Women Driving Impact

Around the world, women have historically faced barriers in areas such as education, career advancement, and leadership. While significant progress has been made, gender gaps still exist in many sectors, including science and medicine.

At NUMed, however, our goal has always been clear: to create a thriving environment for everyone regardless of gender or programme, whether they are studying or working here. And women across the campus are helping shape it.

A Place Where Women in Science Can Thrive

A supportive and welcoming culture has helped make NUMed a great place for women pursuing careers in science and medicine. Here, they are given opportunities to grow, lead, and contribute to the community.

Over the years, the university has also incorporated more flexible and adaptive working approaches. These initiatives are particularly valuable for women who may be balancing caring responsibilities alongside their careers or navigating personal health challenges.

Research, Innovation, and Resilience

Dr Pamela Anne Knight, a Senior Lecturer, has been with NUMed for 12 years. Throughout her time here, she has found the environment to be supportive and empowering, enabling her to grow professionally while contributing to meaningful initiatives.

In recent years, she played a key role in adapting the Biomedical Sciences programme delivery and supporting students during the COVID-19 pandemic when access to campus was limited. Her work then expanded into leading a transnational project, in collaboration with colleagues at NUMed and the Newcastle University UK campus, evaluating Biomedical Sciences students’ perceptions of the resources and how effectively the development of practical and professional skills was supported.

The project went on to receive an Education Research Development and Practice (ERDP) grant funding in 2024, which supported four student interns. It was later relaunched as a NUMed student summer research project, providing research training opportunities for four additional interns in August 2025.

In facilitating the development of student research skills, Dr Pamela Knight, together with the Biomedical Sciences teaching team and UK module leads, also generated shared teaching resources, which are now used across both campuses. These include online timed mock exam papers, resources for formative exam essays, and laboratory report writing practice sessions. The initiatives have received positive student feedback and have contributed to the ongoing redevelopment of ethics teaching and Stage 1 practical skills competencies.

Reflecting on her experience, Dr Pamela Knight emphasised the importance of a supportive workplace. “I feel a supportive environment is particularly important for those working in science and medicine — not just women, although the latter tend to more frequently have caregiving responsibilities to juggle with their professional lives. These fields evolve rapidly and can be challenging. Furthermore, innovation and learning thrive best in inclusive spaces.”

She also highlighted the collaborative spirit within her team: “I feel privileged to be working in a small and supportive team on the Biomedical Sciences programme. It is reassuring to know we can reach out for assistance or step in to help one another — whether it is making emergency teaching provisions due to illness or offering advice on academic and student support issues.”

Building the Next Generation of Leaders

Inspiring stories are not limited to staff. Our students are also stepping forward as leaders.

Lan Yuen Qi, a Year 5 MBBS student, has taken on an impressive range of responsibilities, which include serving as President of the NUMed Surgical Society, Peer Teacher for NUMed MedEd’s Peer Teaching Programme, Co-Lead for the 2026 Health Camp, and Student Member of the Environment & Sustainable Campus Committee (ESCC). She was also part of a research team that presented at the Asia-Pacific Menopause Federation (APMF) in 2025 and has gained a wealth of clinical experience in Malaysia and the UK.

She admits that sometimes it feels like she might have bitten off more than she can chew, but the encouragement and support she receives make a big difference. “I am very grateful to the people around me who have always lent a helping hand when needed — no questions asked — and never doubted me!” she shared.

Through these experiences, she has strengthened her leadership abilities and learned to manage multiple responsibilities under pressure. “These experiences have helped me build my leadership skills and my ability to tackle multiple tasks under pressure. I believe this will be useful later as a doctor when I’m given bigger responsibilities,” she continued.

Role Models Everywhere

Another factor that stands out at NUMed is the strong presence of female role models. “Many of the doctors, lecturers, and staff whom I have had the honour to work with are women, and they have always been supportive of me,” Yuen Qi said.

She believes that seeing women in leadership positions has a powerful effect on students as their visibility helps create a culture where female leadership is natural and expected.

With strong representation across both academic and non-academic staff, female students have no shortage of role models to look up to. “There are many women role models here, and I believe they will continue to inspire the female student body to do great things both in and out of NUMed,” Yuen Qi acknowledged.

Moving Forward Together

The stories of Dr Pamela Knight and Yuen Qi represent just a glimpse of the impact women are making at NUMed. From shaping innovative teaching practices to leading student organisations and research projects, women across the community are helping build a culture that values collaboration, inclusion, and excellence.

Of course, empowering women is not just about representation. We aspire to create an environment where everyone can grow, lead, and contribute. When the right environment exists, women can succeed in driving meaningful change for the entire community.