A Conversation with Dr Zoe Hewitt on Women in STEM

I never set out to be a scientist. I didn’t grow up thinking, “I want to work in a lab.” In fact, I was the first person in my family to go to university. I grew up in a small village, in a working-class household where no one had taken that path before.

At school, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. I ended up studying Biology and Geography at university, just because they were subjects I liked. But when I was 19, I was early for a field trip and walked into a shop (back when people still read physical magazines) and I saw an article on human embryonic stem cells. These tiny cells had the potential to turn into any cell type in the body, and if we could harness it, we could treat diseases, well I was absolutely fascinated.

From that moment, I was hooked. I went on to study them during my degree, taught my lecturers about them and then did a PhD at the Roslin Institute in Edinburgh. I found the listing, again by chance in the back of a New Scientist when my train was delayed. It was the only PhD I applied for because I just knew it was for me.

It was at Scottish Water that I was introduced to ISO 9001 quality management, undertaking an implementation project for them, which ultimately led me being recruited to set up and run a clean room facility for cell therapies at the University of Sheffield.

That’s how I found my way into science, and ultimately my career; not through a grand plan, but by following my curiosity and taking opportunities as they came.

Absolutely and if I am honest, I still do. If I look back – the first incidence of this was when I was applying for PhD studentships. I’d seen a project by chance which was everything I was looking for, if felt like it had been written for me, addressing the challenges of using cell therapies derived from hPSCs and how we could make them safe, without the risk of tumours.  I almost didn’t apply for it.  It was at the Roslin Institute, in Edinburgh, just after they’d cloned Dolly the sheep. I thought, “What is a girl from a small village in the middle of England doing applying to one of the most prestigious research institutes in the world?”

When I got there for the interview, I remember someone at the hotel telling me, “Oh, you are really lucky to get an interview, they only take the best in the world.” And I remember turning to my mum and saying, “Right, that’s it. You’d better take my photo now, because we aren’t coming back!”

But I went in, did my best, and was offered the opportunity to study for my PhD.

For me, it’s always been about: “How do we get these cells into patients to treat people?”.

One of my proudest moments was in 2010, working on a project led by Pete Coffey at UCL that helped develop a stem cell therapy for blindness. My team manufactured the Master Cell Bank that supported the “London Project to Cure Blindness,” which aims to restore vision in patients with macular degeneration.

There’s no publication with my name on it, no recognition on paper, but I know that people are walking around London today, who are able to see because of RPE (retinal pigment epithelium) cells differentiated from cells generated in our clean room. And that’s incredible.  To know that other clinical trials are also being planned using our starting materials is also super cool.

Another achievement I’m proud of was from when I designed and implemented a Quality Management system at Sheffield. The technicians had initially been quite resistant to the new system, but they suddenly saw the value when audited by a big pharma company who wanted a lot of information they could easily find and provide.

The lead production technician has since gone and worked in an array of different industries, and has told me that she’s tried to implement my system in other places where she can, because “it just makes sense”. Which is really rewarding.

It was one of the toughest things I’ve ever done.

I originally applied to be part of the ED&I committee because I had a strong passion for mental health and well-being, particularly for postgraduate students, who often fall through the cracks. But somehow, I ended up as the Director for ED&I, and I wasn’t prepared for just how challenging that role would be.

One of the hardest parts was because generally people only come to you when they’ve faced or are facing discrimination or major challenges, so it tends to be negative interactions. It takes a real toll on your own mental health because you’re constantly absorbing other people’s struggles. The other challenge is the unintentional impacts of ED&I initiatives. It is so easy to try and improve one area, and in so doing you impact another – this is why it is so challenging and slow to make improvements and why tolerance and communication are so key in these areas of work.

That said, it was incredibly important and rewarding work, especially when the breastfeeding room opened (after more than three years of discussions) and with the University wide adoption of our faculty Wellbeing Advocate pilot programme.

Outside of my Director role, I have done and still do a lot of mentoring for women in STEM, especially early career women navigating decisions around children and balancing work with family life. I also worked on initiatives to improve recruitment, retention, and support systems for underrepresented groups in science.

