WiT's Inspiration Series Presents - International Women's Day: Inspiring Women in STEM Breakfast Panel
Join us for an inspiring sit-down breakfast panel as we celebrate International Women’s Day 2025 with the theme March Forward. Aligned with WiT’s 2025 theme, Stronger Together, this event will highlight the power of collaboration and resilience in the STEM community.
This special Inspiring Women in STEM breakfast will feature our incredible panel members, including 2024 WiT Award winners Assoc. Prof. Alka Kothari, and Lauren Hanson, as well as Dr Alex Barlow, as they share their journeys, insights, and strategies for overcoming challenges and driving progress in STEM.
With opportunities for networking before and after the panel, this event is the perfect space to connect with like-minded professionals and be part of the movement to March Forward—together.
Let’s celebrate the achievements of women in STEM and inspire one another to build a stronger, more united future.
Your ticket includes:
Timing:
7:30am - 8:00am - Arrivals and networking
8:00am - 9:30am - Welcome, breakfast, panel and Q&A time
9:30am - 10:30am - Networking opportunities available for attendees who wish to stay after the panel discussion
Your host and moderator
Iyari Cevallos has over 15 years of global experience managing unique and complex engagements in the resource, banking, telco, energy and tourism sectors. She has a proven record of delivery in operational performance, digital transformation change, governance and risk management in both the public and private sectors.
As a passionate leader in fast paced and evolving environments, she has been fundamental in influencing and leading positive change, contributing to a more equitable, just and sustainable society.
Meet your panel!
Lauren Hanson
I led the hardware design and development of the Multi-Resolution Scanner (MRS) payload, a ground-breaking sensing payload developed at CSIRO in collaboration with Boeing and NASA. Launched to the International Space Station in March 2024, the MRS integrates CSIRO’s world-leading Wildcat SLAM and stereo depth fusion technologies for the first time, significantly enhancing data accuracy for precise mapping inside the space station. Over the past two years, I have led the hardware development and delivery of the MRS, overcoming challenges to ensure the payload was fit for flight. This involved making the hardware durable to launch loads and vibrations and ensuring it passed international safety standards and posed no harm to astronauts. The integrated sensing technologies onboard currently support critical applications on earth in robotics, mining and manufacturing industries, and combining these to increase our data accuracy and mapping abilities has clear potential to provide benefit on earth as well as in space. Our goal is to demonstrate the MRS payloads capability to produce reliable data, contributing to the growth of the Australian space industry with world-leading scanning technology. Potential future uses include external hull integrity scanning and inspection for damage from micrometeorites and monitoring inventory to enhance operational efficiency and safety aboard spacecraft, as well as deployment on off-world missions on exploration rovers. Working with experts at CSIRO, NASA and Boeing, I successfully delivered the hardware for CSIRO’s first payload to the ISS, uniting us in a common passion for advancing the space industry.
Associate Professor Alka Kothari
As an obstetrician and gynaecologist deeply committed to uplifting others, particularly women in STEM, I challenge medical norms with courage and respect, advocating evidence-based care for pregnant women and families. Throughout my career, I’ve mentored numerous medical students, junior doctors, and researchers, emphasising career decisions and work-life balance, drawing from my clinical experiences and life journey. My research in obstetrics includes digital health solutions during COVID-19 and integrating pharmacists into antenatal care. My PhD research on ‘Forgotten Fathers in Pregnancy and Childbirth’ revealed significant mental health consequences like PTSD in fathers, influencing family dynamics and inter-generational health. As a Metro-North Clinician Research Fellow, I lead consumer-co-designed translational research on birth trauma, advocating for compassionate care of birthing families. As a leading expert in Birth Trauma, I was invited to provide evidence at the 2023 Select Committee on Birth Trauma Inquiry for the New South Wales Parliament. My research has catalysed national and international change in obstetric care. I influence national policy in various governance roles, on clinical advisory committees and boards of advocacy organisations, guiding community-supporting projects, and fostering inclusive healthcare practices. I serve on multiple state committees (Queensland Maternal and Perinatal Quality Council, UQ Medical School Research Committee). Recognised as an expert, I have given invited presentations and keynote addresses at major national and international conferences. I have received research excellence awards in Metro-North and at the RCOG World Congress, London 2019. I contribute as a media expert on perinatal mental health, advocating for evidence-based patient-centric care.
Dr Alex Barlow
Dr Alex Barlow (née Schumann-Gillett) is a passionate leader in digital health consulting, a dedicated advocate for gender equity and inclusion, and a proud mum of two-year-old twins. As a manager in PwC’s Digital Health Consulting team and a PwC AI Champion, Alex applies her analytical skills and scientific background to solve complex challenges in the healthcare industry.
Alex holds a PhD in computational biochemistry and has authored eight peer-reviewed research papers. She began her academic journey at the University of Queensland (UQ), where she combined her love of physics and biology to study biophysics, earning multiple scholarships and awards for her research. Her Honours work on bacterial protein interactions led to her first scientific publication. She later pursued a PhD at the Australian National University as a Westpac Future Leaders Scholar, using computational simulations to explore how proteins interact with fat-like molecules in disease. Her research has been presented at national and international conferences and summits, earning recognition including Poster Prizes and an international Travel Bursaries.
Beyond research, Alex is a committed advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion. She has played key leadership roles in advocacy and is currently the national co-lead of PwC’s gender equality network. She has also volunteered and spoken for numerous not-for-profit organisations, including the National Youth Science Forum, YWCA, UN Women, Women in Technology (WiT), and university societies. Her dedication to leadership and impact was recognised in 2016 when she was named the inaugural Australian Institute of Management Student Leader of the Year (ACT).
Now in the consulting space, Alex applies her strong research and analytical skills to help clients navigate digital transformation, leveraging technology to streamline processes and deliver solutions that genuinely benefit people. She is known for her ability to collaborate with stakeholders and drive meaningful change, ensuring that technology serves the needs of individuals and communities first.
With Thanks to our Event Sponsors:
And proudly brought to you by:
