#storiesthatmatter: Shattering glass beakers

Researchers agree that bringing in a diversity of perspectives is crucial to building a sustainable future for science. While the number of women working in STEM has been steadily increasing in the past few decades, especially in the life sciences, they are still underrepresented.

In the next Stories That Matter, AbbVie’s senior director of discovery strategic portfolio management, Dr. Kaitlin Browman, shares the importance of being able to look up to successful women in the sciences.

“Growing up, I always knew I wanted to be a scientist. And I was lucky to have strong female role models who supported me in my pursuit of a career in STEM.”

“Growing up, I always knew I wanted to be a scientist. And I was lucky to have strong female role models who supported me in my pursuit of a career in STEM.

To start, my grandmother obtained her Ph.D. from the University of Chicago in the early 1900s and then became a founding member of the League of Women Voters. Talk about inspiring! I was also encouraged by my mom, who is a Stanford educated physicist and a self-taught computer engineer. She instilled in me a lifelong love of learning and, whether she knew it or not, the importance of having someone to look up to.

“I’m happy that families like mine — with women who have successful careers in STEM — are becoming the norm and not the exception.”

I’m happy that families like mine — with women who have successful careers in STEM — are becoming the norm and not the exception. At AbbVie, over half of our workforce and new hires are female.

But continuing to see and hear from successful women in the industry is critical, which is why I was thrilled to share some advice with a room full of young women during a recent panel at MATTER.”

Read takeaways from the March panel here.

Dr. Kaitlin Browman joined AbbVie in 2002 as an associate research investigator. She assumed her current role as senior director and global head of discovery strategic portfolio management in 2016. Kaitlin attended The University of Michigan where she received her Ph.D. in biopsychology, and The Lake Forest Graduate School of Management where she received her MBA.