by Alice Francis, Gemma Fisher and Lee Sykes
The Academic Women’s Association (AWA) joined forces with the Laboratory of Medical Sciences (LMS) to host the first event of the year: an Intentional Careers workshop led by award-winning career coach, author and STEM scientist Dr Hannah Roberts on 2nd March 2026.
The motivation for the workshop came from findings in the 2025 LMS Athena survey, which highlighted that a higher proportion of women reported feeling uncertain about their next career steps compared with men. The event aimed to create space for reflection and provide practical strategies to help researchers approach career decisions with greater clarity and intention.
Interest in the session was high, with 103 attendees from eight departments joining from across the Faculty of Medicine. From the outset, the workshop sparked lively discussion, with participants actively reflecting on their own career journeys and sharing perspectives throughout the session.
During the workshop, Hannah introduced practical frameworks for approaching careers more intentionally. One key message was the importance of making time to think about career development – something that can easily be overlooked in busy work schedules. With annual review season underway at Imperial and LMS, the workshop served as a timely reminder to step back and reflect on longer-term goals.
Participants were encouraged to redefine what success looks like for them, starting with a clear understanding of their values and motivations. Hannah also emphasised the importance of adopting a self-leadership mindset – taking ownership of career direction, recognising personal strengths, and making decisions that align with purpose rather than fear.
The session also explored common challenges that can slow career progression, including fear-based decision making and the so-called “capability trap”, where individuals continue to focus on tasks they are already good at rather than pursuing opportunities that support their broader goals.
As with many AWA events, the conversation continued after the workshop during an enthusiastic coffee and networking session (with the added bonus of a doughnut platter). These informal discussions reinforced the value of creating spaces where researchers can reflect openly on their careers and learn from each other’s experiences. Each attendee received a copy of Hannah’s book, Intentional Careers for STEM Women,
providing further exercises and guidance to help translate the workshop’s ideas into practical career planning.
The event also helped grow the AWA community, bringing new members into the network and even expanding the leadership team (pictured with Dr Hannah Roberts). The association always welcomes new members who are interested in supporting women in academia.
Many thanks to Joshua Owolabi from the LMS for capturing the event, and to the LMS, National Heart and Lung Institute and the Early Career Researcher Institute for supporting the event.