Pharmaceutical Industry Seeks to Boost Women in STEM Roles

Chief Scientific Officer Elisabeth Gardiner highlights the need to cultivate scientific confidence in girls and women to build a robust talent pipeline.

Feb. 4, 2026 at 7:47am

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For the pharmaceutical and biotech industries, maintaining a strong pipeline of technical talent is essential for innovation. However, women remain underrepresented in critical STEM roles, holding only 20-30% of these positions despite comprising nearly half of the overall workforce. Elisabeth Gardiner, Chief Scientific Officer at Tevard Biosciences, argues that while interest in STEM has increased, the self-reported confidence of girls and women in their scientific and mathematical abilities has dropped, creating a 'confidence paradox' that industry leaders must address.

Why it matters

Engaging diverse 'bright minds' in STEM is a strategic imperative for the pharmaceutical industry, which relies on multidisciplinary talent in areas like chemical engineering, data science, and regulatory science. Early exposure and hands-on experience can help demystify complex concepts and build the foundation for essential skills, guiding students toward STEM-focused college majors and future careers.

The details

Despite the industry's growth, representation for women in STEM fields has stagnated. Globally, women make up only 35% of STEM graduates, a figure that has remained unchanged for over a decade. Within the pharmaceutical industry specifically, women hold just 20-30% of STEM roles, meaning the sector remains approximately 70% male-dominated. Gardiner points to a 'confidence paradox' where girls' and women's interest in STEM has increased, but their self-reported confidence in their scientific and mathematical abilities has dropped from 70% to 60% over the past decade.

  • Over the past 8-10 years, girls' and women's interest in STEM has increased, but their self-reported confidence has dropped from 70% to 60%.

The players

Elisabeth Gardiner

Chief Scientific Officer at Tevard Biosciences, a drug development company focused on rare diseases caused by genetic mutations.

Tevard Biosciences

A Boston-based drug development company focused on bringing therapeutics to the clinic for genetically defined dilated cardiomyopathies and muscular dystrophies caused by nonsense mutations.

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What they’re saying

“From an economic perspective, having talented, engaged people in STEM is a win for the United States and, obviously, for the world. New technology and new medicines come from bright minds.”

— Elisabeth Gardiner, Chief Scientific Officer, Tevard Biosciences (Transcript)

“If you're never exposed to STEM, you don't know whether or not your brain is going to like it or not.”

— Elisabeth Gardiner, Chief Scientific Officer, Tevard Biosciences (Transcript)

The takeaway

To build a robust pipeline of technical talent and drive innovation, the pharmaceutical industry must go beyond general STEM investment and focus on structured mentorship and training programs that cultivate scientific confidence in girls and women from an early age.