5 Ways to Be an Ally for Women in Science

“It’s critical that we don’t classify female scientists as anything other than the norm,” says Linda Scarazzini, M.D., AbbVie’s vice president of pharmacovigilance and patient safety. “We must remain committed to creating opportunities for women and setting them up to thrive. When people close their eyes and imagine a scientist, I want that mental image to be female.”

“I’ve always loved the song lyric ‘You’re a driver, not a passenger in your life,’ which in my mind means stepping up, even when it’s difficult,” says Nicole Selenko-Gebauer, M.D., AbbVie’s head of global medical affairs. “I don’t want to ever be afraid, because when you don’t feel comfortable, you don’t step up. It’s my job as a leader to model that behavior and create an environment where people can feel comfortable taking risks.”

“I had to explore a ton and create my own path,” says Kim Ribeiro, AbbVie’s director of clinical trials diversity & inclusion. “My role today in clinical trial diversity is something that I ultimately created for myself. AbbVie has allowed me to carve out roles throughout my journey where I saw gaps in the business. So my advice would be to step out of looking for the right existing role and start thinking about your skill set and what could be possible.”

“My first manager in the industry told me to not allow myself to be limited by where I am today,” says Zhang. “He told me to ‘make a plan and go for it.’ So I did. And I’d urge others to do the same. That means getting to know the business, but it also means seeking advice from a mentor, whether formally or informally.”

“My leadership journey throughout my career has shown me that we must hold up and respect those at all levels around us,” says Scarazzini. “Even though the road may not have been perfectly paved for me or my senior colleagues in leadership, we owe it to those who follow to help clear that road and help fix a few potholes for our rising leaders.”

Hear more from AbbVie’s leaders in What’s the Formula? Supporting Women in Science – Beyond the Numbers.