Shannon au nominated by tracey barrett
At Shannon’s Sunday school, her teacher would bring in biological specimens for the children to look at. Ten-year-old Shannon was amazed by the complex systems in nature, like the extraordinary organisation within a flower, and she longed to explore more. This curiosity to discover nature’s intricate mechanisms never waned and still fuels her desire to learn about the world around her. Her parents gave her the freedom and support to pursue her scientific interests, and a female cousin, a radiographer, made her realise that women could do well in science. Now, she’s an associate professor at the Chinese University in Hong Kong where her research focuses on looking at macromolecular complexes at an atomic level. Tracey Barrett, who’s passing on the heirloom, says, “Shannon and I first met in the late 1990s at the Institute of Cancer Research. We had many insightful conversations on the way to and from various European synchrotron courses and her advice was always invaluable. It was obvious at this early stage of her career that Shannon was an exceptional scientist and was clearly a group leader for the future.”
Shannon says that women scientists in Hong
Changing Times
Kong and China have a social and political role
This, she says, has already started to change.
to request more support from the government
Hong Kong and mainland China have embarked
in the form of funding and opportunities for
on collaborative exchange programmes, whereby
women to work in science. ‘This is particularly
Hong Kong universities receive students from
important in mainland China where women in
mainland China, and vice versa. “Nowadays
some underdeveloped areas have far fewer
the situation is improving because, locally
opportunities to be educated. Traditionally, in
and overseas, we have different scholarship
many rural areas they rely on agriculture as a
programmes that offer a chance for women
career, and women don’t have much of a role
researchers to develop their scientific careers. It
or position in society. If we can convince the
would help to do more of these exchanges, not
government to change the concept that women
only in well-developed cities, but underdeveloped
can do well in science by offering extra supports
ones as well. But we will need sufficient support
and opportunities, that culture will change.’
from the Hong Kong and Chinese governments.”
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