11 February 2026

Celebrating International Day of Women and Girls in Science

The women at Smith+Nephew driving innovation forward

Across Smith+Nephew, women scientists, engineers, and technical leaders are shaping the future of healthcare through curiosity, collaboration, and a shared passion for improving patients’ lives. This International Day of Women and Girls in Science, we’re celebrating their stories - the moments that inspired them, the challenges they’ve overcome, and the impact they make every day.

Meet the panel

Dr. Damaris Williams CChem, MRSC, Scientist, AWM Science & Research
Rosie Frederick Ph.D, R&D Manager
Dr. Hélène Lecomte, R&D Director, Material Sciences
Karen Merritt, Senior Director, Quality
Jessica Winks, Senior Scientist, AWM Science & Research Group
Dr. Runi Brownhill, R&D Director, Strategic Sciences, AWM

Where curiosity begins

For many, the path into science began with simple childhood moments.

Rosie Frederick remembers being “#nerd4life”, spending her free time experimenting with chemistry kits and dissecting science shows on TV. “I loved figuring out how things work and how things can work better”, she says.

Curiosity also sparked early for Dr. Damaris Williams, who recalls examining chemical formulas on everyday medications. “My early interest in chemistry was sparked by observing the chemical formulas on medication packaging”, she says.

Meanwhile, Dr. Runi Brownhill was captivated by the complexity of the human body. “The human biology and pathology of disease have always fascinated me”, she reflects, adding, “The more you know, the more you realize you don’t know.”

For Dr. Hélène Lecomte, the draw was understanding systems and improving them. “I like to understand how systems work, where they don’t, and how they could improve”, she says.

Purpose in every problem we solve

Ask what keeps women in science motivated, and the answers at Smith+Nephew come back to one thing: impact.

For Jessica Winks, purpose is inseparable from the people around her and the patients at the heart of the work. “The variety of people I interact with who have such a range of skillsets and experiences. There is always more to learn, and so much to make an impact on, that ultimately being the patients who need us the most”, she says.

That connection to outcomes is echoed by Runi Brownhill: “What I enjoy most about my work at Smith+Nephew is the opportunity to make a real impact on patients’ lives,” she says. “The relentless pursuit of solutions to the challenges our patients face - through innovation - is at the heart of what we do”.

For Rosie, the motivation comes from knowing there is always more progress to be made. “I love that I continue to be challenged in science by finding ways to better help our patients,” she says. “There are still so many things we can improve for patient health.”

And for Damaris, impact is a team sport. “I truly value how our team collaborates; it’s rewarding to see individual contributions fit together seamlessly,” she says. “It’s inspiring to know that we can make a profound impact on patients’ lives.”

Strength through people and culture

Innovation doesn’t happen in isolation. It’s shaped by the environment around it - how teams collaborate, communicate, and support each other.

For Karen Merritt, feeling connected to the bigger picture matters. “Smith+Nephew truly cares about their employees”, she says. “We have townhalls that explain the company’s goals… strengthening the connection between what we individually do and Smith+Nephew’s goals”.

Jessica describes a culture built on learning through others: “The variety of people I interact with who have such a range of skillsets and experiences… There is always more to learn”, she says.

For Hélène, it’s the quality of collaboration that stands out. “The collaborations I build and those I am part of are my favourite part of working at S+N”, she says. “Exploring questions with others and combining our skills to efficiently test solutions”.

And Damaris points to the shared ownership that makes teams thrive: “I am particularly proud that every member takes such ownership of their role”, she says.

The moments that make it real

In science, the most meaningful moments often come when complex work turns into something tangible - something that helps a patient, a clinician, a family.

For Damaris, that moment was tied to a product now out in the world. “Working on understanding the chemistry of the new silicone adhesive that is now launched in the new ALLEVYN COMPLETE CARE dressing was a pinnacle moment”, she says.

For Rosie, it was seeing a long-term programme reach a major milestone. “After years of working to develop a product, we finally have our first in-human clinical trials and are seeing promising results!” she says. “It’s a huge milestone for the team”.

For Runi, defining moments include both discovery, communication and recognition. “My greatest achievement has been unlocking the science behind PICO, one of our flagship products,” she says, adding that it was equally rewarding “simplifying this science and communicating it to a global audience”. Runi received TEK Fellow recognition from Smith+Nephew’s R&D President, which she calls “the greatest honour of all”.

And for Karen, a defining moment earlier in her career came from challenging the status quo with evidence; developing and validating a new tissue culture method and securing regulatory approval so it could be used in practice. A reminder that scientific progress often depends not only on the breakthrough, but on the persistence to make it real.

Resilience through change

Scientific careers aren’t linear and resilience often shows up during the major life transitions that happen alongside the work.

For Runi, the challenge included building a life and career far from family support. “Having emigrated to the UK… I initially faced the challenge of being far from my family”, she says. Later, “balancing career ambitions with family life - without close support nearby - was another significant challenge”.

For Damaris, motherhood reshaped her career in a powerful way. “Becoming a mother was a transformative chapter that temporarily paused my scientific career”, she says. “While re-entry presented its challenges… [it] brought me back to the lab with a renewed perspective and drive”.

Jessica shares a similar reality of returning, adapting, and rebuilding momentum. “I have had 2 years off work for maternity leaves”, she says, and “finding my feet in new teams has been challenging”, but with the support of her broad network of colleagues she has continued to adapt.

The theme of resilience also comes through in navigating work-based situations.

Rosie points to communication as a skill that needs regular focus. “I find that most challenges have arisen from communication lapses,” she says, and encourages everyone to “continuously find ways to communicate to your team members”.

Hélène frames communication as part of what science really is: “Working in science is working with humans that are also scientists”, she says. “Being a successful scientist requires emotional intelligence… The human dimension of scientific work is as important as the technical dimension”.

A future full of possibilities

If there’s one shared belief across this group, it’s that science needs more voices… and the future is wide open.

Damaris: “If you’re a natural problem-solver with a passion for discovery… go for it.”

Rosie: “Lead with curiosity, not with fear of failure or of not fitting a stereotype… if you’re drawn to science because you like asking ‘why’ and ‘how’, you’re already qualified to be here.”

Hélène: “Women can forget how good we can be at the human dimension and how it can support the impact of deep technical knowledge.”

Karen: “If you are interested in a career in science or engineering, absolutely pursue it… pursue it early”, she says, adding, “Science and engineering degrees… the career possibilities are endless.”

Jessica: “No-one knows everything, so don’t be intimidated… Teamwork is more important than any individual.”

Runi: “Never give up on your deepest passion”, she says. “By focusing on your dreams and desires, you can navigate challenges without losing direction.”

Title

Text

Explore