13/10/2026
🧮 Ada Lovelace Day | Celebrating women in STEM
Today we’re marking Ada Lovelace Day, celebrating the achievements of women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), by spotlighting two of our 300 Faces of Edinburgh Medical School.
Sophia Jex-Blake was a driving force behind the 19th-century campaign to secure women access to university medical education, helping pave the way for women to study medicine at the University of Edinburgh.
More than a century later, Professor Lorna Marson, Professor of Transplant Surgery and Dean of Clinical Medicine, continues to champion opportunities for women in medicine and surgery.
🗨 Reflecting on her own career, Lorna told us:
“When I entered surgical training, there were very few women. I had to find my own way: it was challenging but exciting. I want to make sure that anyone who wants to be a surgeon is helped to achieve that goal, whoever they are. If I can be a role model for other women in surgery, that is a huge privilege.”
From breaking barriers in the 19th century to supporting the next generation of doctors and surgeons, Sophia and Lorna are part of the story of women shaping medicine at Edinburgh.
Read their full 300 Faces stories:
🔹 Lorna Marson: https://edin.ac/4yiwybS
🔹 Sophia Jex-Blake: https://edin.ac/4zhBBd8
