School of Convergence Science Celebrates Women at Imperial Week

Women at Imperial Week celebrates the achievements of Imperial’s staff, students and alumni while shining a light on the initiatives and support networks that empower women across the university. It also highlights the impact of major institutional programmes such as Imperial’s Science for Humanity strategy.

At the heart of the Science for Humanity strategy is the School of Convergence Science, bringing together expertise from across disciplines to tackle the defining challenges of the 21st century.

Working at a global scale and in partnership with organisations across industries, Convergence Science at Imperial aims to transform research, innovation and policy to deliver meaningful impact for society. 

As Marisa Miraldo, Co-Director of the Health and Technology theme, explains: 

"Convergence science, for us, is mission-driven. It is science for humanity. And humanity is not abstract – it is lived, embodied, and too often unequal. Convergence gives us the opportunity to bring science, technology and public policy together not simply to innovate, but to confront structural blind spots and redesign systems for impact." 

Across its four themes – Health and Technology; Human and Artificial Intelligence; Space, Security and Telecoms; and Sustainability – the School is co-led by six inspiring women Co-Directors. Their leadership is helping to shape the future of convergence science at Imperial and beyond. This article introduces these remarkable researchers, highlighting their work, their achievements, and the impact they are making. 

Health and Technology 

Professor Marisa Miraldo

As Co-Director of Health and Technology Theme at Imperial’s School of Convergence Science and Professor at the Department of Economics and Public Policy at Imperial Business School, Marisa Miraldo sits at the crossroads of behavioural science, healthcare innovation, and public policy.  

An award-winning educator, she was honoured with the Julia Higgins Award in 2022 for her outstanding contribution to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion. Marisa co-leads Imperial’s Women’s Health Network of Excellence and Women’s Health Initiative, championing research and leadership that address longstanding gaps in women’s health. 

“Women have always spoken about their health, their work and their lives. The failure has never been their voice; it has been our systems’ willingness to hear it. When women’s symptoms are dismissed, when pregnant women experience racism in care, when communities face health innovation deserts for the conditions that affect them, these are not isolated inequities – they are design flaws."  

Beyond Imperial, Marisa serves as Associate Editor for the European Journal of Health Economics and sits on the editorial board of BMJ Public Health, helping to shape global conversations at the frontier of health research. 

Committed to amplifying underrepresented voices, Marisa also advises the “A Million Conversations Initiative,” empowering people from marginalised communities to engage directly with the healthcare industry and fostering the next generation of diverse healthcare leaders.  

“Our ambition is to bring that clarity to the centre of research leadership, so that women’s lived experience becomes evidence, evidence reshapes power, and impact is measured not by outputs, but by whose lives are improved. Because if convergence is truly science for humanity, it must be accountable to all of humanity."  

Professor Faith Osier  

Professor Faith Osier is on a mission to make malaria history and build vaccine manufacturing capacity in Africa. She is Chair of Immunology and Vaccinology in the Faculty of Natural Sciences and Co-Director of the School of Convergence Science in Health and Technology. 

“Convergence science enables us to go beyond our individual strengths and solutions to create sustainable impact at scale across multiple sectors. We celebrate Women at Imperial Week.”  

Faith leads globally recognised vaccine research and directs the Chanjo Hub, one of the key initiatives supported by the UK Vaccine Network (UKVN), funded by the Department of Health and Social Care through UK Aid. Working with partners in Kenya, Ghana and South Africa, the hub is helping establish small-scale vaccine manufacturing for diseases that disproportionately affect Africa. 

A Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences, the African Academy of Sciences and the World Academy of Sciences, Faith is also a TED Fellow and recipient of the British Society for Immunology’s Lifetime Honorary Membership Award. She is passionate about supporting emerging African scientists to deliver the health innovations the continent urgently needs. 

Human and Artificial Intelligence 

Professor Alessandra Russo  

Professor Alessandra Russo is a Professor in Applied Computational Logic and Convening Co-Director of Human and Artificial Intelligence at the School of Convergence Science.  

“Being able to contribute to this community, and to help open doors for others, is a source of deep pride for me.”  

A pioneer in AI, Professor Russo has developed advanced symbolic machine learning systems with real-world applications. Her recent work focuses on neuro-symbolic AI, combining machine learning with symbolic learning and reasoning, aiming to enhance robustness, interpretability and safety of AI.  

“I am proud to work in the Department of Computing and within the School of Convergence Science in Human and Artificial Intelligence because it is a truly interdisciplinary environment, where ambitious ideas in AI can be rigorously explored across computing, engineering, medicine and the social sciences. I have the privilege of working with exceptional colleagues and students who care not only about advancing the state of the art, but also about making AI more robust, interpretable and safe for society.” 

Amongst other leadership responsibilities, she co-directs the UKRI Centre for Doctoral Training in Safe and Trusted AI, leads Imperial’s SPIKE research group and has covered the role of chair for the Imperial-X (I-X) multi-disciplinary AI research initiative.  

