Although women enter into the fields of science and medicine in approximately the same numbers as men, they are much less represented at the leadership level.

One reason for this disparity is the challenges of managing the dual demands of work and home while raising a family.

To provide extra support during this challenging time, the Women in Academic Medicine Committee at Mass General established the Claflin Distinguished Scholar Awards in 1993.

The awards were named after the late Jane Claflin, a longtime volunteer at the hospital and the chair of the Women's committee at the time.

Each recipient is provided with $50K per year for two years that they can use to help sustain their clinical and research careers.

Since 1993, over 100 women have received Claflin awards, many of whom have gone on to become leaders at the hospital and in their fields.

In 2023, Mass General announced eight new Claflin Distinguished Scholars:

• Kate Bentley, PhD | Psychiatry
• Rachel Buckley, PhD | Neurology
• Lauren Fiechtner, MD, MPH | General Academic Pediatrics
• Lindsay Fourman, MD | Medicine/Metabolism Unit
• Wenjie Ma, MBBS, ScD | Medicine/Epidemiology
• Alicia Martin, PhD | Medicine/Genetics
• Shibani Mukerji, MD, PhD | Neurology
• Giselle Perez, PhD | Pychiatry

To highlight the importance of supporting women in medicine and to celebrate international Women & Girls in Science Day, we asked the Claflin Winners to share what the award (and the hospital's support) means to them.