25 January, 2023
Aigerim Rakhmatulina, a biologist at KAUST, thinks that many young women are hesitant about a career in science. To address this, she is using Instagram to show what lab life is really like and to inspire young women to forge their own paths in academia.
Rakhmatulina completed a master’s in plant science at KAUST, but she changed track to pursue a Ph.D. in bioscience, combining her interests in microscopy and cell imaging. In Satoshi Habuchi’s lab, Rakhmatulina and her colleagues are developing experimental procedures for imaging stem cells so that scientists can improve stem cell transplants for patients with blood disorders, leukemia and cancer.
Having been in academia for 12 years, including time abroad, Rakhmatulina knows that her position is unusual. “In many cases, women have to choose between building a family or a career,” she says. “I’ve got all this experience behind me and thought that someone would be interested in my journey. I want to show everyone that it can be done.”