Fiocruz Female Researchers Talk to Students About Careers in STEM
If the stereotype of the scientist as an eccentric man is still common, then to make science more accessible, especially to women, it is necessary to deconstruct it. A study with data from CNPq (2021), titled "Gender Inequalities by Field of Knowledge in Brazilian Science: Overview of PQ/CNPq Fellowship Holders", revealed some of the main gender inequalities in science: women are still a minority in global scientific production, face barriers to career advancement, and have low representation in leadership positions.
According to UNESCO, men still make up the majority of university researchers globally. In Brazil, however, data shows progress in female representation, with 49% of the country's scientific publications authored by women in 2022, according to a BORI-Elsevier report (2024). Despite this progress, the study highlights that female participation decreases throughout the academic journey, revealing challenges in career progression.
Another important finding in the report is the low participation of women in innovation. For example, women's presence in invention patents in Brazil is limited. Patent applications made exclusively by women range from only 3% to 6%.
PROCC at the “Summer Immersion 2025” Event
To promote gender equity in science, the Fiocruz Women and Girls in Science Programme organises events such as the recent “Summer Immersion 2025”, held from February 10th to 14th. The event, aimed at public high school students in Rio de Janeiro, was inspired by the International Day of Women and Girls in Science (February 11th), established by the United Nations in 2015 to promote activities that give greater visibility to the work of women in scientific and technological research.
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PROCC Researchers and High School students gather at PROCC Headquarters
(Photo: Luisa Picanço/Fiocruz)
PROCC Researchers Leading in STEM at Fiocruz
The Fiocruz Scientific Computing Programme (PROCC), coordinated by the Vice-Presidency of Education, Information and Communication (VPEIC), participated in the initiative by hosting a roundtable discussion on February 13th. Four female scientists who stand out in fields traditionally dominated by men shared their experiences. The PROCC researcher, Alexandra Almeida, organised the session, leading the questions and responding to inquiries. During the discussion, the four scientists shared their career paths and challenges with the students:
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Alexandra Almeida: A statistician with a master’s in actuarial science and two PhDs—one in epidemiology and public health and another in interdisciplinary research on substance use. Her research, as described on Lattes, focuses on quantitative methods applied to communicable and chronic diseases. She works in computational epidemiology and infoveillance.
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Aline Nobre: With a degree, master’s, and PhD in statistics, Aline specialises in statistical modelling applied to epidemiology, according to her Lattes profile. She shared that learning epidemiology was a major challenge early in her career. Aline is currently the deputy coordinator of the Public Health Epidemiology Programme at Fiocruz and a collaborating researcher in the Longitudinal Study of Adult Health (ELSA-Brasil).
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Cláudia Codeço: A biologist with a master’s in biomedical engineering, a PhD in quantitative biology, and a postdoc in theoretical epidemiology. Cláudia expressed her passion for saving the Amazon, which led her to study not only biology but also mathematics applied to biology and epidemiology. She leads the InfoDengue project and focuses on mathematical modelling of vector-borne diseases, also conducting fieldwork in the Amazon.
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Marilia Sa Carvalho: A physician and researcher who graduated in the 1970s, Marilia developed an interest in statistics at age 40. She is now co-editor-in-chief of Cadernos de Saúde Pública, Brazil’s leading public health journal, published by Fiocruz. Her Lattes profile notes that she holds a master’s in public health, a PhD in biomedical engineering, and a postdoc in statistics. She is a senior researcher at PROCC, focusing on environmental epidemiology, climate-related health effects, and communicable diseases.
Challenges and Career Paths
During the roundtable, students asked how the scientists balanced postgraduate studies with work. The researchers highlighted the importance of research grants, family support, and persistence as key factors in pursuing scientific careers despite the challenges.
Women in Leadership at PROCC
Beyond research, women also play significant roles in PROCC’s management. Ana Lúcia Teixeira, the programme's management analyst, plays a crucial role in supporting scientific activities and initiatives like the TGHN Fiocruz Hub and the TGHN LAC Hub within The Global Health Network.
Women in International Projects at PROCC
On a global scale, the Vice-President of Education, Information and Communication at Fiocruz (VPEIC), Cristiani Machado, leads The Global Health Network Latin America and the Caribbean (TGHN LAC) project, with co-leadership from PROCC researchers Ernesto Caffarena and Leonardo Bastos. The Brazilian team, composed of six women, runs training sessions, webinars, and workshops to promote greater female representation in science.
Explore TGHN LAC initiatives and training opportunities for health and research professionals.
The Importance of Female Representation in Science
Beyond inspiring girls, the paths of these women in research and management in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) showcase resilience against barriers to entry and career progression.
In health, their contributions demonstrate that increasing female participation fosters innovation, as diverse teams are more creative and capable of developing effective solutions. Moreover, women’s presence in research helps avoid biases often found in studies led solely from a male perspective.
Highlighting women scientists strengthens representation and encourages future generations by showing that there is space beyond stereotypes, motivating girls and other women to pursue scientific careers.
Written by Luisa Picanço (VPEIC/Fiocruz)