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Editorial
Being a woman may not always be an easy path: it may be very challenging, but in the end, it can be extremely rewarding. Being a female researcher in ICT can also be slightly challenging in the beginning, mainly when we try to ‘make a point’ in a scientific area that is surrounded by male colleagues. However, I am very grateful to live in an era where equality is promoted and where we are evaluated by merit, side-by-side with our male colleagues. I am happy to see so many great examples in IT and on the outside.
To celebrate gender equality, both ‘girls in science and ‘Women’ days, this newsletter is dedicated to the “SDG5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls in science”, privileging the work of IT female researchers, and showing how diversity can bring great benefits to science and technology.
This newsletter will bring works spanning from projects led by female researchers to testimonies from senior and junior female researchers, visions for the future, and examples of female IT colleagues in top positions around the world.
In ICT we are designing the future, not only from the telecommunications side but also touching a myriad of areas from health to mobility, from industry to agriculture. These are great challenges that make our path truly rewarding!
Susana Sargento
IT Researcher, Professor at University of Aveiro, and Coordinator of the Project Aveiro STEAM-City
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Our highlights of this month...
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IT Women and Girls scientists on steam!
Science and gender equality are priorities of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (SDG5). An open debate is taking place on what remains to be done in these areas.
In December 2015, the United Nations General Assembly declared the 11th of February as the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, recognizing efforts made by a number of global institutions that support and promote access of women and girls to knowledge, education, and training, but also full access to scientific research for everyone, and gender equity in science. Furthermore, 8th March is International Women's Day, which is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women.
STEM (Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) areas are still culturally and traditionally assigned to men, with a gap in the participation of women and girls.
We asked a brilliant group of women and girl researchers from IT network what it means to be a woman in science and technology; in particular, what is a woman scientist in IT in STEM areas...
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Contactless Microwave Imaging System for Breast Cancer Screening
Breast cancer affects millions of women around the world. According to the World Health Organization, about 2.1 million women are diagnosed with breast cancer each year. However, an early diagnosis increases the chances of survival and decreases the morbidity caused by treatments.
Microwaves, which we use in everyday life for instance in mobile phones, can be used for medical applications, namely for breast cancer screening. Radar-based systems provide the fastest imaging inversion times, are easy to use, and are low cost. Like other groups around the world, the Antennas and Propagation Group from Instituto de Telecomunicações, at IST, is “developing” its own medical microwave imaging system for breast cancer screening.
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Our news of this month...
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Rosa Monteiro, Secretary of State for Citizenship and Equality, visited the facilities of IT Aveiro, in a mission to get to know “the research and development projects of women researchers in the STEM areas of the University of Aveiro and IT.”
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NATO Communications and Information Agency (NCI Agency) has signed an agreement with Instituto de Telecomunicações (IT), for research and services in ICT.
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SmartGlauco – Smart Drug Delivery Devices for Glaucoma Treatment is a research and development project currently running in the Organic Electronics group at the Instituto de Telecomunicações, in Lisbon.
The main purpose of SmartGlaco is to develop a new drainage device to treat glaucoma with two functionalities: decrease the intraocular pressure (IOP) and deliver precise amounts of antimitotics to avoid fibroblast growth. Glaucoma is considered one of the global leading causes of blindness by the World Health Organization. This disease is usually associated with elevated IOP that can lead to loss of vision and even blindness.
The project is led by IT researcher Quirina Ferreira.
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In this new corner of the Newsletter, we catch up with our researchers who unravel their insightful visions for the near future of their research areas.
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"Our vision encompassed both the design of wearables (e.g. chest bands and wrist bands for continuous biosignal monitoring) and disruptive innovation, putting forward the concept of invisibles, i.e., the integration of smart sensor technology into everyday objects. Our early work included the development of prototypes such as keyboards, armrests, automotive steering wheels, but more recently smart sensors have been applied more widely, even in unexpected scenarios..."
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Don't miss our upcoming events...
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QCMC 2022
11-15 July 2022
International Conference on Quantum Communication, Measurement and Computing (QCMC)
Since 1990, QCMC was established to encourage scientists and engineers working in the interdisciplinary field of quantum information science and technology.
Among others, It is organized by the Physics of Information and Quantum Technologies Group, from IT & Instituto Superior Técnico (IST). Open call for papers until 15 March 2022.
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EAI GOODTECHS 2022
14-16 September 2022
Recall for the 8th EAI International Conference on Smart Objects and Technologies for Social Good
EAI GOODTECHS 2022 will be focused on cutting-edge experiences with the design, implementation, deployment, operation, and evaluation of smart objects and technologies for Social Good. Open call for papers until 22 March 2022.
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Sandy Rodrigues
Improving Machine Learning Prediction and Forecasting Models Used in Photovoltaic Monitoring Systems
Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering by the University of Lisbon, January 2021, supervised by Helena Ramos (Instituto de Telecomunicações) and Morgado Dias (ITI/Larsys/ARDITI and University of Madeira).
The Ph.D. work proposes a hybrid methodology to predict the photovoltaic system energy from a small weather dataset by using artificial neural networks, genetic programming, support vector machines, and others.
Sandy is a Post-Doctoral Researcher at Forschungszentrum Jülich, Hi-ERN in Germany.
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Debarati Mukherjee
Debarati obtained her Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Aveiro, Portugal. As a researcher, she specialized in semiconductor fabrication and characterization techniques, with a particular focus on diamond thin films. She continued her post-doctoral work in the same area, at the Instituto de Telecomunicações, Lisbon, branching out to the fabrication of optical sensors that utilize polycrystalline diamond films as part of an interferometer. Her background covers mico- and nano-fabrication and characterization techniques, specifically for electronic materials. She handles manuscripts in the areas of electronics, optoelectronics, flexible electronics, and robotics.
Debarati joined Nature Communications in July 2021. She talked with us about her new journey...
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