Mijin Kim explains why the Kravis WiSE initiative is so important for female scientists.
Show transcript
There's no specific moment that I got really into in science, but when I was in undergrad I was taking physical chemistry and quantum chemistry and also biomedical chemistry. I was always thinking, how could we really combine this interesting research together?
My name is Mijin Kim. I’m a research fellow in Dr. Heller’s lab in MSK.
One of my main research focuses is related to the early detection of high-grade, serious ovarian cancer, which is really hard to detect in an early stage.
When a patient is diagnosed with ovarian cancer, their five-year survival rate is extremely low compared to other diseases or cancers. I am trying to detect whether they're early-stage or late-stage ovarian cancer because when the cancer is detected earlier, their survival rate and outcome can be significantly better. I think that my contribution can really directly impact the patient outcome.
When I worked on my PhD, I didn’t have really good interaction with many female scientists, but in MSK I found there are so many inspiring female scientists and that really makes me more motivated in my research and makes me more confident on my project.
I’m this year’s Kravis WiSE postdoc fellow. The Kravis WiSE fellowship will help me to continue my research. Not only financial support — they also provide support in networking, grant writing, and advice on the next independent career. I'm really grateful for this entire program.
