Eisha Mhatre, Melissa Pappas & Anurag Srivastava

Real-world problems are interdisciplinary. Take some of the biggest problems we face today — climate change, resource scarcity and disease outbreaks. Yet, researchers often remain trapped in field-specific silos, struggling to tackle these complex issues alone. While interdisciplinary solutions are widely acknowledged as essential, traditional academia has long overlooked inclusivity, creating barriers for those navigating gender bias, neurodivergence or mental health challenges. Without a supportive and diverse research environment, many talented individuals struggle to find their place and contribute meaningfully.

How do we bring inclusivity into interdisciplinary problem-solving? It starts with creating collaborative communities — safe spaces where people can experiment, learn and support one another without fear of judgment. Such spaces are vital for early-career professionals forging new cross-disciplinary paths but are hard to come by in research systems designed for the hard sciences. Sometimes it takes looking outside of STEM to find these communities. We, three scientists-turned-storytellers, share our journey and learning on shaping inclusive communities.

While we, Melissa Pappas, Anurag Srivastava and Eisha Mhatre, enjoyed the process of asking and answering scientific questions about the natural world around us, we sensed something was missing — creative, accessible and engaging approaches to communicating research. Sitting in between art and science, three STEAM thinkers came together to brainstorm how to build a community for people like them to provide these approaches.

“I turned to science writing and illustrations as a way to share my fascination with the corals and giant clams I was studying in grad school,” says Pappas. “The science stories that I would weave using threads of anecdotal experiences and experimental data were much more engaging than the typical conference presentation. Even my colleagues retained more information when I communicated through stories rather than relying on stats and numbers. Later I recognized the power of combining stories with visuals and my art, which inspired my career shift from a marine scientist to creative director and founder of a STEAM-focused science communication agency.”

“I always enjoyed writing and storytelling,” says Srivastava. “In 2020, when my Science Working Life article went viral, I realized the potential of science communication in raising awareness of important topics plaguing our research environment. During the pandemic, I started making videos that bust science myths in Hindi, and this made my resolve to transition to science communication much stronger. I started volunteering as a writer for multiple magazines and websites. In the final year of my Ph.D., I became a professional freelance science writer to bridge the gap between the scientific community and the public.”

“I often felt out of place as a researcher,” says Mhatre. “But as a postdoc, I was worried I had invested too many years in academia to leave. That is when improv came to my rescue. Performing improv changed my research approach. My presentations became more inventive. I started weaving pop culture references into my talks, created models to explain complex pathways and told stories that made my work more relatable. The confidence I gained from those exercises pushed me to pursue a career rooted in my passion for sharing science in ways that resonate deeply with people.”

In 2022, Mhatre launched The Experimentalist as a platform to share stories behind discoveries, foster conversations concerning academics and policymakers and offer creative science communication workshops. In 2024, Pappas transformed her passion project community for artists and scientists into a full-fledged creative science communication agency called Emerging Creatives of Science (ECOS), which welcomed over a hundred SciArt professionals from around the world in its first year.

When we met, we connected over the idea of creating an inclusive space for creatively brewing ideas to solve some of the most pressing and unresolved issues in science today. Our first project, initiated in the fall of 2024, is a webinar series entitled “Art X Science Conversations.” This got the ball rolling, and fast!

Why does the discussion on Gender Equity in STEM need a fresh perspective?

Inspired by the book Lab Hopping by Aashima Dogra and Nandita Jayaraj, we decided to start on a topic close to home: gender-based equity in STEM (and other workplaces). It turned out that the topic is hot in the ECOS and Experimentalist communities. These communities, built for scientists who didn’t quite fit the mold of the typical academic, hosted many women looking to escape the inequitable environment of academia. Many of our members experience gender biases every day. Once we announced the topic, we realized how important it was to discuss it in a safe space. And it wasn’t just women interested in attending the first collaborative webinar, 18% of our participants were men.

One of the major challenges faced when addressing gender equity in STEM issues is that they are seen as “women’s issues,” and this limits the impact of any solution. A sustainable solution to gender discrimination involves all genders. Because more than 70% of the workforce in STEM is occupied by men, it is important to bring them to these conversations and initiatives. As allies in fostering an inclusive environment for women in STEM, men can also help address workplace behaviors, promote fair opportunities, and create a culture that supports and values all genders in STEM.

