a chance to contribute to improving women’s health through research and innovation, ensuring that their specific needs are recognized and treated with the attention they deserve”.
— Clara Pérez Rambla, head of Real World Evidence at Outcomes’10
“SPIOMET4HEALTH is a specific clinical research project for non-hormonal therapy options in girls and women with PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome), affecting about 10-20% of female contemporaries worldwide. By working for this important initiative, I not only rely on long-standing clinical assistance for thousands of young and elderly women with PCOS but also on recent scientific discoveries – either about the stunning and uniform frequency of PCOS all over the world, even in primates, or the important metabolic and genetic background covering insulin resistance and hormonal changes.
Moreover, with 4 very talented girls in my family, with more or less PCOS-associated symptoms, as I do – we are all personally interested in supporting knowledge gain and dissemination of this evolutionary highly conserved and important hormonal and metabolic “variant” in women, based on our own experiences.
Women working in research and arts – that’s a great mission and empowerment especially for women with PCOS, also in my own family. Therefore, our scientific work has a great potential to include the power of beneficial traits and to overcome many well-known sequelae of PCOS – and this is not restricted to women! New fascinating insights in similar traits in men are just starting to be explored.”
— Prof. Barbara Obermayer-Pietsch, MD – Austria
Celebrating the International Day of Women and Girls in Science is not only about recognition, it is also about responsibility. Responsibility to continue building research environments where women’s contributions are valued, their leadership encouraged, and their voices heard. At SPIOMET4HEALTH, we are proud of the women who shape this project and grateful for their dedication, expertise and commitment. By amplifying their voices today, we hope to contribute — in our own small but meaningful way — to a more inclusive and equitable future for science and healthcare.