Alexandra Olaya-Castro describes how she draws on experiences she faced earlier in her career to support women and colleagues from minority groups in her current role as professor of physics at University College London. "Like any stereotype you can only break it down by doing what you really think is right. But you also need a network of colleagues that you can trust. The advice I give to both men and women is that if there is a minority in any group, pay them attention. Be sensitive to that person," she says.

Astrophysicist Mirjana Pović, winner of Nature Research’s inaugural Inspiring Science Award, one of two prizes developed in partnership with The Estée Lauder Companies, describes her efforts to encourage African women and girls to pursue science careers, a role she juggles alongside her own research at the Ethiopian Space Science and Technology Institute in Addis Ababa and the Institute of Astrophysics of Andalusia in Granada, Spain.

See also:

• Meet the space researcher smoothing the path for women in science across Africa
• Hungarian association wins prize for promoting participation of women in science

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