While progress has been made, men still hold 60 per cent of senior positions within the Australian Medical Research Institute’s 49-member organisations, according to 2018 data.

For International Women’s Day, six female leaders in medical research come together to discuss the professional challenges they’ve overcome, to help encourage more women in science to build successful, enduring careers.

Professor Fabienne Mackay, head of the School of Biomedical Sciences, joins Professor Kathryn North AC, Director of the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute with Laureate Professor Ingrid Scheffer AO and others to dispel some myths about women working at the cutting-edge of medical research.

“Role models will not ask aspiring young women what would help them, but rather what stops them,” says Professor Mackay.

“At a point in your life something will drive your passion, it will come early or later depending on the person, but once you have that passion nothing should stop you.”

Recorded: March 7, 2019.

Reporters: Dr Andi Horvath and Buffy Gorrilla.

Producers: Dr Andi Horvath, Buffy Gorrilla and Arch Cuthbertson.

Audio engineer: Arch Cuthbertson.

Banner: Getty Images.