Women in Science

Ashley Bourke is a postdoctoral fellow in the lab of Erin Schuman at the MPI for Brain Research in Frankfurt, Germany. She completed her PhD work at the University of Colorado where she studied activity-dependent mechanisms of neurotransmitter receptor trafficking using optical tools she helped develop. As a postdoc, she’s working to uncover the secrets of synaptic ribosomes and how they may be “specialized” to translate specific mRNAs. In addition to her research, Ashley is passionate about promoting DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) in science. During graduate school, she founded a Women in STEM group with the mission of increasing the support of women scientists through advocacy, skill building, and fostering allies among peers. When she defended her PhD in 2020, the group had over 300 members and it continues to thrive and grow. In recognition of Ashley’s efforts, she received the 2019 Rosa Parks Diversity Award for outstanding contributions to DEI at the University of Colorado. Since 2020, Ashley has served as the Gender Equality Officer Deputy at MPIBR. Aside from gender equality, she advocates for scientists with disabilities and wrote an article published in Science about her narcolepsy diagnosis and its impact on her life as a scientist. In addition to her role as Gender Equality Officer Deputy, she serves as a founding executive board member of “Natives in Neuro” – a global organization that supports Indigenous researchers in neuroscience.

Teresa Spanò studied Biomedical Sciences with a focus on Physiology at the University of Edinburgh, in Scotland, and worked in Emily Osterweil’s laboratory for her thesis. She then worked for a year as Research Assistant at the National Centre for Biological Studies in Bangalore, India, where she investigated the molecular basis underlying Autism Spectrum Disorders. In 2018 she moved back to Europe to start her PhD at the Max Planck Institute for Brain Research in Frankfurt. There, she is working in the Schuman department, where she is developing a system to study the process of local protein synthesis in distal dendrites in awake, behaving mice. Since the start of her PhD, Teresa began to actively engage in diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and discussions. During the covid pandemic, she co-organized the online seminar series “Connecting Brains: A Worldwide Neuroscience Lecture Series”, which showcased the multidimensional diversity of neuroscientists across the world. Since 2020, Teresa serves as Gender Equality Officer for the Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, working together with the management to prevent discrimination and to promote a more inclusive research culture.