Women Leading Change: Research, Leadership and Art at the Forefront

Through the Coffee Club series, the Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine (IDM) creates spaces for dialogue and reflection. The recent Coffee Club, hosted by the Accountability Working Group and titled “Celebrating Women in Research & Their Impact in Communities”, showcased the transformative contributions of women researchers and highlighted initiatives that strengthen women’s leadership in science and health.

The discussion spotlighted pioneering work across several IDM research groups. The Cellular Immunology Platform led by IDM deputy director, Wendy Burgers, has long mentored women scientists, many of whom now lead advancements in vaccine immunology. The HIV Cure Research Group, led by IDM Fellow, Melissa-Rose Abrahams is driving research into the barriers to curing HIV, with a focus on the lived experiences and needs of South African women living with HIV. Meanwhile, the Hapgood Group, led by IDM Full Member, Janet Hapgood continues to advance critical research into the intersection of HIV and contraceptives, work that informs women’s choices in regions with high HIV prevalence in sub-Saharan Africa.

In addition, the Coffee Club highlighted WomenLift Health, a global initiative dedicated to strengthening women’s leadership in health and research. The program develops leadership identity and presence, resilience, confidence, and courage, among other themes. IDM Associate Member Anna-Ursula Happel has been selected to join the WomenLift Health Southern Africa Leadership Journey. As part of giving back to the IDM community, she is exploring the development of a similar program tailored for IDM students, postdocs, and early-career scientists. Those interested in contributing to this initiative are invited to share their input by completing this survey.

Continuing the focus on women’s voices in health, the IDM is currently hosting a cross-institutional art exhibition, titled, Stories from the Edge of Adolescence to Adulthood. Led by researcher Felicity Hartley of the Passmore Lab, the exhibition explores young women’s lived experiences of sexual health barriers through creative expression and narrative.

Featuring the work of artist Lucinda Jolly, alongside insights from medical virologist Dr. Nyaradzo Chigorimbo-Tsikiwa, the exhibition creates a dialogue between science and art. It aims to foster greater understanding among healthcare practitioners and reimagines how conversations around young women’s sexual health are framed.

Running through World Sexual Health Day on 4 September until 12 September, the exhibition is hosted collaboratively by the IDM and the Neuroscience Institute, with support from the Accountability in Action Initiative (AIAI). By weaving together scientific research, artistic expression, and lived experience, the exhibition creates a shared space for reflection and engagement across disciplines.