Inheritance doesn’t have to be genetic.<\/p>\n
This past Thursday at London’s Dana Centre<\/a>, I was one of this year’s recipients for Suffrage Science. For those of you unfamiliar with the scheme, it was launched in 2011 by the Medical Research Council Clinical Sciences Centre<\/a>, and involves heirloom jewelry, originally designed by art students at Central St Martins College, passed down from one ‘generation’ of women to the next. <\/p>\n I received my brooch – a lovely domed magnifying glass set within a series of concentric silver rings – from the broadcaster and writer Georgina Ferry, who had received her from the biographer Brenda Maddox. Humbling provenance indeed. The event, compered by the incomparable Vivienne Parry, also featured a discussion about inspiring female scientists throughout history.<\/p>\n It was a family affair, although Richard spent a lot of the time chasing after Joshua, who has recently started to walk. I like to think he bonded with the other gentlemen likewise engaged (including the affable Dane who gently corrected the only phrase – tak for kaffe<\/em> – I had picked up from watching too much Forbrydelsen<\/em><\/a>).<\/p>\n