This week sees a new series of pictures of distinguished past members of the Department added to the collection in the Balfour Library. Each person has made important contributions to science and to our Department. However, what sets these pictures apart is that they are all of women. Up until now, all of the portraits in the library have been of men, great men of course, but all men. The new pictures are of five great women.

By adding these pictures we aim to recognise more fully the important role that women have had in our Department and in our science, and to provide role models and inspiration to everyone but especially our female students.

The five women are (left to right):

Dr Sidnie M. Manton ScD FRS

First ScD awarded to a woman by the University of Cambridge

First woman appointed to an academic post in the Department (1927-35)

Dame Anne L. D. McLaren FRS

Principal Research Fellow (Gurdon Institute) 1992-2007

Professor Patricia A. Simpson FRS

Professor of Comparative Embryology 2002-2011

Professor Jennifer A. Clack ScD FRS

Professor of Vertebrate Palaeontology 2006-2015

Professor Helen le B. Skaer

Professor of Developmental Biology 2010-2013

(Images kindly provided by the Royal Society, the Gurdon Institute, Emma Skaer and Chris Green.)