Understanding the Problem

We were thrilled to have Aashima Dogra and Gili Freedman, Associate Professor of Psychology at St. Mary’s College in Maryland, as key speakers in this pilot discussion. Dogra’s investigative reporting on India’s science institutions and Freedman’s research-driven insights into combatting biases against women in STEM brought a fresh and valuable perspective to our conversation.

A common goal in this area is to increase the participation of women in STEM education at every level. Significant progress has been made, with women now achieving parity or even outnumbering men at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels in certain fields. However, as they climb the academic ladder, women are likely to leave academia according to the 2023 Global Gender Gap Report — described as ‘leaky pipeline’ in Dogra’s book Lab Hopping, which challenges the narrative by detailing the complex reasons behind it.

“We need to show systemic support and encouragement to retain women in science, not just condescendingly celebrate them, but listen to them and make space to allow these individuals to change the face of science,” said Dogra during our webinar. In this conversation, Dogra emphasized how women often face unique challenges when balancing multiple societal roles. These challenges are compounded by traditional academic systems that fail to provide adequate support. She highlighted the need for measures such as childcare support, gender-neutral policies and other inclusive initiatives to create a more supportive environment for women in science.

Another, more insidious obstacle for women is unconscious bias. Freedman highlighted a study showing that faculty reviewing identical CVs for a lab manager role rated the male candidate more competent, deserving of mentoring and worthy of a higher salary than the female candidate.

Freedman also pointed out biases in recommendation letters. “For men, they use standout adjectives, such as, ‘remarkable,’ ‘exceptional’ or ‘the most amazing person.’ They use fewer of those for women, rather the adjectives are more ‘doubt raisers,’ such as, ‘she might be a good fit’ or ‘has a challenging personality,’” added Freedman. These subtle cues have a strong influence on hiring committees and endanger equity in any workplace.

Gathering Creative Solutions: After defining the problem, our webinar dove into the solutions. Our audience shared their perspectives, experiences and innovative ideas, and with this array of insights and exciting possibilities, we curated actionable resources.

Using Games and Game Theory to Identify Bias

One such creative resource was the game Buffalo suggested by Freedman. This ‘name-dropping’ game, developed in 2012 by Mary Flanagan and Geoff Kaufman, aims to reduce prejudice by encouraging players to think about a wide range of social categories, such as race, gender, nationality, religion, profession and ideology, paired with different adjectives. When playing, most people will start to recognize their own biases against women in leadership positions across STEM and politics. And, they leave with a renewed desire to change those biases as shown by a study published in 2015.

Another similar game, WAGES: Race to the Top, developed by psychologists Jessica Cundiff and Leah Warner, divides participants into two groups. Each team draws cards to complete the tasks and succeed. At first, both teams face similar challenges and opportunities, but as the game progresses, disparities between the groups begin to emerge, simulating the workplace climate, salary inequities, access to mentoring and differing role expectations.

But, who would set out to play these interactive games and why?

This was the exact question that popped into our minds. But these games were designed to make it into the average household or friend's game night and would have immense power for the many research groups that incorporate team-building games during retreats, and departments that often host postdoc or Ph.D. days for researchers to connect across fields. These games could draw a crowd and start an effective conversation on identifying inherent biases.

Getting into and out of Character with Role Playing, Improv & Storytelling

Delving deeper into simulating systemic barriers in professional environments, we naturally thought of improv, an unscripted form of engagement.

Eisha Mhatre at one of her storytelling workshops at the University of Basel

As Mhatre shares from her experiences of participating in and conducting improv workshops for researchers, “Improv tools can help us reimagine situations, shift power dynamics and uncover empathetic behaviors that we might not explore in real-life scenarios. The essence of improv is ‘Yes-And,’ which encourages participants to accept and build upon ideas, allowing different concepts to float around without immediate judgment. I always design my workshops to explore anxiety and stress related to presenting one’s research story as well as dynamics between colleagues, handling work pressures and responding to sexism or bullying.”

Many women in science come from diverse international backgrounds with varying cultures and perspectives on empowerment and safe working environments. One way of addressing the leaky pipeline is knowing why women leave academic careers and what hindrances they face when they continue, which we can learn by simply listening to their stories.

Inspired by campaigns like the United Nations’ Her Story, Mhatre started considering simple story-sharing and improvisational sessions during conferences or institutional events to provide a platform for different voices to be heard.

