As an International Fellow I’m both honored and delighted to be present at the new Agora blog launch!...

Despite laws, regulations, good intentions and undisputed progress, women scientists in the European Union still suffer from job discrimination. Old-boy networks and old-fashioned gender bias are alive and well. Italian biophysicist Federica Migliardo writes that such practices not only perpetuate unfair treatment for women scientists, they also ensure that Europe will lose the global research race.

For Italian biophysicist Federica Migliardo, acting as a role model means doing outreach work to help change the image of scientists. The profession needs a makeover to let girls and young women know that ''a life in science is always different and intriguing--and a new challenge every day.''