Kirsty Duncan meeting with constituents (Photo by Peter Power)///Kirsty Duncan rencontre les électeurs (Photo par Peter Power)
The Canadian Chemistry Conference and Exhibition (CSC 2025) is proud to highlight with the Hon. Kirsty Duncan as one of its plenary speakers. The CIC had a chance to sit down with Dr. Duncan and discuss her newest published work and advocacy of women in Stem.
Chemical Institute of Canada: What made you interested in the sciences? Who were your early inspirations?
Kirsty Duncan: Art, dance, music and gymnastics are a huge part of my life, and while I was insatiably curious, I had not been part of any STEM pipeline.
That all changed when one inspired geography professor took our first-year university class on a two-hour journey of our planet, from the frozen poles to the lush tropics and the grasslands of Africa. He shared his decades of fieldwork, opened our eyes to the big questions of science, and shared how our planet might change in our lifetime. At the end of our class, he challenged us to pay attention to the beautiful world we live in. That very day, I knew that I wanted to do research.
CIC: Your book, ‘The Exclusion Effect’, describes the exclusionary practices facing women in science, which was inspired by your own experiences. When did you know you wanted to be an advocate for women and girls in science?
K.D.: I have a story, I think every woman has a story.
To the outside world, it looked like I had a promising future in academia. I was an associate professor; I had tenure and spoke internationally on preparing for and responding to possible pandemics and adapting to and mitigating the impacts of climate change.
Behind the scenes, I was paid in the bottom tenth percentile of the university. I was repeatedly hit on by a colleague, and members of the research team I led tried to steal the research results. I share this frankly because the more we talk about these things, bring them into the light, the better.
The career slams added up, and by age 34, I had had enough, and like many other women in science, I left. I didn’t know exactly what I would do next, but I did know that I would focus on women, and making science better by inviting everyone into the classroom, field, and laboratory.
CIC: What advice would you give to a young woman or girl who is interested in a career in the sciences?
K.D.: I want them to know that they matter and that they belong, and that we see them, we hear them, and we know their creativity, intelligence, and incredible potential. That they are leaders with a voice who can positively change our environment, our society, and our future, and that they will do things we cannot even imagine.
I want them to know that the word “impossible” is a dare, and when someone tells them something is impossible, they should set out to prove them wrong. We will in turn do our part to make sure they have equal opportunity, experience, treatment, pay and a bright and promising future.
Minister Duncan addresses the Perimeter Institute in Waterloo during a funding announcement. April 15, 2016. ///La ministre Duncan s’adresse à l’Institut Périmètre de Waterloo au cours d’une annonce de financement. 15 avril 2016.
CIC: Now that you are well into your career, what accomplishment(s) are you most proud of as a scientist?
K.D.: I was young when I started teaching as an assistant professor at the university, I was 26. I led an expedition 500 miles from the North Pole to look for the cause of the 1918 flu pandemic so we could be ready for the next pandemic and published a book on my experiences. Dozens of documentary companies vied to cover this work, there was a television movie based on my life, and I was invited to work on climate change and health for Environment Canada and for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
After making the jump to politics, I served as Minister of Science and delivered the largest science and research budget in Canadian history. I returned science to its rightful place in government decision-making, and tackled equity, diversity, and inclusion. As a parliamentarian, I garnered all-party support to create the House of Commons Standing Committee on Science and Research.
CIC: We look forward to hearing your plenary talk at the upcoming CSC conference in Ottawa. What do you hope people will take away with them?
K.D.: I am really looking forward to spending time with all of you. We must all keep continuing the dialogue with politicians and delivering the message that science and research impact each of our lives.
Science saves lives through antibiotics, cancer drugs and vaccines. Research powers the solutions that make life easier, such as electricity, cars, computers, the Internet and cellphones. It helps us understand the mysteries of our universe, the world around us and our role in it, and improves education and quality of life. And science matters for its own sake.
Hopefully more young scientists will know they can sit in the House of Commons and bring their expertise to government. This will ultimately have real impact on their communities and Canada.
Attend CSC 2025 to learn more from Dr. Duncan. Register today!