Leading Expert Discusses Women in Science
To mark the 10th anniversary of the United Nation’s ‘International Day of Women and Girls in Science’ on February 11th, 2025 – AMSBIO has interviewed Dr Zoe Hewitt, an expert in cell and gene therapy manufacturing, and co-founder of Regen CTC*.
In this insightful Q&A, Dr Hewitt reflects on her unexpected journey into science, the barriers women still face in science and practical steps to drive greater diversity in life sciences. Topics include what inspired her career in science, the importance of early role models, her work in developing cells to be used in a groundbreaking therapy for blindness, and what companies and individuals can do to support women in scientific fields.
Asked to recall a rewarding moment from her career, Dr Hewitt shared “One of my proudest moments was in 2010, working on a project led by Pete Coffey at UCL that helped develop a stem cell therapy for blindness. My team manufactured the starting material for the Master Cell Bank that supported the “London Project to Cure Blindness,” which aims to restore vision in patients with macular degeneration… I know that people are walking around London today, who can see because of RPE cells differentiated from cells generated in our clean room. And that is incredible.”
When asked what actions are needed going forwards to support women and overall diversity in life science research, Dr Hewitt identified the need to start challenging stereotypes at a young age; actively participate in mentorship and networking as well as encouraging employers to adopt fairer hiring policies and taking accountability for workplace structure that support diverse employees.
To read the interview in full please visit https://www.amsbio.com/blogs/women_in_stem/
AMSBIO offers a wide range of sources for high-quality stem cell products, including fresh tissues covering a wide range of donors and disease states, cell lines and a custom pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) generation service. The company’s innovative growth media, supplements, and reagents ensure optimal stem cell culture conditions, while our cryopreservation and differentiation solutions guarantee the integrity and functionality of your cells. Additionally, AMSBIO’s GMP-compliant manufacturing products and services provide a seamless transition from research to clinical applications. For further information about AMSBIO’s suite of products and services for stem cell research please visit https://www.amsbio.com/research-areas/stem-cells or contact the company on +31-72-8080244 / +44-1235-828200 / +1-617-945-5033 / info@amsbio.com.
Now part of the Europa Biosite group of companies, AMS Biotechnology (AMSBIO) is recognized as a leading transatlantic company contributing to the acceleration of discovery through the provision of cutting-edge life science technology, products, and services for R&D in the medical, nutrition, cosmetics, and energy industries. AMSBIO has in-depth expertise in extracellular matrices to provide elegant solutions for studying cell motility, migration, invasion, and proliferation. This expertise in cell culture and the ECM allows AMSBIO to partner with clients in tailoring cell systems to enhance organoid and spheroid screening outcomes using a variety of 3D culture systems, including organ-on-a-chip microfluidics. For drug discovery research, AMSBIO offers assays, recombinant proteins, and cell lines. Drawing upon a huge and comprehensive biorepository, AMSBIO is widely recognized as a leading provider of high-quality tissue specimens (including custom procurement) from both human and animal tissues. The company provides unique clinical grade products for stem cells and cell therapy applications. This includes GMP cryopreservation technology, and high-quality solutions for viral delivery.
Image captions: A: Dr Zoe Hewitt ; B: The Cleanroom team from The University of Sheffield which provided the Master Cell Bank for the ‘London Project to Cure Blindness’
· Regen CTC’ supports innovators in cell and gene therapies to translate their research from bench to clinical application, we have access to a network of UK academic experts with real world experience and aim to support the field by helping them to avoid common pitfalls.
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