Mothers Leading Science Program
Foster professional and personal growth through this year-long transformational leadership 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
| August 6, 2024 | Application deadline |
| January 2025 | Two-hour kickoff meeting |
| February–June 2025 | Two meetings monthly, 60 minutes each |
| May or June 2025 | Two-day Retreat: Brené Brown Dare to Lead™ (DTL) |
| July–December 2025 | One meeting monthly, 90 minutes |
| Annual in December | Annual retreat with networking with other MLS cohorts and breakouts for each cohort to reconnect and renew |
Evaluation and self-assessment throughout
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
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