Women in Science Profiles

A series of multicolored circles behind four overlapping circular images. From left to right: NICHD researchers Dr. Laura Pillay, Dr. Aisha Burton, Dr. Amrita Mandal, and Dr. Perdita Taylor-Zapata.

In 2019, the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) launched its Women in Science series to highlight the exceptional contributions of its female researchers.

Alison Cernich, Ph.D.

Dr. Cernich is the Deputy Director of NICHD.

Diana Bianchi, M.D.

Dr. Bianchi is the Director of NICHD.

Mary Dasso, Ph.D.

Dr. Dasso leads NICHD’s Section on Cell Cycle Regulation and serves as the acting scientific director in the Division of Intramural Research (DIR).

Gisela Storz, Ph.D.

Dr. Storz is a senior investigator in NICHD’s Section on Environmental Gene Regulation and an associate scientific director in DIR.

Keiko Ozato, Ph.D.

Dr. Ozato is a senior investigator in the Section on Molecular Genetics of Immunity.

In addition to these full profiles, we also post regularly to our #WomenInScience series on our Instagram feed .

Kyla Roland

Kyla Roland is a trainee who is part of NICHD’s Developing Talent Scholars Program. She wants to earn her Ph.D. and become a science educator to encourage diversity in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

Learn more about Kyla Roland.

Women in Science quote from postdoctoral researcher Dr. Elodie Mailler: “Be curious and take opportunities. Don’t focus solely on your project. Look at what’s going on in the larger scientific community. You may think you are losing time by looking outside, but in the end, it can help you and your career.”

Elodie Mailler, Ph.D., M.Sc.

Dr. Elodie Mailler is a molecular and cell biologist who currently studies autophagy, the intricate process that enables a cell to recycle unused or unnecessary components.

Learn more about Dr. Mailler.

Women in Science quote from postdoctoral researcher Dr. Vasilisa Aksenova: “Science is a continuous process of hypothesis testing. If data are contradictory, look for differences. A protein I studied had contradictory data around it. When we applied the right experimental system, everyone’s data made sense.”

Vasilisa Aksenova, Ph.D.

Dr. Vasilisa Aksenova studies nuclear pore complexes, which regulate what enters and exits the nucleus, and the expression of genes, among other key roles.

Learn more about Dr. Aksenova.

Women in Science quote from postdoctoral researcher Dr. Stephanie Lehman: “Your field may feel very big, but it’s really not. Everyone knows each other. Network, talk to people, and don’t burn bridges. If people know your goals and what you want to do, you never know what opportunities may come.”

Stephanie Lehman, Ph.D.

Dr. Stephanie Lehman came to NICHD to diversify her skills in infectious disease research. She uses Legionella pneumophila as a model organism to study how bacteria that threaten public health and safety infect cells and cause disease.

Learn more about Dr. Lehman.

Women in Science quote from postdoctoral researcher Dr. Leah Greenspan: “Don’t be afraid to ask questions or to ask someone for help. Questions are part of the learning process. I wish I had been less timid about asking questions during my undergraduate years.”

Leah Greenspan, Ph.D.

Dr. Leah Greenspan uses zebrafish as a model organism to understand how blood vessels regrow and restore blood to tissue after injury.

Learn more about Dr. Greenspan.

Women in Science quote from postdoctoral researcher Dr. Aisha Burton: “My advice to younger trainees is to build a community. During graduate school, having a community of students and colleagues helped me navigate the highs and lows and was essential for my success.”

Aisha Burton, Ph.D.

Dr. Aisha Burton studies how small proteins regulate the stress response in E. coli. She also is part of NICHD’s Fellows Recruitment Incentive Award program, which promotes diversity among postdoctoral researchers by encouraging principal investigators to recruit diverse early stage scientists.

Learn more about Dr. Burton.

Women in Science quote from postdoctoral researcher Dr. Laura Pillay: “During college, I was torn between science and the arts until I took a developmental biology course in my junior year. I was fascinated by how a single cell can develop into a multicellular organism with multiple, complex organ systems.”

Laura Pillay, Ph.D.

Dr. Laura Pillay studies the genetic and molecular mechanisms that regulate blood vessel development and integrity (i.e., what makes vessels “leaky”) in the brain.

Learn more about Dr. Pillay.

Women in Science quote from postdoctoral researcher Dr. Marion Ouidir: “The first 1,000 days after conception is a critical window for lifelong health. Studying how the environment affects fetal growth and the development of chronic diseases is essential to improving the health of the next generation.”

Marion Ouidir, Ph.D., M.Sc.

Dr. Marion Ouidir studies how environmental exposures affect fetal growth and the development of chronic metabolic diseases, such as diabetes and high blood pressure.

Learn more about Dr. Ouidir.

Women in Science quote from program officer Dr. Perdita Taylor-Zapata: “Know who you are and be confident of what you bring to the table, even if it’s different. That difference has unique value.”

Perdita Taylor-Zapata, M.D.

Dr. Perdita Taylor-Zapata oversees projects on pediatric drug development. This includes the Best Pharmaceuticals for Children Act program, which helps doctors prescribe drugs for children in the safest and most effective ways.

Learn more about Dr. Taylor-Zapata.

Women in Science quote from program officer Dr. Candace Tingen: “It’s my job to think about the science, talk to experts, and help direct where the field is going. Being a program officer allows me to step outside of the lab and use my expertise to improve women’s health in a completely different way.”

Candace Tingen, Ph.D.

Dr. Candace Tingen oversees research grants focused on female reproductive health and gynecologic conditions, including uterine fibroids and menstrual disorders.

Learn more about Dr. Tingen.

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