Caring for female scientists

As a child, Yan was captivated by the traditional Chinese mythical novel A Journey to the West, where the main character can transform into objects of any size.

This sparked her curiosity about the submicroscopic world.

Yan credits her high school chemistry teacher, Guan Yi, as an inspiring role model. "She wasn't very tall, had short grey hair, and wore glasses with a confident smile," Yan recalls.

"She told me more than once, 'Girls are good at science. Believe in yourself.' And she was right," Yan says.

Yan's full list of role models is a long one and includes notable scientists Zhang Miman, Kuang Tingyun, Wang Zhizhen, Shi Yunyu, Shirley M. Tilghman, and many more.

Now, she is stepping into the role of a mentor herself, inspiring the next generation of women scientists.

She recalls not noticing the gender disparity among professors until she became one herself.

"When I looked around, there were far fewer female professors," she says.

"In graduate school, especially in biology, there are usually equal numbers of men and women. But as careers progress, the ratio of men increases dramatically while the number of women drops significantly.

"We must change the historical and cultural bias against women in academia and society by establishing gender equality and creating more female role models to show that women can and do lead, and deserve fair recognition," she says.

Yan believes promoting female leaders is essential, with women leading the way themselves.

"As female leaders, we understand the unique challenges women face," she says.

At her institute, the Shenzhen Medical Academy of Research and Translation, she has appointed three female vice-presidents. This has attracted many female researchers, creating a supportive, female-friendly environment.

In keeping with the tradition of female scientists fighting for other women to enter the scientific workplace, she has organized an annual forum since 2015 dedicated to women in science.

"It is now my turn to create a similarly nurturing environment for young scholars, particularly women," she says.

"I always tell my students and my young colleagues to be brave and be yourself. You're not alone. We have faced many common challenges. The key is we have overcome all of them. If we can, you can," Yan says.