A few reflections for Women's Day. I'm honored to be chairing the very prestigious #GRC_Angiogenesis2025, one of the best conferences in the field of vascular biology. As such, I've received several requests over the past few months from scientists interested in being selected for an oral PPT. 1/n

So far, so good! I love that people are proactive, believe in their research, and take the initiative to promote themselves! But... looking back at my notes, I realize I have not received a single such email from a woman scientist 😔...

There are many reasons for this, like lacking confidence in the level of one's own research, or feeling it’s not appropriate to contact the organizer—like “no one does that.” I highlight these because they were my own struggles as a young investigator, but I'm sure there are more...

So, I decided to try a new aproach: I contacted outstanding young investigators (mostly women, but not only) and explained that although we are limited in the number of "invited speakers", I found their research super exciting and I'd be happy to offer an oral presentation if they decided to apply.

2. With this thread, I'm investing 15 more minutes to try and "normalize" women's self-promotion- It is OK to contact the meeting organizers and make them aware of your work! It is OK to come forward and promote yourself! You won't believe how many do that 🫣

3. If you are the meeting organizer, do whatever you can to remove roadblocks for those who need it! It takes no time, and such actions will have a longstanding impact on someone's career 🙌