Mohn Centre marks International Women's Day

Meet some of the talented women behind the Mohn Centre for Children's Health and Wellbeing.

Today marks International Women’s Day (IWD) 2023, an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of women working within the Mohn Centre for Children’s Health and Wellbeing. This year’s theme #EmbraceEquity asks individuals to think about why equal opportunities aren’t enough and how we can bring about equitable action for true inclusion. At the Mohn Centre, we’re proud of the diverse women we have as part of our team, and of their contribution to the improved health and wellbeing of children and young people.

We are highlighting some of the talented women whose work contributes to the success of the Mohn Centre including the Research Challenge phase of the Study of Cognition, Adolescents and Mobile Phones (SCAMP). This phase has seen sixth form students leading research allowing them to develop new skills in data collection and project management whilst working alongside academics at Imperial.

Dr Rachel B Smith and Nicole Curtis, reflect on their experiences of working within the Mohn Centre and inspiring young people to be involved in research.

Dr Rachel B Smith, Mohn Research Fellow in Population Child Health;

“I have always been interested in the interactions of the physical, social and digital environment on human health, and how we can investigate these, ever since I was introduced to the science of epidemiology during my undergraduate degree in Human Sciences. My PhD contributed to the Born in Bradford birth cohort investigating mothers’ exposure to water disinfection by-products during pregnancy, and the impact of this exposure on babies’ health at birth. Since then, I’ve undertaken research investigating the impacts of digital technology, radio-frequency electromagnetic fields, air pollution, and noise on health throughout the life course. Working within the Mohn Centre allows me to continue working with topics and methods which can improve urban living for children and young people by providing evidence needed to support more equitable environments.

"Our work has also been able to create unique opportunities for students across London. It has been hugely enjoyable working with sixth form students taking part in the SCAMP Research Challenge, inspiring many young girls to be greater involved in scientific research.

"I have been impressed by the insightful questions students have asked about scientific careers and the research we are undertaking.

"Not only has this given students a chance to learn new skills but their work has given us new perspectives on research approaches and fresh insight into the study data.”

Nicole Curtis, SCAMP Research Assistant;

“Having worked with adolescents and young people in a therapeutic capacity for years, I saw first-hand the little involvement they have in the development of mental health provisions for their age group, as well as the lack of information and resources regarding careers within research.

"Growing up I was never exposed to the idea of a career in STEM research, especially not as a young girl. This is one of the reasons it is so exciting to see young people engage so enthusiastically with the work we are doing, and why I feel SCAMP is such a great opportunity for them. Involving these students within our research has been very insightful and satisfying, as we are able to draw from their lived experiences and champion their voices for better mental health provisions, whilst also inspiring them to consider alternative career paths. Some of our young female students now want to pursue a vocation in mental health research.”

Research Challenge student, Bishopshalt School;

“I really enjoyed and value the experience and getting the chance to be a part of a study, as both a participant and someone involved in helping out. This experience will help me in my future career as I would like to go into healthcare and research, and this is a hugely relevant experience of personal importance.”

To celebrate the success of this Research Challenge phase of SCAMP, students and teachers are invited to an awards ceremony, Monday 20th March 2023. Students will be awarded certificates and prizes for their dedication to the study. For more information email scamp@imperial.ac.uk.

SCAMP is embedded within the work of the Mohn Centre which unpicks the complex network of interactions between environmental, behavioural, genetic and molecular factors to better the health of children and young people. Professor Mireille Toledano is Chair of the Mohn Centre for Children’s Health and Wellbeing and leads SCAMP.

Find out more about the ongoing work of the Mohn Centre.