"I'm actually giving the talk in this room" and other things I say as a female neuroscientist

Over the next few weeks, while our Kickstarter is running, we'll be featuring guest posts and interviews with a variety of women around a variety of topics related to Princess Awesome.

Meet Bridget. She is one of my (Rebecca's) closest friends in the world. Bridget has a PhD in Neuroscience from the University of Pennsylvania and is currently in medical school at NYU. She also routinely wears beautiful clothes with flowers, lace, and pastel colors. I asked her if she'd write a short piece for us (emphasis on the "short" since, like I said, she's currently in med school and has a toddler running around). Here's what she had to say.

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Several years ago, while working in a neuroscience research lab at Columbia University, I traveled to Sweden to give a funding pitch to R&D executives at AstraZeneca. As I walked toward the conference room, a secretary tapped me on the shoulder and pointed me in a different direction - “Miss, the nursing conference is down that hallway.” 

I replied, “That’s nice. But, I’m actually giving the talk in this room.” 

I opened the door to see 19 Swedish men look very surprised that B.R. Mueller was a woman. 

I have been interested in science since I was a little girl and have often found myself in the gender minority – the only girl at the Rube Goldberg competition, the only girl on the Mathletes team, Science Olympiads, etc., etc. When Rebecca told me about her idea to make everyday, comfortable dresses for little girls with “boy” things on them I was thrilled. We need to start expecting our girls to be interested in science and math and computers and robots. Butterflies and flowers are great – and let's also encourage our girls to be nerds and get their share of Pi in the sky! 

 Next time I'll tell you about rats I've known.