Mothers Leading Science Program

Mothers Leading Science logo

Foster professional and personal growth through this yearlong career development program for research-intensive faculty in the health sciences who are raising school-age and/or young children.

This program was created at the University of Minnesota in 2017 to address the lack of representation of women in senior leadership, the high rates of attrition of female scientists and the challenges of women in academic health sciences research at the intersections of career, gender, and motherhood.

What you'll get

Dedicated programming and facilitation

Peer support and connection

Networking

Resilience and leadership training

Annual retreats

The purpose of this group is to foster professional and personal growth as leaders, provide peer mentoring, integrate the roles of scientist and mother, and build a network of peers for ongoing support throughout their careers.

Recognizing the role of parenthood and family care for many researchers, MLS will offer an annual Tips and Strategies seminar open to the University through the CTSI Career Development Seminar Series. 

Program dates

October 2, 2023Application deadline
January 2024Two-hour kickoff meeting
February–June 2024Two meetings monthly, 60 min each
May or June 2024Two-day Retreat: Brené Brown Dare to Lead™ (DTL)
July–December 2024One meeting monthly, 90 min 
AnnualAnnual retreat with networking with other MLS cohorts and breakouts for each cohort to reconnect and renew

Evaluation and self-assessment throughout


Current cohort
Alexandra Armstrong, DVM, PhD, DACVP

Assistant Professor of Pathology
College of Veterinary Medicine

Jannell Bazurto, PhD

Assistant Professor 
College of Biological Sciences

Bethany Birkelo, DO, MSCI

Assistant Professor of Medicine
University of Minnesota Medical School

Sian Durward-Akhurst, BVMS, MS, PhD

Assistant Professor 
College of Veterinary Medicine

Ida-Arlaine Fonkoue, PhD

Assistant Professor
University of Minnesota Medical School

Rachel Hawe, PT, DPT, PhD

Assistant Professor 
School of Kinesiology

Kelly Makielski, DVM, MS, DACVIM

Assistant Professor
College of Veterinary Medicine

Alexandra Marquez, MD, MSTR

Assistant Professor
University of Minnesota Medical School

Sasha Prisco, MD, PhD

Assistant Professor
University of Minnesota Medical School

Gillian Tarr, PhD, CPH

Assistant Professor
School of Public Health

Rachel Witt, MD

Assistant Professor
University of Minnesota Medical School

Past participants
Emilyn Alejandro, PhD

Assistant Professor
Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology

Alicia Allen, PhD, MPH

Assistant Professor, Department of Family and Community Medicine
College of Medicine
University of Arizona

Sommer Amundsen-Huffmaster, PhD

Assistant professor 
UMN Department of Neurology

Anne Bantle, MD

Assistant Professor
Department of Medicine

Joan Beckman, MD, PhD

Assistant Professor
Department of Medicine

Antonella Borgatti, DVM, MS, DACVIM (Oncology), DECVIM-CA

Associate Professor
College of Veterinary Medicine

Kristina Burrack, PhD

Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine
Investigator, Division of Infectious Diseases at Hennepin Healthcare Research Institute (HHRI)

Monica Campo Patino, MD

Assistant Professor
Department of Medicine

Ilana Chefetz Menaker, PhD

Assistant Professor
The Hormel Institute

Mimi Choy-Brown, PhD, MSW

Assistant Professor
UMN School of Social Work

Colleen Correll, MD, MPH

Assistant Professor
Department of Pediatrics

Brooke Cunningham, MD, PhD

Assistant Professor
Department of Family Medicine and Community Health

Katherine Diaz Vickery, MD, MSc

Assistant Professor
Department of Medicine, Hennepin Healthcare

Anne Frosch, MD, MPH

Infectious Diseases
Investigator, Hennepin Healthcare

Allyson Hart, MD, MS

Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine
Investigator,  Hennepin Healthcare Research Institute

Ellen Ingolfsland, MD

Assistant Professor
Department of Pediatrics

Sandra Japuntich, PhD, LP

Psychiatry 
Investigator, Hennepin Healthcare 

Forum Kamdar, MD, FACC

Assistant Professor
Department of Medicine

Manda Keller-Ross, PT, DPT, PhD

Assistant Professor
Department of Rehabilitation Medicine

Jiwoo Lee, PhD, RN

Assistant professor
UMN School of Nursing

Sahar Lotfi-Emran, MD, PhD

Assistant professor
UMN Department of Medicine

Katie Loth, PhD, MPH

Assistant Professor
Department of Family Medicine and Community Health

Stephanie Misono, MD, MPH

Associate Professor 
Chief, Division of Laryngology

Susan Novotny, PhD

Assistant Professor
Department of Rehabilitation Medicine

Julie Ostrander, PhD

Assistant Professor
Department of Medicine

Megan Paulsen, MD

Assistant Professor
Department of Pediatrics

Rene Pierpont, PhD

Assistant Professor
Department of Pediatrics

Radha Rajasingham, MD

Assistant Professor
Department of Medicine

Tonya Rich, PhD, OTR/L

Assistant Professor
Research Service Line, Minneapolis VA Health Care System; Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Minnesota

Elizabeth Rogers, MD, MAS

Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics

Zohar Sachs, MD, PhD

Assistant professor
UMN Department of Medicine

Erica Schorr, PhD, BSBA, RN, FAHA

Associate Professor
School of Nursing

Sabrina Scroggins, PhD

Assistant professor
UMN Department of Biomedical Sciences, Duluth Campus

Rebecca Shlafer, PhD, MPH

Assistant Professor
Department of Pediatrics

Lindsey Sloan, MD, PhD

Assistant professor
UMN Department of Radiation Oncology

Anna Tischler, PhD 

Associate professor
UMN Department of Microbiology and Immunology

Lucie Turcotte, MD, MPH, MS

Associate Professor
Department of Pediatrics

Sonya Wang, MD

Associate Professor
Department of Neurology

Anna Zilverstand, PhD

Assistant Professor
Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

Contact

[email protected]
612-625-2022

Find a mentor

Research mentors