For more than a century, International Women’s Day has been a moment to recognize the contributions of women.
At Queen’s, those contributions are visible in research, teaching, and mentorship. From operating rooms to computing labs, women are shaping the direction of science while helping the next generation find their place in it.
Two examples can be found in very different corners of campus: cardiac surgery and computing.
At the heart of medicine
Dr. Carolyn Teng, an assistant professor and cardiac surgeon at Queen’s, traces her path into cardiac surgery to an experience in early medical school.
During her first time in a cardiac operating room, she was able to hold a patient’s heart during surgery—an experience she still describes as unforgettable.
“It was a life-changing moment for me,” she said in an interview with The Journal. “I still think about how amazingly lucky I’m to be able to do what I do.”
Teng had originally planned to pursue neurosurgery after studying neuroanatomy and behavioural neuroscience. But the physiology of the heart and the immediate impact of cardiac surgery ultimately drew her in.
Today, she works in a field that has long had limited representation of women. In 2015, women made up only 11 per cent of cardiac surgeons in Canada. At Queen’s, however, the cardiac surgery division looks somewhat different: three of its four surgeons are women.
“That makes us quite unique,” Teng said. “Possibly even internationally.”
Across medicine more broadly, she notes that the demographics of the profession are changing. Since 2005, women have made up roughly 55 to 60 per cent of graduating medical students in Canada. Even so, disparities remain in leadership roles and certain specialties. In most surgical fields, women still account for fewer than 30 per cent of surgeons.
Gender inequities also appear in patient care. Historically, clinical studies often relied primarily on male participants, which left gaps in the evidence used to diagnose and treat women.
This imbalance has been particularly evident in cardiology, where gaps in knowledge continue to threaten women’s heart health.
“Women have different physiology,” Teng said. “That obviously needs to be factored in when we’re discussing diagnosis and treatment.”
In her practice, she observes social factors that influence when patients seek care. Women with cardiac symptoms sometimes delay treatment, particularly when they’re also tasked with caregiving responsibilities.
Understanding those patterns, Teng says, can help physicians better support patients and encourage them to prioritize their own health.
Reprogramming the future of computing
Across campus, Sara Nabil is exploring how technology might be designed differently when human experience is prioritized.
Nabil is an assistant professor and head of the iStudio Research Lab in the School of Computing, where her team investigates how technology can be combined with design. Her research explores the integration of computing into textiles, furniture, and wearable objects.
“Computing doesn’t have to stay on screens,” Nabil said in an interview with The Journal.
In the iStudio lab, computing research often takes unexpected forms. Undergraduate researchers have worked on projects ranging from interactive stained glass to smart textiles created through traditional lace-making techniques.
For many students, the work changes their understanding of what computing research can be.
“Students tell me, ‘I never thought I could do something like this in computing,’” Nabil said. “Every time they come into the lab, they’re so excited.”
The lab has also become a space where many women pursue research in computing. Nabil credits mentorship, representation, and collaborative environments with helping students feel encouraged to enter and remain in the field.
She also acknowledged that the history of computing complicates common assumptions. In the early history of the field, many women worked as “human computers,” performing complex mathematical calculations before the advancement of electronic computers.
Today, emerging areas of computing, particularly those that combine design, human experience, and technology are opening new possibilities.
Mentorship and community
Both Teng and Nabil acknowledged the importance of mentorship in helping students navigate demanding careers in science and technology.
For Teng, mentorship means helping students see the full picture of a demanding profession— including both its opportunities and its challenges—while offering guidance along the way.
Nabil similarly reflected on the mentors who shaped her own career and now works to create an environment where students feel comfortable asking questions, sharing ideas, and exploring unconventional paths.
International Women’s Day offers an opportunity to reflect on those contributions. For researchers like Teng and Nabil, it’s also a reminder that progress in science is rarely the result of individual achievement alone, but grows through mentorship and communities that support the next generation of scientists.
At Queen’s, those communities continue to take shape across disciplines, ensuring that the future of science reflects the people who pursue it.
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