International Day of Women and Girls in Science 2025
Aligned with its strategic goals, Fighting Blindness is committed to supporting, nurturing, and promoting the next generation of female researchers.
This year, we celebrared the International Day of Women and Girls in Science 2025 (February 11th) with a special series showcasing the work of some of our female-funded researchers at different stages of their careers.
We had the opportunity to speak with some inspiring women working in vision loss research. They shared insights into their work and offered valuable advice for girls and women aspiring to a career in science.
Check the special audio features below to hear their stories and advice!
Grace Ruddin, PhD student – UCD Conway Institute
Grace’s Bio
Grace Ruddin is a second-year PhD student at the UCD Conway Institute. Before commencing her PhD in vision research, she completed her BSc Neuroscience degree at UCD. Her interest in vision research and zebrafish, which are small tropical fish, became evident during her final year research project in Professor Breandán Kennedy’s group. Her PhD project, in collaboration with Dr. Tess McCann and under the supervision of Professor Breandán Kennedy, involves investigating the role of the retinal G protein coupled receptor (RGR) in vision and disease. Her work is funded by Taighde Éireann – Research Ireland and Fighting Blindness.
The eye recycles a light sensitive form of vitamin A known as 11-cis-retinaldehyde to sustain vision. RGR is thought to be involved in maintaining vision by producing 11-cis-retinaldehyde in the presence of light. rgr has been genetically altered to become inactive in zebrafish knockout models. This is to determine if the absence of RGR affects the production of 11-cis-retinaldehyde and vision.
A piece of advice Grace would give to any girl or woman starting their career in science
My recommendation to any girl or woman beginning their career in science would be to establish a network of peers, colleagues and mentors who are supportive, as this is important for both personal and professional growth. Surround yourself with people who can offer encouragement, support, and guidance particularly during challenging times, are willing to offer valuable advice to advance your career development and who will celebrate your successes, no matter how small they might be.
Listen now what Grace had to say!
To download the mp3 version of the file directly to your device, please click at the link below:
Tess Ames, MA, Research Group Manager – Ocular Therapeutics Research Group, SETU
Tess’s Bio
Tess brings a unique perspective to the scientific community as a non-scientist who has successfully transitioned into the world of research management and innovation. She has a Master’s Degree in Economics and Cultural Studies from the University of Galway, and with this, she has built a career rooted in collaboration, strategic growth, and fostering impactful research across academia, industry, and civil society. Her background allows her to approach scientific challenges with fresh insight, emphasizing inclusivity, accessibility, creativity, and real-world impact.
As the Research Group Manager for the Ocular Therapeutics Research Group at South East Technological University (SETU), Tess supports researchers in securing and managing funding for collaborative projects, including Horizon Europe and MSCA initiatives. She oversees the pre- and post-award processes, ensuring compliance with international standards, managing dissemination and public engagement efforts, and supporting commercialization strategies. She may not be the one doing the science, but she supports these scientists in their work, and help them achieve excellence at every stage through meaningful collaboration.
Tess’s career has been defined by bridging disciplines and sectors, in multiple countries. This diverse experience has honed her skills in building collaborative networks, managing complex projects, and championing equity and inclusion in all aspects of my work.
A piece of advice Tess would give to any girl or woman starting their career in science
One piece of advice I’d give to any girl or woman starting their career in science is to embrace the power of your unique perspective. Whether you come from a traditional scientific background or a completely different field, your experiences and insights bring value to the table. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, challenge norms, and carve your own path. Stay curious.
Find mentors and allies who inspire and support you, and build a network of peers—regardless of gender—who celebrate your successes and help you grow through challenges. Remember, it’s not just about finding your place in science—it’s about reshaping the field to be more inclusive, innovative, and impactful for everyone.
Listen now what Tess had to say!
To download the mp3 version of the file directly to your device, please click at the link below:
Prof. Julie Silvestri, CBE Consultant Ophthalmologist – Belfast Health & Social Care Trust, Honorary Professor – Queen’s University Belfast
Julie’s Bio
Professor Julie Silvestri is Clinical Director for Ophthalmic Services at the Belfast Health & Social Care Trust, Honorary Professor at the Centre Public Health at Queen’s University Belfast and Co-Lead for the NI Clinical Research Network.
In her capacity as Clinical Director and Clinical Lead for Northern Ireland Eye Network (NIEN) Professor Silvestri has led on the changes to the NI Cataract Pathway and on the establishment of Surgical Day Procedure Centres for Ophthalmology. Professor Silvestri also works closely with the Clinical leads in her service to drive forward innovations to maximise services for patients in other subspecialties and has created the opportunity to develop well-equipped Ophthalmic Outpatient Centres to facilitate 1-stop clinic attendances for common conditions. In 2023 Professor Silvestri was awarded the CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) for services to Ophthalmology in Northern Ireland.
Professor Silvestri’s programme of research focuses on genetic predisposition and causative genetic variants in ophthalmic diseases with emphasis on age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and inherited retinal disorders. Professor Silvestri has collaborated internationally with investigators in the Ireland, USA, Ghana and nationally with a number of research groups. She has also been lead and is current co-Lead of the Vision NICRN Research group which holds an impressive portfolio of industry funded and Investigator-led projects. Professor Silvestri has successfully led a research team with a cumulative grant income of circa 2 million, has published over 85 peer-reviewed publications. Professor Silvestri is internationally recognised for her clinical expertise in retinal disease and intraocular magnifying devices for AMD.
