We welcome all individuals who share our commitment to advancing women in the sciences to join us at the Women in Medical Science Conference – Rising Strong: Empowering Women to Lead in Uncertain Times on October 9th. This conference is a unique opportunity to engage, learn, and grow together.

Faculty, Postdocs, Residents, and Fellows are welcomed!

 

Sponsored by the Office of Faculty and Leadership Development & the Association of Professional Women in Medical Sciences (APWIMS).

 

Why Attend?

This year’s keynote speaker is International Coaching Federation (ICF) certified coach, Joanna Roses-Ryan. In this keynote, we will discuss how leadership has changed over the last few years. Our speaker will share leadership lessons she’s learned in her journey, and those she has gleaned from others along the way and the impact of those lessons learned. She’ll speak to the necessary steps and skills to master in order to reach and capitalize on your leadership potential, as well as how to remove barriers like fear of failure, self-doubt, or imposter syndrome that can block you. Following the keynote lecture will be a workshop, panel discussion and lunch. Get ready to:

• Explore strategies and gain insight to promote career development, leadership, and skill enhancement.
• Hear from accomplished women in the sciences who have shattered glass ceilings.
• Connect with like-minded professionals, mentors, and allies.

 

 

---

 

Event Program: 2025 WOMEN IN MEDICAL SCIENCE CONFERENCE PROGRAM

Speakers

Samantha Meltzer-Brody, MD, MPH

Executive Dean, UNC School of Medicine
Assad Meymandi Distinguished Professor

Dr. Meltzer-Brody was named the Executive Dean of the UNC School of Medicine in January 2025. From 2019 until March 2025, she served as the Assad Meymandi Distinguished Professor and Chair of the Department of Psychiatry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she also directed the UNC Center for Women’s Mood Disorders. As Chair, Dr. Meltzer-Brody collaborated with UNC Health and the state of North Carolina on innovation and transformation of mental health care. Previously, Dr. Meltzer-Brody founded the UNC “Taking Care of Our Own” mental health program in 2011 and played an important in leading UNC Health Well-Being initiatives.

 

Nadia Charguia

Associate Professor
Executive Medical Director, Integrated Well-Being Program for UNC Healthcare
Director of Well-Being and Professional Fulfillment, UNC SOM Office of Leadership and Faculty Affairs
Director, Taking Care of Our Own Program

Dr. Nadia Charguia is an associate professor and child psychiatrist in the UNC Department of Psychiatry. Over the past 12 years, she has dedicated her professional mission to promoting the well-being, resilience, and professional fulfillment of faculty, staff, and healthcare teammates, both at the SOM as well as for our healthcare system. Dr. Charguia has led and continues to advance a number of initiatives that promote the emtional health and well-being of our workforce, while fostering a supportive, thriving work environment. She has championed a number of efforts to promote bi-directional communication and engagement in order to impact meaningful system change efforts, including most recently leading the What to Fix Campaign for the SOM and the Getting Rid of Stupid Stuff initiative for our healthcare system. Dr. Charguia believes that prioritizing well-being enhances care, innovation, and the overall vitality of ourselves as well as our healthcare community.

 

Tanya L. Shields, PhD

Bowman and Gordon Gray Distinguished Term Professor
Associate Professor, Department of Women’s and Gender Studies
Adjunct Associate Professor, Department of African, African American and Diaspora Studies
Director, Carolina Seminars
Associate Editor, Cultural Dynamics
Research Advisor/Dramaturg, Progress Theatre Plantation Remix Project
Co-chair, Telling Our Stories of Home Project

 

 

 

 

Keynote Speaker

Joanna Roses-Ryan
ICF Certified Executive Coach

Joanna Roses-Ryan has over 25 years of executive coaching, communications and marketing experience. She has guided leaders and organizations through critical inflection points, change management, transformations, and crisis. Her coaching has produced effective, productive, collaborative, and impactful leaders, recognized executive thought leaders and brands, and stronger organizational cultures.