Top Brit Boffin gets the Barbie treatment

Today, Professor Dame Sarah Gilbert has been honoured as a ‘Barbie Role Model’ for her work creating the Oxford vaccine. Prof Gilbert is Professor of Vaccinology at the University of Oxford and Project Leader for ChAdOx1 nCoV-19, a vaccine against the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2 which is now in use in many countries around the world.

In short, she is one V clever lady and aside giving her an OBE this is perhaps the 2nd greatest accolade you could have bestowed upon you right?

Barbie are donating to Prof Gilbert’s chosen STEM-focused organisation WISE (Women in Science & Engineering) in the UK to support My Skills My Life; an outreach resource created to inspire girls to consider a career in STEM.

Professor Dame Sarah Gilbert says “I am passionate about inspiring the next generation of girls into STEM careers and hope that children who see my Barbie will realise how vital careers in science are to help the world around us. My wish is that my doll will show children careers they may not be aware of, like a Vaccinologist.”

“Barbie recognises that all frontline workers have made tremendous sacrifices when confronting the pandemic and the challenges it heightened,” said Lisa McKnight, Senior Vice President and Global Head of Barbie & Dolls, Mattel. “To shine a light on their efforts, we are sharing their stories and leveraging Barbie’s platform to inspire the next generation to take after these heroes and give back. Our hope is to nurture and ignite the imaginations of children playing out their own storyline as heroes.”

The global line-up of women honoured with a one-of-a-kind doll includes:

Professor Dame Sarah Gilbert (United Kingdom) – As a Saϊd Professor of Vaccinology, Professor Gilbert led the development of the University of Oxford vaccine in the U.K.

Amy O’Sullivan, RN (United States) – Emergency Room nurse Amy O’Sullivan treated the first COVID-19 patient at the Wycoff Hospital in Brooklyn, NY. O’Sullivan later contracted the disease, and soon after returned to work to continue to help others.

Dr. Audery Cruz (United States) – Dr. Cruz, a frontline worker from Las Vegas, NV, during the pandemic, joined forces with other Asian-American physicians to fight racial bias and discrimination.

Dr. Chika Stacy Oriuwa (Canada)- A psychiatry resident at the University of Toronto, Canada, Dr. Oriuwa has advocated against systemic racism in healthcare, which has been further highlighted by the pandemic.

Dr. Jaqueline Goes de Jesus (Brazil) – As a biomedical researcher, Dr. Goes is credited for leading the sequencing of the genome of a COVID-19 variant in Brazil.

Dr. Kirby White (Australia) – As a general practitioner in Australia, Dr. White co-founded Gowns for Doctors, a gown that could be laundered and re-used, allowing frontline workers in Victoria, AU to continue seeing patients during the pandemic.

In the UK, previous Role Models recipients include Broadcaster Clara Amfo, Fastest Woman in British History, Dina Asher-Smith, Champion Skateboarder Sky Brown, Activist & Model Adwoa Aboah, and Boxer Nicola Adams.

 

About Peter Jenkinson

Toyologist Pete Jenkinson regularly writes about toys in national newspapers like The Sun and The Mail. This super-dad has an unmatched passion and dedication for trying and testing the latest, coolest and most interesting offerings from the world of toys.

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