Only one out of six professors in the Netherlands is female. At the Institute of Biology Leiden (IBL) female professors are in minority as well. However, we are proud to have three female professors at the IBL. Amongst others, their photo portraits are currently on display in the Senat Room of the academy building.

99 Photo portraits of female professors are temporarily on display in the Senat Room of the Academy Building. This is the room where all PhD thesis defenses take place. The portraits temporarily cover the permanent collection of paintings that would normally represent 117 male professors and 1 female professor. This underlines the fact that female professors have been and still are a very small minority nowadays.

Ionica Smeets, Ariane Briegel and Annemarie Meijer are professors at the IBL. All three are very positive about the photo project. Prof. dr. Ariane Briegel: “A wonderful project to inspire young women to follow careers in academia! It highlights how Leiden University is pioneering as an example of a modern institute”.

Ionica Smeets is professor in Science communication since July 2015 and she investigates how scientisits communicate, how to improve this and how to raise students’ enthusiasm for the subject.

Ariane Briegel is professor in Ultrastructural biology since January 2016 and she investigates how microbes sense and respond to their environment using electron cryotomography.

Annemarie Meijer is professor in Immunobiology since May 2015 and head of the Animal Sciences & Health research cluster. She investigates host-pathogen interactions.

The photo project is called ‘space for women’ and aims to create awareness for equal scientific career opportunities for male and female professors. Come and admire the photos of our female IBL professors! The Senat Room (Address: Rapenburg 67-73) is open to visitors at the dates underneath:

11 March 14.00 – 16.00h
16 March: 14.00 – 16.00h
29 March: 16.00 – 18.00h
5 April: 16.00 – 18.00h