I’m involved in The Cell and Gene Therapy (CGT) Circle, which is a global decentralised network of women working specifically in cell and gene therapy on LinkedIn. The goal is to create supportive communities for women in this industry, anywhere and in any way that they are needed.

The network founders support members to organise local events to help women connect, share experiences, and access career opportunities. We ran an event in Sheffield last October, which was really well attended, and we’re planning another one focused on female recruitment in biotech, this time open it to everyone but with a focus on hiring women into the field.

I think networks like this are essential. They help women build connections, find mentors and local support, and access opportunities that might otherwise be harder to reach. And the more we create spaces where women can support each other, the stronger the industry becomes as a whole.

Representation matters. A few years ago, I visited my daughter’s primary school to talk about stem cells. The kids were in year three, so seven and eight years old, and were completely captivated. Later, a mum sent me a photo of her daughter in a lab coat, saying she’d been inspired by my talk.

It’s not just about outreach. It’s about making science (and all STEM roles) feel accessible. Girls and boys need to see that scientists don’t all look the same, don’t all come from the same backgrounds. If girls see a youngish woman they can then perhaps imagine themselves as a scientist. The more we normalise women in STEM roles, the more young girls will believe it’s an option for them.

While I think the gender divide in STEM is improving, it can still be challenging, especially when intersectionality of characteristics is considered. If you look at senior leadership, particularly in academia, you’ll notice how few Black and other minority ethnic women there are in those roles.

Another challenge for gender equality is the “mental load” and society perception of women. Many women in STEM handle both their careers and a majority share the childcare and home administration and responsibilities. Even in workplaces, women are often expected to take on invisible work, like being a representative on hiring panels to help with gender bias’, mentoring younger staff, or leading diversity initiatives, on top of their actual jobs.

Fixing these problems isn’t just about encouraging women into STEM. It’s about changing structures, so women don’t have to work twice as hard just to stay in science.

The most important thing is better communication. We all need to be able to talk clearly to each other and understand each other’s perspectives (and lived experiences) without judgement or blame. The more we communicate, whether it’s about career progression, work-life balance, or barriers in hiring, the more we can understand and help each other navigate challenges and push for systemic improvements.

With regards to women in STEM specifically, we need more opportunities to connect, share experiences, and talk openly about the challenges we face and the experiences we have had. Whether that’s through mentorship, networking events, or just informal conversations, these connections help people realise they’re not alone and that support is out there.

• Start challenging stereotypes young: social pressure and gender stereotyping starts so young, as soon as they start school (or even nursery) at four or five. We need to show girls that STEM is for them, through school outreach, diverse role models, and challenging gender stereotypes early, as well as supporting boys looking at careers that are traditionally ‘female’.
• Fix workplace structures: companies must take responsibility for diversity, rather than putting all the burden on women to “fix” the problem. That means fairer hiring, better policies, and real accountability.
• Encourage mentorship & networking: I always tell young scientists: “Network, network, network.” Mentorship doesn’t have to be formal, and it is never too early to start establishing a group around you who you can then reach out to, in times of need. Mentorship is a passion of mine which I see as a duty I whole heartedly embrace. Having people who can open doors for you makes a huge difference. I think of it this way: why be the person who walks through the door and lets it close behind you? I want to be the person who holds it open for the people behind me, and we walk through together.

• For more information on Dr Zoe Hewitt, check out her profile on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/drzoehewitt/
• For information on Regenerative Cell Therapy Consulting visit:
  • https://www.regenctc.com/about/
  • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/regenctc/
• For more information on the London Project to Cure Blindness which used her RPE cells, see:
  • Macular degeneration: ‘I’ve been given my sight back’ – BBC News
  • https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt.4114
• For more information on The CGT Circle, go to here: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-cgt-circle/

• Check out AMSBIO’s interview with Dr Hynda Kleinman and Dr Meritxell Hutch for International Women’s Day in 2023, two key figures in the development of the 3D Cell Culture field: https://www.amsbio.com/news/international-womens-day