Professor Dame Sarah Gilbert is the latest inspirational woman to be given a lookalike Barbie Doll.
The Oxford vaccine scientist, 59, says she hopes the toy will inspire girls to study and pursue careers in subjects such as technology, engineering, science and maths, and to make them aware of fields they may not have known existed.
“I am passionate about inspiring the next generation of girls into Stem careers and hope that children who see my Barbie will realise how vital careers in science are to help the world around us,” she said of the doll, which wears a blue trouser suit and white shirt, and is inspired by Dame Sarah.
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"My wish is that my doll will show children careers they may not be aware of, like a vaccinologist."
Dame Sarah led the development of the jab at Oxford University and says she initially found the honour of the Barbie doll “very strange” but hopes it will inspire others.
As well as Dame Sarah, Mattel has created models of other inspirational women working in Stem careers, including healthcare worker Amy O’Sullivan, who treated the first Covid-19 patient in Brooklyn, New York.
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Also honoured with a doll is Dr Audrey Cruz, a frontline worker from Las Vegas who fought against racial bias and discrimination; Canadian doctor Dr Chika Stacy Oriuwa, who has been advocating against racism in healthcare; biomedical researcher Dr Jaqueline Goes de Jesus, who led the sequencing of the genome of one Coronavirus variant in Brazil and Dr Kirby White, co-creator of a reusable gown used during the pandemic.
“Barbie recognises that all frontline workers have made tremendous sacrifices when confronting the pandemic and the challenges it heightened," said Lisa McKnight, senior vice-president at Mattel.
"To shine a light on their efforts, we are sharing their stories... to inspire the next generation to take after these heroes and give back."
Featured Image Credit: ShutterstockTopics: Life, Coronavirus