Meet the Women Advancing Our Research

February 11th marks the 10th anniversary of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science—a day dedicated to breaking barriers, fostering inclusion, and inspiring the next generation of scientists. While progress has been made, gender equality in STEM is still far from reality.

global figures

0 %

of researchers are women.

0 %

of students in STEM-related fields are women.

have won a Nobel Prize in a scientific discipline.

At ADVANCE, we are proud to be part of the change. 60% of our medical study team are women, leading groundbreaking research in their respective fields. From clinical operations to imaging, data analysis, and frontline research, these women play a pivotal role in advancing our study and shaping the future of medical science.

Meet Some of the Women Behind Our Research

Their dedication and expertise not only drive the success of our study but also inspire the next generation of women in STEM.

Fraje Watson

Fraje joined the ADVANCE team in 2022 as a Research Associate based at Imperial College London. Fraje’s research focuses on ADVANCE musculoskeletal outcomes and she analyses data from knee and hip x-rays, bone mineral density DEXA scan data and questionnaire data about bone and joint health. Fraje’s primary role is to understand what’s already known about a topic, and think of new research questions that ADVANCE data could help answer.

Anna Verey

Anna joined the ADVANCE team in 2020 as a Research Assistant recruiting participants. Since 2021, Anna has worked on the ADVANCE-INVEST study, exploring the transition outcomes for those with battlefield injury and became a Research Associate in 2023. Anna investigates rates of sexual dysfunction as a result of battlefield injury in the cohort and has co-chaired the ADVANCE Participant Panel since 2021.

Dr Rabeea Maqsood

Rabeea joined the ADVANCE study in September 2021 as a Medical Sciences and Public Health PhD student at Bournemouth University. Rabeeas is currently a post-doctoral researcher for the ADVANCE study at Imperial College London and continues to investigate the long-term impact of combat injury on heart rate variability as a marker of autonomic function and cardiovascular health within the ADVANCE cohort. Rabeea graduated from the University of Exeter Medical School with an M.Sc in Environment and Human Health.

Sarah Dixon-Smith

Sarah joined ADVANCE as a Research Associate in 2023. Her research focuses on the long-term outcomes of prehospital trauma interventions, including the impact of blood products, analgesia and casualty evacuation on long-term health. She is particularly interested in blast injury, chronic pain, and trauma-related premature ageing.

Rachel Matravers

Rachel joined ADVANCE in June 2024. As a member of the nursing team, she undertakes a number of clinical assessments with the participants during their visit. She has previously worked in orthopaedics and osteoporosis management and has a particular interest in the musculoskeletal and bone density outcomes of the study. She works closely with all the relevant teams within ADVANCE, such as the researchers, data team, clinical and admin teams.

Joss Keshet-Price

Jocelyn joined the ADVANCE Team in 2022 as the ADVANCE Senior Clinical Research Nurse. Her role oversees all clinical aspects of the study, working with the clinical team and each participant during their visit to DMRC Stanford Hall, taking blood, monitoring cardiac rhythms, blood pressure, and respiratory output, performing DEXA scans and working with Radiology to ensure participants have x-rays and MRI scans.

Tasarla White

Tass joined the ADVANCE team in 2018 as an Administrator, where she helped with baseline recruitment. She has since become the Clinical Operations Manager with oversight of the team and processes at Stanford Hall to make sure the most effective and efficient systems are in place. Tass works closely with all teams ensuring the participant’s visits to Stanford Hall run smoothly and robust data is collected.

Samantha Paul

Sam joined ADVANCE in February 2022 as an MRI radiographer. Sam has a postgraduate diploma in MRI imaging from Bradford University and over 15 years of radiography experience. Sam’s previous research experience spans SEMAC (Slice Encoding for Metal Artefact Correction) imaging for hip replacements and imaging porcine subjects to look at the efficiency of radio-cardiac ablation.

Get Involved

Science thrives on collaboration and diversity, and we welcome everyone—regardless of gender—to engage with our research. Whether you’re a participant, researcher, or advocate for women in science, join us in celebrating and supporting the future of STEM.

💡 Follow our work, participate in our studies, and help shape the future of medical research!