Professor Silvestri has extensive undergraduate and postgraduate clinical teaching experience, has held many administrative positions at both QUB and the Belfast Trust. Professor Silvestri has served as an Examiner for both the Royal Colleges of Ophthalmology, London and the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh and has held a number of positions on Grant Review Committees and held the post of Royal College representative for Northern Ireland.
Voluntary Work
Professor Silvestri has worked with Patient Representative groups to provide up-to-date information on both service delivery in Ophthalmology in Northern Ireland and on new information regarding research opportunities and forth coming clinical trials. This has included organising and delivering lectures and focus groups during Patient Engagement Days for the Macular Society, RNIB, RETINA UK, Fighting Blindness Ireland and QUB.
In 2021-2022 Professor Silvestri has been successful in attracting over 300K from Charities and Industry for the completion of genetic testing of patients with Inherited Retinal Disease in NI. This funding will place NI patients at the same stage of readiness for clinical treatment trials as patients in England and Wales.
A piece of advice Julie would give to any girl or woman starting their career in science
In terms of a piece of advice – difficult to know as everyone’s situation is different and therefore the amount of time that a person can dedicate to moving forward in their chosen career will be different. However I would say:
- Always believe in yourself.
- Don’t pay too much attention to naysayers – just do your own thing and go for it.
- Never take no for answer – just use it to find another way and remember that sometimes your miss is your mercy!
- The best piece of advice I got early on was to “focus my research”. I didn’t think it was good advice at the time but it really was. Don’t spread yourself too thin.
- Be kind to colleagues.
Listen now what Julie had to say!
To download the mp3 version of the file directly to your device, please click at the link below:
Prof. Julie Silvestri audio clip
Avril Watson, Postdoctoral fellow – Trinity College Dublin
Avril’s bio
Avril is currently a Postdoctoral fellow in Prof Sarah Doyle’s lab at Trinity College Dublin. Her research is focused mainly on complex 3D retinal models to assist in the study of both heritable and non-heritable forms of blindness. She completed her PhD with Prof. Linda Lako in Newcastle University, UK where she generated a 3D retinal organoid model of Stargardt disease using patient-specific stem cells. Currently, Avril is generating a 3D model of outer retinal vasculature that incorporates retinal-specific endothelial, pericyte, fibroblast and RPE-like cells, and inducing fibrosis in this model to provide a platform to test new drugs and therapies for the treatment of late-stage Age-related macular generation (AMD). This project is a collaboration with Roche pRED in Switzerland. She is also continuing work in modelling the retina with stem cells, to better understand innate immune signatures of retinal cells in ‘healthy’ and ‘diseased’ states, with the hope of uncovering novel therapeutic targets to alleviate or halt vision loss.
A piece of advice Avril would give to any girl or woman starting their career in science
I am a first-generation scientist in my family, and also the first to have completed third-level education. My biggest inspirations in this journey have all been women, my mam Anne, my Maths teacher from school, Ms Broderick, and the professors who have lead me in my work in vision research, Prof. Farrar, Prof. Lako and Prof. Doyle. These women have all demonstrated strong willpower, devotion to their careers, intelligence, discipline and most importantly, kindness.
My advice to young women in science: seek role models in everyday life. Learn from those around you, embrace challenges, and believe in your abilities. Surround yourself with mentors and peers who encourage your ambitions and push you to grow. Science, like any field, comes with challenges, and as a woman, you may face additional obstacles so be confident, stay curious, and know that your contributions matter.
Listen now what Avril had to say!
To download the mp3 version of the file directly to your device, please click at the link below:
Dr. Patrizia Colucci, Postdoctoral Researcher – UCD Conway institute
Patrizia’s bio
Patrizia Colucci is a postdoctoral researcher at the Kennedy Lab within the UCD Conway Institute. During her PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, she worked in the field of drug delivery to target a neuroprotective compound to the posterior eye. Patrizia’s curiosity and passion for travelling led her to move to another country to consolidate her scientific expertise and gain new knowledge and competencies in the field of retinal degeneration.
In particular, her current research is funded by Taighde Éireann – Research Ireland and Fighting Blindness and focuses on the discovery and development of broad-acting drugs targeting inherited and age-related forms of visual impairment. Using the tiny tropical fish zebrafish as an in vivo model, they assess the efficacy of novel compounds in rescuing visual function, with the potential to uncover novel compound restoring vision across broad forms of vision loss.
A piece of advice Patrizia would give to any girl or woman starting their career in science
My advice to girls and women starting their journey in science is to stay curious and open to communicate and share your discoveries! Pursuing science is both exciting and challenging. As researchers, we know that experiments won’t always give expected/desired results, and women can be particularly self-critical. However, it is crucial to remember that every result is valuable, and the key is to approach them as learning opportunities rather than personal failures. Building networks and fostering communication greatly boost scientific (and emotional!) support, improvement, and persistence. Don’t be afraid to share your findings and ask for feedback because everyone, no matter how experienced, always has something to learn from others to strengthen both scientific progress and emotional resilience.
Listen now what Patrizia had to say!
To download the mp3 version of the file directly to your device, please click at the link below:
Dr. Patrizia Colucci audio clip