𝘈𝘱𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘰 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘰𝘯 𝘊𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘳 𝘊𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘦 𝘊𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘐𝘯𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘞𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯 𝘓𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘚𝘛𝘌𝘔 𝘍𝘪𝘦𝘭𝘥

Chennai, 27 March 2025:  In an effort to celebrate the accomplishments of women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) fields, the Apollo Proton Cancer Centre organized a significant meet in the city today. The day-long event brought together eminent personalities from Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics creating a powerful platform to illuminate the journey of women leaders across various disciplines. Surgeon Vice Admiral Aarti Sarin, Director General of Armed Forces Medical Services, served as the Chief Guest, adding prestige to the event and underscoring the importance of recognizing women's leadership in critical scientific domains. The gathering saw participation from distinguished practitioners across various fields, including Oncology, Physics, and Atomic Energy.

(L to R) Dr. Sapna Nangia, Director Head & Neck, Breast Cancer, Senior Consultant Radiation Oncology. APCC; Dr. Suneeta Reddy, Managing Director, Apollo Hospitals Group; Surg Vice Admiral Arti Sarin, Director General - Armed Forces Medical Services; Dr. Manjula Rao, Consultant Breast Surgical Oncology, Oncoplasty & Minimally Invasive Breast Surgery, APCC

The meet featured an array of events such as a panel discussion on enabling womens journeys in STEM, a fireside chat on the role of physics and technology in healthcare and a roundtable interaction on tech-entrepreneurship in healthcare and science, providing a holistic view of women's contributions to innovative fields.

Dr. Manjula Rao, Consultant Breast Surgical Oncology, Oncoplasty & Minimally Invasive Breast Surgery &  Co-convener of the meeting shared her happiness at the success of the meeting. She said, " Organising this meeting to mark International Womens Day, has been a matter of immense pride and a joyful revelation of the inspiring work being done and grand strides taken by Indian women in the STEM fields! Women world over are known to face very many sociocultural prejudices and hurdles trying to pursue a career in STEM. Though, India is known to have one of the highest percentage of women graduating from STEM fields, they constitute <20% of the STEM workforce, with <10% of leadership positions being held by women. The numbers are even more dismal in the surgical fields. This is our attempt to celebrate our exemplary women achievers and inspire future generations of young women to pursue their STEM-dream, and to show-case the hardwork, tenacity, and enthusiasm of our phenomenal women colleagues at the Apollo Proton Cancer Centre."

Dr Sapna Nangia, Director Head-Neck & Breast, Sr Consultant Radiation Oncology, at the Apollo Proton Cancer Centre and the convenor of the meeting, expressed happiness at the enthusiasm for the meeting. She noted that more than 300 delegates from various walks of life had registered for the meeting, underlining the importance of dialogue and discussion and of sharing the journey of Women Leaders.   She mentioned that the Chief Guest Surg Vice Admiral Arti Sarin, the Guest of Honour, Dr Tessy Thomas, and the Keynote Speaker Dr Radha Balakrishanan, Keynote speaker, had all been pioneers in their respective fields, their experience would serve to enable and inspire students and professionals working in STEM fields.

The event underscored the critical importance of recognizing and supporting women in scientific fields, highlighting their innovative contributions, leadership, and potential to drive transformative change across various scientific and technological domains.

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