People are not always comfortable sharing their stories with their peers. Designing improv sessions to cultivate companionship where everyone feels motivated to speak and perform can provide the safe space needed to share those stories. What if improv exercises were introduced to your lab meetings or group retreats to understand one another and provide some creative stimulation?

Using Visual Arts, Comics & Illustrations to Showcase Current Scenarios and Imagine New Ones

Illustrations and other forms of visual art can be tools to introduce hard-to-talk-about issues. Art has a way of guiding emotions, inspiring change and finding meaningful connections.

When using art to tackle an issue, consider its purpose. Should it reflect the present reality? Inspire a different kind of future? Or engage an audience in creating art as a form of data collection? Art can do all this and more, shaping perspectives and driving action.

For example, when asked to draw a scientist, 1% of the 5,000 school-aged children participants in a U.S.-based study conducted between 1966 and 1977, drew a man. However, when repeated in studies as recently as 2017, there was a shift. Kids younger than six drew male and female scientists in almost equal measure, and overall almost 28% of the images were of women scientists.

Anurag Srivastava at ‘Draw a Scientist’ session at a school in Patna

Curious to see if similar narrative shifts would happen in India, Srivastava introduced this activity to schools in Patna in 2016. Initially, most students drew male scientists. But, after he shared stories of women’s contributions to science, there was a remarkable shift in the subsequent workshops. What was striking is that in those later workshops, 80–90% of female students drew female scientists, perhaps seeing those stories as future reflections of themselves and sources of inspiration.

“Draw a Scientist” is a simple yet powerful technique that can be implemented easily in schools without much technology. Srivastava found that pairing the activity with storytelling and discussions about women scientists can be used to inspire young minds and create a culture of belonging for those entering a landscape dominated by men.

There are plenty of resourceful illustrations that discuss women scientists. Massive Science’s Women of Science Tarot Deck, illustrated by Matteo Farinella, tells the stories of 56 women scientists as a collective, narrative-building tool that inspires and raises awareness of women’s contributions to science in history. Comics, such as those created by Kelly Montgomery at JKX Comics and Dr. Laetitia Tudeau for Cell Press’ Crosstalk blog, are inspired by real women and real experiences in academia that leverage graphic novel modalities and humor to make stories relatable.

We’ve all heard the phrase, ‘a picture is worth a thousand words.’ In the case of highlighting women in science, sometimes it is more appropriate for images, art, and photography to show rather than for words to tell.

“When girls grow up thinking about all of the different things we can be, we don’t envision being the ‘first woman on the moon,’ or the ‘first woman to start a science company,’ in fact, we don’t envision ourselves being the ‘first woman’ to do anything. We just want to be scientists, artists, entrepreneurs, movers and shakers, without our gender determining the ranking of our accomplishments,” shares Pappas.

As more women lead in science, their work — not their gender — should take center stage. Removing the word “woman” in front of “scientist” can help relieve gender biases that undermine women’s accomplishments. Instead, photos can complete the story where words should not. A great example of this inclusive and illustrative storytelling is through ‘I Am A Scientist,’ which highlights scientists as multidimensional individuals, drawing attention to the human side of scientists without othering those in minority groups.

Incorporating Interactive & Immersive Discussions and Events

Gender equity is a tough topic to talk about. The best starting points are those that create a fun, safe, and respectful environment while offering valuable insights to solve the issue. The collaborative ‘Art X Science Conversations’ aims to provide this space for this topic and many others in the realms of both disciplines. But, we can go beyond webinars and bring people together in person to make a bigger impact.

Why not pair the conversation with an event, a documentary screening, a walk in nature or even an art show? Experiences that invite people to immerse themselves fully in a topic are more likely to have an impact that goes beyond the workplace.

Melissa Pappas at ECOS Women in STEAM exhibit

Pappas has been working on creating immersive events through ECOS since initiating it in Sydney, Australia. She invited speakers, both men and women, to lead an in-person discussion on supporting women in science which accompanied the opening of ECOS’ Women in STEAM photography exhibit. The seriousness of the topic was combined with inspiring and light-hearted stories from women researchers featured in the exhibit to help people feel the issue on all levels.

