Shattering Glass, Shaping Excellence

As part of the EUGLOH Annual Summit 2026, which took place in Hamburg this year, Maya Topf took part in a panel discussion titled: "Shattering Glass, Shaping Excellence”. EUGLOH is The European University Alliance for Global Health. It is a partnership of nine European universities, including the University of Hamburg (UHH), that collaborate across education, research, and innovation to address global health challenges.

Moderated by Courtney Peltzer-Hönicke (Department of International Affairs, UHH), Maya joined Marylyn M. Addo (Institute for Infection Research and Vaccine Development, UKE) and Erika Garutti (Institute of Experimental Physics, UHH) to discuss the role of women in science. Topics included gender bias and stereotypes, the statistics of women in scientific leadership roles, team-leading skills and methods, as well as influencing factors such as global location and team culture. 

The panel discussion gave insights into the roles of women in science, with the three panelists sharing experiences from their early years of study right up to their leadership roles as principal investigators. It concluded with a strong message to young scientists to “focus on the science and just keep going”. 

Photo credits: UHH/Esfandiari, UHH/Szobries, Paint & Connect, EUGLOH