International Women's Day Spotlight - Dr Karen Woodward
20/03/2023
Our International Women's Day Spotlight continues featuring Dr Karen Woodward, Scientist in Charge of microarray, Diagnostic Genomics.
I’m proud to be a scientist in the field of human genetics and genomics for the last 30 years, a discipline I’m passionate about and which continues to fascinate and interest me to this day.
On my journey, I’ve had some amazing female mentors who have inspired, supported, and motivated me. The standout was Professor Sue Povey. I was a young post-graduate student in London, knowing very little but eager to learn, and she was an incredible role model, highly respected and a great leader. Sue taught me many things that have helped me in my career including dedication, collaboration, teamwork, hard work, honesty and humility.
Human genetics and genomics have advanced significantly since I first started when the first draft of the human genome was being mapped and sequenced. We are now able to provide improved diagnosis of genetic disorders and genomic analysis in routine clinical practice. This is revolutionary and has created many more job opportunities that embrace a diverse workforce in research, medicine and healthcare.
My advice to someone who is just starting in this field is to take every opportunity available, never give up if this is your passion, be flexible and keep trying to achieve your own personal best. I enjoy my job and I’m grateful to be working with such a motivated team whose range of strengths and skills are key to our success. I love continually learning about different rare genetic disorders. It’s extremely rewarding being able to provide a genetic diagnosis for patients and their families, as this allows them access to personalised care and treatment, ultimately providing better health outcomes.
My message to share to Women on International Women’s Day is believe in yourself, have courage, resilience and perseverance and always be a life-long learner.
Last Updated:
14/04/2023