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Chairs of GESG
Sara Mole (she/her)
I am Professor of Molecular Cell Biology and Head of the Inborn Errors of Metabolic Section at UCL GOS Institute of Child Health where I lead research on inherited neurodegenerative disorders that affect children, especially Batten disease. Recognising the potential of the Athena Swan charter to address gender inequalities, I led my department to the first silver (2009) and gold (2016) awards at UCL, and UCL to its first institutional silver (2021). As Envoy for Gender Equality, I am a critical friend to the organisation, champion progressing gender equality throughout UCL, and represent UCL in this area in the UK and internationally. For example, I am currently leading on a new project called Safer Space Conversations and am Interim Chair for the Advance HE Athena Swan Advisory Group. To realise my ambition for UCL to be recognised as an international leader in intersectional gender equality I hope to inspire and support others to engage with our established and new gender equality initiatives.
Tim Levine (he/him)
I am Professor of Cell Biology at UCL's Institute of Ophthalmology, where I have been leading a small laboratory since 2000 studying how lipids move inside cells, a basic function shared by all life forms that remains too obscure. I joined my department's EDI team in 2016, when we had an Athena Silver award, and became a co-chair of that team in 2017, when we did not renew, and were eventually secured a Bronze award (2018). Despite, or maybe because of, these setbacks I remained in my role, recognising the huge amount of work that could be done to improve things in the department through the Athena process. Together with new co-chairs and department-wide commitment we achieved a Silver award in 2020. I also have a wider interest in Athena Swan, being co-chair of the UCL Athena Forum. My EDI work makes me aware that every success can be reversed if (or when) we take our eyes off it assuming the job is done. The GESG is a useful vehicle both to monitor the deeply embedded issues we face and to deliver the sustained effort required.