Women in Clinical Neuroscience

The Women in Clinical Neuroscience Network (WICN) was launched in 2021 with support from the University of Oxford Diversity Fund to empower and support female clinical and non-clinical academics in NDCN to progress their academic careers.

Mission and Aims

WICN aims to increase the proportion of female neuroscientists undertaking clinical research in Oxford, both through recruitment of new staff and retention of existing staff. It will do this by:

• Providing a warm, confidential and welcoming environment to build friendships and form strong peer support networks
• Facilitating open and frank discussion of individual experiences of progression barriers, from junior to senior level
• Considering what makes a successful female clinical and non-clinical neuroscientist at all career stages via individual case presentations
• Signposting support that already exists for women in NDCN

Finally… “Is WICN for me?”

In short — yes! WICN is for everyone in the Department who wishes to engage with its community and contribute to addressing issues that affect us all. 

The WICN Committee was established by Professor Michele Hu with the aim of supporting female academics in NDCN to progress in their academic careers. Although women’s representation in academia has increased in recent years, we are still a long way from achieving gender equality. In 2023/24, only 32% of academic staff at the level of Professor in the UK were women*, despite women representing 48% of PhD graduates. 

WICN works closely with other departmental committees such as the Equity, Diversity & Inclusivity (EDI) Working Group to address this gender imbalance through concrete actions. In 2025, WICN proudly launched a mentoring pilot scheme to help bridge the gap in academia by supporting women early-career researchers and DPhil students of both clinical and non-clinical backgrounds in achieving their potential and advancing their careers. 

Today, WICN is a vibrant and diverse community of around 80 NDCN members who are dedicated to driving meaningful change and improving opportunities and conditions for women in academia.