Two academics at The University of Western Australia have been included in Cosmos Magazine’s list ‘50 women at the cutting edge of science in Australia’, collated to mark International Women’s Day 2023.

"I am lucky to work and collaborate with amazing women at UWA."

Professor Jo McDonald

Professor Jo McDonald, Director of the Centre for Rock Art Research + Management at UWA, and Associate Professor Asha Bowen, from the UWA Medical School, join women working in scientific fields from anthropology to astroparticle physics.

Image: Professor Jo McDonald.

Cosmos Magazine is a quarterly science publication produced by The Royal Institution of Australia. Its list of 50 women was produced with the assistance of the Australian Council of Learned Academies.

Professor McDonald, who recently contributed to the Federal Government’s nomination for World Heritage listing of WA’s Burrup Peninsula, said it was an honour to be included in the list.

Image: Some of the female staff, students, collaborators and community who work with the CRAR+M team.

“I am surprised and delighted to have been recognised this way, especially among these inspiring women,” Professor McDonald said.

“I am lucky to work and collaborate with amazing women at UWA and in the communities who host the work I do – it makes it easy to succeed.” 

Image: Associate Professor Asha Bowen.

Associate Professor Bowen, a paediatric infectious diseases specialist and leader of the END RHD Program – a research program tackling acute rheumatic fever – based at Telethon Kids’ Institute, said she was very pleased to learn of her inclusion on the list.

“It’s fantastic to see a list like this improving the visibility of women in science, and to be included on it is a wonderful honour,” Associate Professor Bowen said.