'Women have so much to offer': Meet the Leeds graduate helping pave the way for more women in science

Charlie said: “The first time I saw a scientist and thought that's what I want to do is when I was watching NCIS with my grandma and I saw Abby who is a goth forensic scientist.

“I thought how cool it was that she knew all this stuff and she was using it for good and people respected her and she just looked really cool too.”

Growing up with a mother working as a Chartered Engineer, Charlie would regularly hear exciting stories about what life was like working in a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) field, and she knew she wanted to follow suit. Her mother revealed the challenges she faced as a young woman in this male-dominated industry, but this didn’t deter Charlie, in fact it inspired her.

Charlie, decided to move to Leeds to study an Integrated Masters in Medicinal Chemistry, and then a PhD in Chemical Biology focused on region-specific drug delivery, something she compared to “making a little drug taxi to take the drug where it needed to go.”

In her studies, Charlie saw cases of animal testing, when live animals are used to study diseases or test products. She knew she didn’t agree with this so when she saw a chance to work at Cruelty Free International, the leading organisation working to end animal testing worldwide, she jumped at the opportunity.

Charlie said: “I saw a job and it combined my love of science and animal protection which has been very important to me since I was young.

“It showed me that I could pursue a career which would try stop the thing that I had seen I didn't like.”

As a Senior Chemicals Regulatory Advisor at Cruelty Free International, Charlie’s job centres on using her scientific and regulatory knowledge to work with scientists, politicians, regulators, and advocates to stop redundant tests on animals and promote the development and use of innovative non-animal approaches.

Charlie said: “I didn’t even know the job that I’m doing existed until I saw the advert but it is genuinely my dream job.

“When each day I'm working towards something I'm passionate about it doesn't really feel like work.”

Ahead of the 2026 International Day of Women and Girls in Science, Charlie wants to bring attention to the barriers that prevent women and girls from pursuing careers in this industry which includes gender stereotyping and a lack of recognition for invisible labour.

Charlie said: “We could talk for hours about all the barriers, I think, but it definitely starts young. There's this big issue with stereotypes and the so-called gendered subjects.

“If you said to someone ‘would you consider buying this little girl a science kit?’ it’s not something that comes to mind.

“Another barrier which I think is really important but is not talked about a lot is the invisible work that women do particularly in research labs. This can be the organizing and tidying of the lab, ordering supplies, making rotas, or teaching students.

“All of these tasks are not recognized when considering promotions or competitive funding so that disproportionately affects the women and then it widens the career progression gap.”

Inspired by Carolyn Bertozzi, who is one of only eight women to have ever won the Nobel Prize for Chemistry, Charlie wants to show the next generation of girls that they can thrive in scientific careers.

Charlie said: “She is a big hero of mine and she talked about the need to pay it forward.

“When she started, she didn’t find a lot of women following the same path as her but by paying it forward and inspiring the girls of the future, there will be a generation of women that is coming up that is more robust and energised because of the path you paved.”

In the same way Betrozzi inspired her, Charlie hopes she can inspire others who then likewise inspire more people, to eventually create a ripple effect where science is more gender inclusive.

At Cruelty Free International, Charlie is part of an organisation which has “brilliant” representation of women, and this means that she feels inspired every day in the workplace. But she still believes there needs to be greater change so that women are welcomed into the world of science and recognised for the role they play.

Charlie said: “We can't and shouldn't exclude a whole 50 per cent of the population.

“Women have so much to offer. It’s so important that we have more than just one demographic in this field.”