It's International Women's Day on Friday 8 March – a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. This year's theme is Balance for Better, which calls for a more gender-balanced society. From the board room to the government, media coverage to employment, gender balance is essential for economies and communities to thrive.

To celebrate International Women's Day, we spoke to women from the Faculty of Life Science & Medicine King's about their careers, inspirations and what drives them. 

"I now get the best of both worlds and hopefully contribute a little bit to the fight against cancer"

Dr Mieke Van Hemelrijck is a Reader in Cancer Epidemiology and the Academic Lead of Translational Oncology & Urology Research (TOUR) within the School of Cancer & Pharmaceutical Sciences. 

What are you proudest of in your career?

The development and set-up of the TOUR team, which now has 21 members in the academic team and several other members in the clinical team. TOUR is an amazing team with their heart in the job, which makes it a pleasure to go to work every day.

What would you tell women who want to study in your field?

Be pro-active, engaged, collaborative, and communicate clearly – opportunities will come up naturally.  

Who or what made you want to work in this field? How has your field changed since you started, and where do you see it going in the future?

I always enjoyed teaching/education (which is the result of having parents with a heart for teaching/students), but I also enjoyed epidemiology. I now get the best of both worlds and hopefully contribute a little bit to the fight against cancer.