I’ve spent my career following evidence—not just in the scientific sense, but in the sense of noticing what energises me and where I can make the biggest difference. I began as a research scientist in Edinburgh, working in genetics, developmental biology and cancer research at the MRC Human Genetics Unit, the Roslin Institute and Cancer Research UK. Those years shaped my curiosity and taught me to value precision, patience and the quiet satisfaction of discovery.

In 2003, I realised I wanted to take that scientific grounding beyond the lab and into work that could directly affect patient care. That moment changed my path. I joined the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network (SIGN) and found a new purpose: helping ensure evidence genuinely reaches the people who need it. Becoming Programme Lead in 2010 allowed me to bring science, collaboration and public service together in a way that felt utterly right for me.

Over time, my work was recognised internationally, and being appointed Chair of the Guidelines International Network in 2025 remains one of my proudest milestones.

At heart, I’m driven by the belief that evidence-based practice can change lives—and by the people who’ve inspired and supported me along the way.

What empowers women to take on leadership roles?

Women are empowered to take on leadership roles when they are supported by cultures that recognise their abilities, encourage independent thinking and create space for their voices to be heard. In scientific and professional environments, strong mentorship is one of the most powerful enablers of women’s leadership. Research leaders who promote curiosity, critical thinking and confidence help women build the foundations they need to step into positions of influence.

Early‑career support—particularly in research‑intensive fields—gives women the chance to develop technical expertise and leadership abilities at the same time. When senior colleagues encourage women to ask questions, pursue their own ideas and develop autonomy, they provide not only guidance but belief—often the decisive factor that shifts women from contributing to leading.

Supportive institutions worldwide also play an important role. Global organisations such as the Guidelines International Network (GIN) bring together diverse professionals and promote collaboration, transparency and shared learning across health systems—conditions that help women demonstrate and refine leadership on an international stage. Professional networks that value evidence, partnership and global knowledge exchange create opportunities for women to contribute meaningfully to public health and clinical practice at scale.

Ultimately, women are empowered to lead when they are encouraged, equipped and trusted—by mentors, by institutions and by one another.

When I was young, my favorite activities included playing schoolteacher with my sister and her friends as my pupils, running a pretend grocery shop with mini‑groceries and a toy register, and testing how many pieces I could take my doll apart into. Sometimes I played DJ by placing my speaker facing out of the open window and blasting my LPs at full volume.

Looking back, I smile at how naturally curious and research‑minded I already was. I am a first‑generation academic from a family of butchers and greengrocers. My father chose a different path and became a bowling‑alley manager, and later my parents co‑owned a small restaurant together, with my mother as an equal financial partner – unusual at the time, but normal to me. Pursuing a master’s degree and later a PhD required some explaining, but they were incredibly proud.

I carry that background into every leadership role. Over the years, I have served as a Year Representative, board member of the Netherlands Epidemiology Society, co‑chair of the Cochrane Council, initiator and co-chair of the Dutch GRADE Network, and member of several research and governance boards like the GRADE working group and GIN Board of Trustees.

What I seek in leadership is impact – being where decisions are made, building communities, creating opportunities, and contributing to something larger based on a clear vision. I see myself as a role model for quieter, observant yet powerful individuals (female and male) and advocate for inclusive leadership that values different personalities.

What empowers women to take on leadership roles?

Empowering women to step into leadership roles is a multifaceted journey shaped by personal, organizational, societal, and cultural forces. For me, true empowerment begins in the spaces where we feel seen and supported, through conversations with friends and family, guidance from mentors, and the quiet strength of role models. My mentors and role models come in many forms: women and men, inside and outside academia, early‑career and emeritus, those close to me and those I know only through TV or social media. Inspiration has no single face.

Choose the people around you with intention. Distance yourself from those who diminish your ambition or question your worth. When you surround yourself with individuals who believe in you, challenge you, and speak honestly with you, you create a foundation that allows you to rise. They help you build confidence through experience, discover your own voice, and grow into a leadership style that is authentically yours.

Stepping into leadership isn’t about becoming someone else – it’s about becoming more fully yourself, supported by a community that lifts you higher.

I am a German physician, health services researcher, and academic specializing in medical knowledge management and clinical practice guidelines. Before pivoting to research for quality improvement I trained in general surgery and internal medicine Wikipedia

I currently serve as Director of the AWMF Institute for Medical Knowledge Management (AWMF-IMWi) , where I coordinate and support the development of clinical practice guidelines for the 185 specialty societies organised under the German Association of Scientific Medical Societies (AWMF).

I received my medical degree and extraordinary professorship from Philipps University Marburg, specialising in theoretical surgery and clinical health services research. I have contributed to more than 170 peer-reviewed publications in guideline methodology, health services research, and quality improvement.

