_BSc Biomedical Science student and lead curator of the exhibit Chaitra Barkam shares the inspiration behind this event._
I am thrilled to introduce to the Faculty the limited-time _Legacies of Women in the Life Sciences_ Exhibit. Inspired by the Women in Science features at the Natural History Museum and the Science History Museum in Oxford during my visits last year, I was keen to bring a spotlight to women in the life sciences throughout history at one of King’s historical sites.
The Gordon Museum was the perfect choice for this exhibit, given its own legacy as one of the largest medical museums in the world and the largest in the UK. Walking through its galleries and corridors inspires awe and reverence towards the rare artefacts.
This Women’s History Month, I decided to curate a poster gallery exhibition featuring some prolific women in the life sciences to honor their impact. Initially, the idea started small—a spotlight series on a few women—but as I began my research, I unearthed not only multiple moving stories but also intertwined legacies. It became clear that this exhibition needed to be scaled up. Over the past few months, I worked with a small team of students at King’s to assemble stories of some awe-inspiring women associated with the life sciences.
Today, this exhibit spotlights 20 iconic women in the life sciences. From Metrodora—the earliest known female author with existing medical texts, whose legacy is so ancient it cannot be traced to a specific date—to modern figures like Professor Susan Standring, we cover a timeline of impactful and pioneering pursuits across various fields within the life sciences and engineering.
It was particularly important to us to portray these women with authenticity. I dove deep into their histories, uncovering information from rare sources such as Elizabeth Garrett Anderson’s inaugural address to the London School of Medicine For Women (1877) and Florence Nightingale’s _Contributions to Sanitary History (1859)_. Perusing these rare, and sometimes singular, copies of texts provided invaluable insights into these women’s perspectives beyond their own lives. By consulting experts and referring to rare collections, thanks to our collaboration with Foyle’s Special Collections, we were able to include exclusive information about some of these remarkable individuals.
I am also honoured to have had the opportunity to sit down with Professor Susan Standring, the current Editor-In-Chief of _Gray’s Anatomy for Students_, who shared her insights on women pursuing academia in life sciences today.
I am deeply moved by their love for science and their drive to create change in the world, which is what I hope to share with Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine and the student community this month.
Adding intrigue to this exhibit is the fact that no images will be circulated, as photography is strictly prohibited within the museum. To uncover these stories, visitors must venture into the historical Aesculapius Room to experience this exhibit firsthand.
We thank the School of Biomedical Engineering & Imaging Sciences for generously agreeing to sponsor this initiative, as well as the Gordon Museum for hosting this exhibit.
The _Legacies of Women in the Life Sciences_ is an entirely student-led initiative and reflects months of research and collation. I am proud to now, after hundreds of hours of work, be able to officially open up this exhibit to students and the medical public.
I would like to extend a special thanks to Professor Kawal Rhode for his enthusiastic support and to Dr. William Edwards, curator of the Gordon Museum, for actively collaborating with us to host the exhibit. I am also grateful to the support KCL Womxn in STEM and my colleagues from the society: Annika Sharma and Maryam Risvi, who worked tirelessly on this initiative with me.
The history of women in the life sciences is riddled with unsung heroes, all of whom we regrettably could not highlight in this one exhibit. In future iterations of this exhibit, we will slowly aim to increase and represent more brilliant women who have played catalytic roles in their fields.
**_If you have any questions or would like to get in touch please contact me at:_** [**_chaitra.barkam@kcl.ac.uk_**](mailto:chaitra.barkam@kcl.ac.uk)