International Women in STEM: an Iraqi Kurd story

Banaz is an Iraqi female pharmacist of Kurdish ethnicity. She came to London in 2012 to undertake her MSc at the UCL School of Pharmacy. After a very competitive process, she was awarded the prestigious Schlumberger Foundation Faculty for the Future Fellowship to study for her PhD under the supervision of Professor Michael Heinrich and Dr Jose M. Prieto.

During her PhD she became a mum. “It was not always easy” she says, but her optimistic view is that this made her journey “a unique and a very fulfilling one”. She is very grateful for the support she received from the school, the Schlumberger Foundation, and her network.

Image: Banaz Jalil, The Schlumberger Foundation Faculty for the Future Fellows Forum, Cambridge 2017

Banaz’s institutional engagement in many committees (including most recently as co-lead for the Parent and Carer Equality, Diversity and Inclusion action group, and member of the Athena Swan self-assessment team) is a testimony to our institutional values to proactively build and sustain a culture within the School that encompass the experiences and identities of every student, junior and senior staff member.

She is currently working on identifying new strategies and developing best practice guidelines to improve the quality and safety of medicinal plants mainly used as health and personal care choices in many parts of the world; with a particular interest in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) where the lack of laboratory resources and sophisticated instrumentations could be a concern. This project also aims at supporting and empowering pharmacists to act as information providers and safety monitors for herbal medicinal products.

Banaz is also a part-time researcher in the Office of the Vice-Provost (Research, Innovation & Global Engagement) working on a study of the impact of a training course on transparency and reproducibility in research.

Since its launch in 2004, the Schlumberger Foundation awarded 770 women from 84 countries fellowships for PhD and Post-Doctorate STEM research programs.

Banaz is a multidisciplinary researcher in pharmacy, pharmacognosy and quality control. She is passionate about promoting quality and safety of healthcare products, advancing the science and practice of pharmacy especially in LMICs but above all, she is a strong advocate for women in STEM. Recognising that there is a lack of role models and mentors when it comes to applying and obtaining these difficult to get and scarce funding, prompted her to share her successes.

Prof. Michael Heinrich commented: “Banaz’s achievements have been tremendous, it required enthusiasm, dedication and determination, and nearly always she comes along with a happy smile, even if things are tough. It is great to work together with her.”

Image credit: Fatiha Aggoune

Further information:

• Schlumberger Foundation
• UCL Statement on Research Transparency Published
• Banaz Jalil’s Iris profile
• Banaz Jalil on LinkedIn
• Twitter: @Banaz_Jalil
• Office of the Vice-Provost (Research, Innovation & Global Engagement)