Internationally, I am highly active in the Guidelines International Network (GIN), serving on its Board of Trustees since 2012 and having twice served as Chair and Vice Chair AWMF. In September 2024, I was awarded an Honorary GIN Mastership in recognition of my expertise and significant contributions to the guideline field (PubMed). Amongst participation in other networks, I am a Fellow of Sciana – the health leadership network.

My current focus is on digitalising guideline knowledge and promoting a digital trustworthy evidence ecosystem to improve healthcare decision-making.

What empowers women to take on leadership roles?

Women thriving for leadership in healthcare and academia often face significant systemic barriers. In German academic medicine, women still hold only 14% of top leadership positions at university hospitals, despite making up nearly 70% of medical students Medscape. It is my belief that the following key elements will help women on this journey:

Stand your ground as a woman in a male-dominated field

Have faith in your competences, focus on your skills to build confidence, track your achievements and make them visible. Use your emotional intelligence for better communication and networking but also for being respected rather than just liked. See yourself as an authority and provide evidence to support this.

Identify your preferred field of engagement and commit yourself to it

Think strategically and politically to continuously develop, refine and achieve your goal, prepare for a long run and be open to step into non-traditional career paths or to create your own to achieve it. Be confident, trusting in your abilities and bring in your unique perspective, abilities, strengths to your work.

Stay yourself and be resilient

Set boundaries to maintain your personal well-being as well as your social and family life – but be flexible to achieve this (9 to 5 will not help). Navigate challenges – e.g. by addressing unfair situations professionally, focussing on facts. Look for experienced (female) mentors who can offer guidance and support for career growth.

I am a mother, a wife, and the Program Manager for Gender, Equity and Inclusion at eBASE Africa. My work sits at the intersection of research, policy, and communities translating evidence into practical solutions that improve lives.  I was especially keen on making guidelines and research recommendations accessible to underserved groups. My leadership journey began when I realized that decisions affecting women, children, and persons with disabilities were being made without their lived realities present in the room.

I stepped into leadership before I felt ready because there were gaps that needed to be filled. Those around me believed in my potential long before I believed in myself. The more I hesitated, the clearer it became that someone needed to carry the baton. What began as a focus on completing tasks on time evolved into something deeper. Leadership was never about title; it was about responsibility something I initially resisted but later embraced.

Over time, working alongside seasoned professionals refined my technical skills and transformed my confidence, expanding how I understood my capacity and my voice. Today, leadership for me means building systems, mentoring others, and ensuring that those whom decisions are often made for them are contributing to decision making.

What empowers women to take on leadership roles?

Women are empowered to lead when three conditions align: Skills and access, representation, and structural support.

Skills are the foundation of empowerment for a woman. Competence builds confidence, and confidence makes leadership possible. There was a time I hesitated to speak first in meetings, second-guessed my opinions, and avoided decisions because I did not feel sufficiently equipped. That lack of skill felt deeply disempowering. Over the years, as my competence improved, so did my confidence. I began entering rooms prepared, taking accountability for decisions, and leading with clarity. A woman without skill can feel like she is walking on unstable heels, careful and uncertain. But when she hones her competence, she stands steady, assured, and ready to lead.

You may have the skills, but access is essential. Exposure to international collaborations and continental dialogues did more than build competence, it sharpened my expertise and recalibrated my confidence. These were not symbolic invitations; they were spaces where my perspective was genuinely valued as a young leader, as a woman, and as someone from the Global South. That recognition was deeply empowering. For a long time, I believed my experience needed to blend in or mirror others to be credible. These opportunities proved otherwise. When women are trusted with responsibility and given real platforms, they do not merely participate they lead and thrive.

Representation reshapes identity. Watching women across the continent navigate executive roles with strength has been deeply empowering for me. Seeing someone do what you aspire to do silently affirms that you can too. In many African contexts where female leadership has historically been framed as a threat, dreams are often discouraged before they fully form. Being raised primarily for caregiving and marriage as though that were a woman’s sole purpose can quietly constrain ambition. Yet exposure to real stories whether through lived examples or media portrayals of women leading while remaining grounded in family life challenges that narrative. It proves that leadership does not diminish femininity; it expands it.

Finally, Systems sustain participation. For me, empowerment is holistic it requires creating environments where women, in all their roles, can thrive. Systems that penalize women for leaving work on time or equate long hours with commitment are quietly disempowering. In contrast, institutions that provide structures for breastfeeding mothers, flexible schedules, mentorship, and equitable performance expectations send a different message: you belong here. True inclusion means women do not have to remove one hat to wear another. When institutions intentionally design environments that account for caregiving realities and diverse responsibilities, women do not merely survive leadership they thrive within it.