This week, as we celebrate the achievements of scientists, it is important to acknowledge the WHS alumnae who have made substantial contributions to the sciences and have served as trailblazers in industries historically dominated by men. While this is by no means an exhaustive list, as WHS has had countless former students championing in scientific fields, we have compiled a list of five alumnae from throughout the school’s history whose remarkable stories and contributions have helped shape the world of science for generations to come.
You can learn more about the many other WHS alumnae in STEM here: https://www.wimbledonhigh.gdst.net/community/wimbledon-women-in-stem/
Chemistry: Dr Dora Richardson (WHS class of 1938)
Dora Richardson was an Organic Chemist who was inspired to pursue chemistry when her grandmother was receiving cancer treatment. She went on to study Chemistry at UCL, where she was one of the few women in her program, and graduated in 1941. She is best known for synthesising Tamoxifen, a targeted therapy for hormone-sensitive breast cancer, which was regarded as a ‘turning point’ in oncology by inventing a more precise and less toxic alternative to chemotherapy. She retired in 1979, but tamoxifen still remainsa cornerstone of breast cancer treatment to this day.
Biology, Chemistry, and Physics: Dame Louise Napier Johnson (WHS class of 1959)
Dame Louise Johnson was a Biochemist and Protein Crystallographer. She also attended UCL in 1959 to study physics and was shocked to find she was one of just four girls in a class of forty. After earning her PhD in 1965, she continued working in academia and married Pakistani nuclear physicist and Nobel Prize-laureate, Abdus Salam. Notably, from 1990 to 2007, she worked as the David Phillips Professor of Molecular Biophysics at Oxford University and was also a Fellow of the Royal Society. Additionally, due to her contributions to the field, she was awarded a variety of honours including Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2003 as well as honorary degrees from the Universities of St Andrews, Bath, Imperial, and Cambridge.
Medicine: Baroness Finlay of Llandaff (Ilora Finlay, née Downman) (WHS class of 1967)
Ilora Finlay, Baroness of Llandaff is a world expert in palliative care medicine, which entails improving quality of life for patients with life-limiting or life-threatening illnesses. She is currently a Professor of Palliative Medicine at Cardiff University School of Medicine and was the Past President of the Royal College of Medicine. In 2001, she was appointed to the House of Lords as an independent, crossbench life peer and has been particularly vocal on health-related issues in Parliament. Recently, she has been heavily involved in the debate surrounding assisted dying, opposing the law for potential ‘unintended consequences’ and the lack of a clear definition for ‘terminal’ in the bill. She was also appointed as President of the British Medical Association in 2014 and earned the title of ‘Welsh Woman of the Year’ in 1996.
Medicine: Dr Victoria Harmer (WHS class of 1985)
Dr Victoria Harmer is a lead nurse for the breast screening and symptomatic services at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust as well as the Nursing Times Cancer Nursing Award Winner. Her career has primarily been defined by breast cancer advocacy, editing the book ‘Breast Cancer Nursing Care and Management’ and has acted as medical adviser on various television programs including Coronation Street, EastEnders, Fleabag, and Family Affairs as well as in films such as Miss You Already, Criminal. She has also worked with Marks and Spencer designing swimwear for the post mastectomy body, and has been deeply involved in charity work including serving as Trustee for the Against Breast Cancer charity.
Physics: Ashvi Ilott née Patel (WHS class of 1996)
Following WHS, Ashvi studied Aeronautics and Astronautics at the University of Southampton before beginning her career in satellite technology. She currently works as the Chief Systems Engineer at Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd and is working with the European Space Agency on their Moonlight programme, an initiative which aims to advance lunar exploration through the establishment of Europe’s first satellite constellation for telecommunication and navigation services from the moon.