Once ECOS was ready to launch in the U.S., Pappas collaborated with The Plenary, Co. to curate and host an educational art show called Illuminations. The show engaged all five senses with illustrations, food, and drink, and multiple sensory experiences that invited guests to reimagine a more sustainable and equitable future in a safe and playful environment. Immersive experiences don’t just help people remember information, they help people integrate it into their own lives, which is necessary to change narratives, an aim Pappas holds as she continues creating events.

The process of planning an event, no matter the size or scope, can support gender equity. Inviting more women leaders and following guidelines that support inclusive practices turn your events into tangible changemakers. Not sure where to start? Use 500 Women Scientists’ Inclusive Scientific Meetings Guide to help plan and invite women and minorities to be keynote speakers using their many lists of experts around the globe. Once you start looking, resources such as these are endless, we just need like-minded people to promote and plan events that utilize and build on them. How can your next event be used as a vehicle for change?

Providing Real Tools for Leaders that Extend Beyond the Workplace

As researchers, we learn how to conduct science, but as we advance in our careers, our roles shift to managing people who do science. However, there are very few opportunities that truly prepare us to become leaders and principal investigators. Existing stereotypes about women in leadership roles make this transition even harder, often leaving them feeling vulnerable, less confident and lacking sufficient support.

Many organizations consider one-on-one mentorship for women in leadership and managing positions. This creates a community of sisterhood that not only guides them to overcome stereotypes, but also supports them in making tough decisions and considering nontraditional paths.

When we ventured into science communication, we were amazed at how easily the connections formed and how willingly the collaborations happened. For us three, we found each other as mentors and allies in this space, which is still nascent when compared to established career paths in science and other disciplines. Mentorship, especially for people pioneering their own paths, is critical, just as is community.

For those looking to find mentors, it starts with identifying your goals and then your strengths and weaknesses. It requires being vulnerable and knowing when to ask for help. Once you do this, mentors start popping up in your life all over the place.

Need some help to find one as a woman in science? Become part of organizations like AWIS and Women in STEM. They help provide valuable insights from one-on-one mentoring to tackling various obstacles in your career path. Next time you get a chance to organize a scientific conference or event, propose to include mentoring activities in the agenda. These events bring together people from related fields and provide an excellent platform to build mentor-mentee relationships.

Interested in more structured mentorship and training? While these programs often require a significant time commitment, they also offer valuable and inspiring experiences. One of our peers, Dr. Olga Schubert, who was part of the Leadership in Science course at EAWAG in Switzerland, has this to say, “One of the standout aspects of the course was the sense of community and solidarity that built over the months among the participants, as we all navigated phases of uncertainty, overwhelm and other leadership challenges.”

Given the many systemic barriers that hinder women in science, institutions must promote and support participation in such programs. However, mentorship and leadership training are not just for women; these opportunities benefit everyone. More holistic leadership programs, such as the one offered by Pueblo, help anyone in a leadership position identify and tackle their own biases so that inequities do not perpetuate from the top down in any industry.

As science communicators we know how important these conversations are. We encourage you to share your stories on effective leadership strategies, breaking the stereotypes and celebrating success, whether through social media, in-person conversations, or your work.

Graphic Recording of the discussions at the webinar. Illustrated by Anjleen Hannak

What Can You Do Now?

Recognize that this is a tough issue. Gender inequity in many different spaces stems from deep systemic and cultural roots that are really hard to untangle for any one individual. As a group, we have a much better chance. Start by getting the conversation going in your workplace and friend group, and even identify the specific problems this inequity has caused you. Evaluate your organization's policies and practices to identify areas where change is needed. Commit to checking your biases and listening deeply to others. Be open to trying new solutions and invite feedback from everyone in the room. Don’t forget to use your voice and skills to recognize the issue and offer solutions. Hold your teams accountable and give yourself grace.

Gender equity is just one topic we aim to tackle with creative solutions born at the intersection of art and science. As a SciArt collective, we will continue to dig deeper by showcasing experts on a variety of topics from around the world, and we need perspectives and support from every corner of the globe to do this well. We invite you to reach out to us to help build a movement to devise and implement creative solutions across all academic corners.

We thank Prof. Gili Freedman and Aashima Dogra who inspired this conversation and provided valuable suggestions.

This article was produced in response to an Art x Science Conversation webinar-podcast episode, a collaboration between ECOS & The Experimentalist. Follow the podcast on Spotify to keep up with topics in the realm of SciArt, research and science communication.