As part of our series on women in science, I contacted several prominent female scientists and asked them some challenging questions about their experiences as women in science.

This month we hear from Dr Lisiane Meira, lecturer in toxicology at the University of Surrey, has worked in research facilities around the world.

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As part of our series on women in science, I contacted several prominent female scientists and asked them some challenging questions about their experiences as women in science.

This month we hear from Dr Maria-Nefeli Tsaloglou, who is Science Team Leader, Sensors Development at the Ocean Technology and Engineering Group National Oceanography Centre Southampton.

Below she describes her thoughts on positive and negative gender discrimination as well as the difficulties faced by women who want a family and a career in scientific research.

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As part of our series on women in science,  I contacted several prominent female scientists and asked them some challenging questions about their experiences as women in science.

This month, Professor Julie Lovegrove from the University of Reading shares her thoughts on gender discrimination and female representation in scientific disciplines.

What first sparked your interest in studying science?

My interest in science began at an early age, with a microscope and fascination for an illustrated book on the human body.  This fuelled my young imagination and a desire to understand how the body works and responds to its environment.

When and how did you realise that you wanted to pursue a career in scientific research?

Even from a young age I had the ambition of pursuing a research career. I chose science subjects at school, somewhat unusual for a girl, and studied physics and chemistry in a classroom full of boys! In addition to sciences, food has also played an important role in my life, so pursuing a research career in nutritional sciences provided me with a perfect combination of my interests in the influence of diet on health and disease.
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