Why now — the evidence
Computational and mathematical approaches are central to modern biology and cancer research, yet these are precisely the areas where women are most underrepresented.
From classroom to campus
The gender gap is visible long before the lab, and it is widest in exactly the computational subjects this field depends on.
31%
of students in core STEM subjects in UK higher education are women or non-binary
[1,2]~19%
of computing-degree students are women, against about 45% in statistics
[1,2]~18.6%
of A-level computing candidates are female, while biology is dominated by female entries
[3]17%
of Higher Computing Science entries in Scotland are girls — 14% at Advanced Higher
[4] The leaky pipeline
Once women are in STEM, a steep “leaky pipeline” remains — losing talent precisely at the stages where leadership is built.
~29%
of the UK STEM workforce are women, still underrepresented relative to their qualifications
[5]~10%
of senior managers in Scottish STEM are women; most women with STEM degrees do not work in STEM
[6,7,8] A sharper problem in computational biology
These broad STEM figures hide a sharper problem in computational and mathematical biology specifically.
- An Edinburgh-led analysis of authorship patterns found women systematically underrepresented in computational and quantitative biology compared with “wet” biology — and that a female last author is associated with a higher proportion of women across the author list, underscoring the importance of visible female leaders.[9]
- Work on early-career researchers in computational STEM finds women are more likely to leave because of hostile or isolating cultures, a lack of role models, and the cumulative impact of bias — rather than any lack of ability or interest.[10]
The cost for cancer and women’s health
For cancer and women’s health, the cost of underrepresentation is not abstract. When women’s perspectives are missing from computational and quantitative teams, we risk reproducing those gaps in the data, models and tools that shape care.
4,600+
UK clinical trials examined in a recent analysis of sex representation
[11]67%
more male-only than female-only trials, with very few focused on pregnancy or reproductive health
[11] The Royal Society of Edinburgh and other UK bodies explicitly call for cohesive, practical strategies to increase both the participation and progression of women in STEM in Scotland — networking, mentoring, targeted support, and visible recognition of women’s contributions.[12,13,14] This workshop is designed as a concrete, local response to those recommendations, in the specific context of computational and mathematical biology.
The event
For Ada Lovelace Day, the Cancer Research UK Scotland Institute will host a one-day workshop spotlighting women in computational biology across Scotland. The day brings together keynote speakers, early-career researchers and trainees, alongside a patient advocate, to speak about their science and, explicitly, about the structural barriers they face and the solutions they have found.
Given the persistent underrepresentation of women in computational and mathematical fields, and the central importance of these disciplines for the future of cancer research, we believe this Ada Lovelace Day workshop is a timely, focused and achievable step the Institute can take to drive change.
The workshop will be hybrid, but we will provide support for travel and caring responsibilities so it is accessible to those who would otherwise be unable to attend.
Expected outcomes
- Highlight the contributions, leadership and impact of women in these fields, particularly in cancer research.
- Strengthen our local and national network of women researchers and allies, which is crucial for recruitment, retention and collaborative funding.
- Create a space where women and allies can openly discuss structural barriers and co-design practical solutions.
- Generate a set of actionable recommendations from the panel discussion that can inform policies and practices (e.g. mentoring, recruitment, promotion, flexible working, inclusive lab cultures).
A shared responsibility
We aim to feature women speakers based in Scotland, but the audience will include both women and men by design. Male allies are particularly welcome and encouraged, reinforcing the message that gender equity is a shared responsibility. We need men, especially those in positions of power, to speak up in support of women as we work our way up.
Sources
- [1] STEM Women — Women in STEM: percentages of women in STEM statistics.
- [2] UK Parliament — written evidence on diversity and inclusion in STEM.
- [3] Institution of Engineering and Technology — A-level uptake in STEM grows, but calls for greater gender equity (14 August 2025).
- [4] Generation Equal Scotland — Women and girls in digital tech.
- [5] Institution of Engineering and Technology — Over one million women now in STEM occupations, but still account for 29% of the STEM workforce (8 March 2024).
- [6] Royal Society of Edinburgh — Tapping all our Talents (2012).
- [7] Generation Equal Scotland — What we already know: STEM (PDF, 2022).
- [8] Royal Society of Chemistry — Diversity in STEM.
- [9] Bonham, K. S. & Stefan, M. I. (2017) — Women are underrepresented in computational biology: an analysis of the scholarly literature in biology, computer science and computational biology. PLoS Computational Biology 13(10): e1005134.
- [10] First Monday — early-career women in computational STEM and the impact of research cultures.
- [11] The Guardian (7 May 2025) — ‘Concerning’ lack of female-only medical trials in UK, say health experts.
- [12] Royal Society of Edinburgh — Tapping all our Talents (2018).
- [13] Royal Society of Edinburgh — RSE response to the UK Parliament’s Diversity in STEM inquiry.
- [14] UK Parliament — written evidence, Diversity in STEM inquiry.
