Voices from Pascal-Boyle laureates – International Women’s Day
Today marks International Women’s Day, an opportunity to give space for women to speak about their experiences, challenges, and hopes.
On this occasion, we spoke with past and present Pascal-Boyle Prize winners – women whose work has greatly heplped advance mental health care in Europe. They share the experiences that shaped them, what helped them during the hardest moments of their career, and what gives them hope.
Pascal-Boyle 2026 laureate Prof. Paola Dazzan, from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, says: “In the hardest moments of my career, what kept me going was the people around me, from my closest peers, to the mentors who believed in me, to the teams with whom I shared both setbacks and steps forward. Their trust reminded me that our work mattered, even when progress felt slow. I have always felt lucky to be in a better position than the women who came before me, who pushed forward with far fewer opportunities. What gives me hope now is seeing new generations of scientists stepping into our field with courage, imagination, and a sense of possibility that is truly inspiring. They remind me that progress is not measured only in data or publications, but also in the human dimension of our work: collaboration and the resilience of those who choose to carry science forward.”.
In psychiatry – as in many medical specialties )- women may face persistent structural and cultural barriers throughout their careers, from unequal opportunities to discrimination and harassment, alongside the pressures of a demanding profession.*
“In the difficult moments I keep to a simple discipline: keep my standards, keep my purpose, and turn up again the next morning. I learned not to argue with the weather, but to carry my own umbrella. What gives me hope is that the forecast is improving.”, shares Pascal-Boyle 2025 laureate Dr. Sophia Frangou, from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai & University of Bristih Columbia.
Women are statistically more likely to have to make career adjustment in response to caregiving or family commitments, which can limit progression and contribute to under-representation in senior roles.*
“What helps keep anyone going is unsolicited support from friends, collaborators, colleagues or best of all someone you can call an ally. Allies help at work by guiding you without expecting anything in return – especially when you have a bad case of imposter syndrome. In mental health many of my allies have lived experience, they ask the most important research questions, and there is a sea change – more researchers now agree that people with lived experience are vital to involve in research that aims at improving treatments and services.”, adds Pascal-Boyle 2020 laureate Prof. Til Wykes, Professor of Clinical Psychology and Rehabilitation at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London.
For Pascal-Boyle 2019 laureate Prof. Hellen Killaspy, Professor of Rehabilitation Psychiatry, University College London, Honorary Consultant in Rehabilitation Psychiatry, North London NHS Foundation Trust, shared how she feels incredibly lucky. “As a clinical academic, challenges in the clinical and research parts of my job rarely happen at the same time, so I can always find something to feel positive about! My research and clinical roles are intertwined and one of the best things is when a clinical conundrum stimulates an idea for a new research project. Each study has its own shape and life, and you see your research team developing as independent academics through the process. That’s really rewarding.”
“Working in mental health rehabilitation is, by definition, not easy, but meeting with patients, sometimes over many years, and working with my lovely colleagues to help people succeed in life, well that doesn’t really feel like hard work most days. I often reflect on how lucky I am to have been able to find the perfect job.”, she adds.
