Sony award recognizes women advancing medicine, technology

Four experts in technology fields received the first Sony Women in Technology Award with Nature on Feb. 5, which celebrates pioneers in global academic areas including bioengineering, computing and biomedical science.

“Technology has countless applications because human creativity has no bounds. It can also be a tool that creates a positive impact on society,” Sony Group Corp. Chairman and CEO Kenichiro Yoshida told the audience at the award ceremony at Sony’s headquarters in Tokyo. “To create new value through technology, I strongly believe that the people driving that creativity should be diverse as well. Through this award, we aim to support women in the field of technology who share the same vision of shaping a better world.”

The editor-in-chief of Nature, Magdalena Skipper, said: “For too long, women have been underrecognized, underappreciated and not given sufficient platforms. Awards like this are much needed.” Skipper, the first female editor-in-chief in the science journal’s 155-year history, co-chaired the judging panel of 10 technology experts, including Sony and Nature executives and tech startup CEOs.

One midcareer winner was Kiana Aran, a professor of bioengineering and medicine at the University of California, San Diego. She has developed fingertip sensors for viral detection and explored how artificial intelligence combined with advanced sensor technology can analyze biomarkers to detect cancer and age-related neurological diseases at an early stage.

The judging panel said they value not only Aran’s accomplishments but also her aspiration to be a role model for female semiconductor experts.

“My journey in science has always been driven by the belief that the greatest breakthroughs happen at the intersection of disciplines,” Aran told the audience in her speech. “The challenges we face today, whether in health care, sustainability or artificial intelligence, require collaborative effort across many disciplines.” In developing its technologies, her team needs to cooperate not only with physicists, chemists, computer scientists and engineers, but also entrepreneurs who can commercialize their technologies, she said.

Another midcareer winner is Amanda Randles, a computational scientist and biomedical engineer at Duke University who received the award for her innovative research in “digital twin” technology for cardiovascular disease treatment. A digital twin is a virtual copy of a physical object or system. By running data from wearable devices on heart disease patients through their models, she and her team can provide personalized insights into treatment strategies.

“In a field that is still heavily male-dominated, it is critical to have awards like this that shine a light on the contributions of women, ensuring that our work is seen, celebrated and valued,” Randles said in her speech. Currently, Randles and her team are investigating how digital twin technology can be applied to early intervention for cancer.

Yating Wan, an assistant professor at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia, won this year’s early-career prize for her studies on “silicon photonics,” a new optical technology based on silicon chips that enhances data transmission speed and energy efficiency.“This award is, of course, not only about my research. It’s about a reminder to all the females that belong to this field that your voice matters, your contributions matter and you have the power to make a difference,” she told the audience. “I’ve been very lucky throughout my journey to have so many inspiring role models and mentors who have guided me. I hope in the future I can also be this kind of inspiration for others.”

The panel of judges gave another expert, Jiawen Li, an associate professor at the University of Adelaide in Australia, a special commendation for her biomedical technology. Combining nanoscale 3D printing and optical fiber technology, she created a hair-thin endoscope that cardiologists can use to investigate blood vessels to check a patient’s risk of a heart attack, aiding in prevention and personalized treatments.

“We use cutting-edge technologies, especially those in photonics and optics, to address online biomedical challenges,” Li said in her speech. She emphasized that in her field, collaboration among experts with diverse backgrounds is key. “We bring different expertise and different perspectives. We may also bring different priorities, timelines or even speak different languages. And this kind of diversity of thoughts definitely becomes a strength for us,” she said. She also said that although such diversity can often cause tensions, women can play the role of empathetic listeners and foster collaboration.