Her advice for the next generation of women wanting to pursue STEM careers: “STEM is not, and has never been, only for men. Women bring a strong analytical mind, an exceptional work ethic and a powerful desire to prove themselves – forces that can drive remarkable success in science and engineering. History is rich with examples of women who have transformed STEM and changed the course of their disciplines. The next major scientific discovery could just as well come from a woman ready to combine curiosity, resilience and ambition with the opportunities now available in STEM.”  

Space, Security and Telecoms  

Professor Julie McCann  

Professor Julie McCann is one of the Co-Directors of the Space, Security and Telecoms theme at the School of Convergence Science. She is a Professor of Computer Systems and is also Imperial Principal Investigator for the CHEDDAR Hub, a national consortium of universities advancing future communications and connectivity technologies beyond 6G. 

Julie heads the Adaptive Emergent Systems Engineering (AESE) group, which investigates sensors and communications systems’ behaviour in the physical world and uses that insight to develop safer, more resilient distributed technologies. Julie’s focus in these areas is essential to ensuring we deliver resilient, sustainable and scalable solutions to Space, Security and Telecoms challenges. 

"It's so important to celebrate initiatives like Women at Imperial week. At the School of Convergence Science, we innovate and disrupt to produce creative solutions to problems affecting all of society. Our success lies in bringing together the expertise and know-how of the diverse researchers we have across the university." 

Sustainability  

Dr Mirabelle Muuls 

Dr Mirabelle Muuls is an Associate Professor of Economics and Convening Co-Director of Sustainability at the School of Convergence Science. She is also the Co-Director of the Hitachi-Imperial Centre for Decarbonisation and Natural Climate Solutions. This week she’s celebrating inspiring role models - “like Maggie Dallman whose work in research, outreach and leadership continues to shape the Imperial community.” 

She’s proud that women in science bring perspectives “that connect people and drive science toward real-world impact.”  

Her current research focuses on the economics of climate change, seeking in particular to understand the impact of climate change policies and climate change on firms' emissions, energy efficiency, innovation, competitiveness and performance.

Mirabelle advises women trying to pursue STEMB careers to:

“Go for it: your ideas and perspective are exactly what we need to tackle the world’s biggest challenges.”

  

Ms Alyssa Gilbert  

Alyssa Gilbert is the Director of Innovation at the Grantham Institute - Climate Change and the Environment, and the Director of Undaunted. She is a Co-Director at the School of Convergence Science, leading on the Sustainability mission of ‘Nurturing’, which envisions an Earth that supports prosperous, healthy people and flourishing nature. 

To celebrate Women at Imperial week, she’s thinking about some of the most pioneering women in science from decades past, and celebrating how far we have come, with women active in such a wide range of scientific disciplines and types of roles.  

One area of excellence is Alyssa's leadership in engagement activities to encouraged staff across the College to engage wider audiences. She recognises the important role of public support, insights and knowledge in shaping research, policy and business for a greener, more sustainable future.  

 Her advice for women trying to pursue careers in STEMB:

“Have the confidence to follow your curiosity. All careers, but especially careers in science, involve developing new skills, knowledge and networks. For each step you take, ask if you have the potential to do it well, not if you have already delivered those activities. And then go for it!”  

 

Operations Team  

Our Co-Directors are the faces of each theme, the ones in front of the camera. Behind the scenes is a team that keeps the cogs turning, and is also made up entirely of women. The Operations team consists of operations, bid development, stakeholder, impact delivery and communications specialists.

Daniela Manca

Daniela Manca, Director of Operations for the School of Convergence Science, turns ambitious ideas into coordinated action. She leads operations across her team while working closely with senior leaders to drive strategic convergence across Health and Technology, Human and Artificial Intelligence, Space, Security, Telecoms and Sustainability – ensuring bold thinking translates into real-world impact. 

Daniela joined Imperial in October 2025 after more than seventeen years at the University of Cambridge. Throughout her career she has provided strategic leadership to professional services staff, partnered with the Senior Leadership, and helped shape and deliver academic visions translating them into operational excellence. A collaborative and energising leader, Daniela empowers others to innovate, co-create and deliver solutions that are both imaginative and practical. 

 “I am incredibly proud to work alongside so many strong, ambitious, and inspiring women at the School of Convergence Science. At the core of our mission is a bold commitment to tackling global challenges through innovation, sparking discovery, and accelerating progress.  

The women leading our initiatives embody what purposeful, future focused leadership looks like. They bring not only deep expertise and passion for their disciplines, but also humanity, integrity, and a sense of possibility that elevates everything we do. Their leadership is more than impressive – it is a powerful model for the next generation of changemakers. 

We are not here simply to work within existing systems. We are here to transform them – to disrupt, to challenge, and to drive the cultural shifts needed to build a better future. A future in which women thrive, excel, and lead boldly. A future shaped by strength, creativity and the belief that positive change is not only possible but inevitable when women are empowered to lead.” 

Meet the wider School of Convergence Science Operations Team

Find out more about the School of Convergence Science