WiNUK Wrapped 2025: A year in review
- Rebecca Pope
- 5 days ago
- 13 min read
Hello, readers!
2025 has been a whirlwind of a year here at Women in Neuroscience UK! We expanded our volunteer team with over 20 new recruits. We now have a People & Operations subteam, helping to improve our organisational structure and support wellbeing, and a Research Team, officially launching projects in 2026, to help us monitor gendered experiences in neuroscience to support WiNUK’s strategy. Our reach expanded, in audience numbers but also in the variety of our gender equity education topics, posting at least one piece of content per month on each platform tailored to challenges facing women in neuroscience beyond students.
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Our Blog Flourished in 2025
Building on continued growth, 2025 was a standout year for the WiNUK blog.
Growing blog audience
This year, our blogs were read over 9,500 times. Readership expanded substantially, with total reads increasing by 146% and visitor numbers rising by over 220%, reflecting a rapidly growing audience (5,000 of you were new visitors alongside our community of repeat visitors!). Together, these increases highlight the expanding reach, relevance, and impact of the WiNUK blog as a platform for evidence-informed discussion and gender equity education in neuroscience.
Impressive blog outputs
In 2025, we published an impressive 76 blogs, representing a 90% increase compared to 2024. Our Research section was especially popular for writers this year - focused content saw particularly strong growth, with the number of Research blogs increasing by over 170%, alongside an 80% increase in Review articles.
Our blog covered a broad and diverse range of topics, from systemic issues such as menopause, mental health, and the culture of overwork, to research spotlights, lived-experience pieces, and career guidance. We also launched new blog series, including Rewire Your Career, which highlights the diverse career paths into neuroscience and transitions between industry and academia, and continued popular features such as Spotlight On (if you would like to be featured, please get in touch at blog.womeninneuroscience.uk@gmail.com).
Looking across the year, Research emerged as the most popular theme overall, generating the highest total readership and engagement. Reviews also saw readership growth, reflecting increased interest in reflective, narrative-driven and perspective-based content. While Reality posts remained a cornerstone of the blog, consistently attracting readers through lived experience and storytelling, the balance of themes across the year demonstrates the value of providing a variation of neuroscience conversations, from personal experience to in-depth scientific discussion. This diversity of content has helped ensure that the blog remains inclusive, relevant and reflective of the many experiences within neuroscience.
To keep up with our latest posts going into 2026, catch our blogs every Monday and Thursday, and sign up to our mailing list to be the first to hear about new uploads (top right of this page).
Thriving blog writing community
This growth was driven by a truly collaborative writing community. Our Slack WiNUK Blog Writers & Editors space now brings together 126 members, an increase of over 50 people compared to last year, and has become a central hub for collaboration, peer support and idea sharing. In 2025, 14 guest writers contributed 21 blogs, the WiNUK blog team produced 24 blogs, while 18 volunteers from other WiNUK subteams authored 32 blogs. This highlights the collective effort behind the platform and the strength of cross-team engagement within WiNUK. Throughout the year, our contributors represented a wide range of career stages, from undergraduate and master’s students to PhD candidates, science communicators, and academic staff.
Through the dedication of our writers, editors, graphic designers and social media team, collective efforts have helped the WiNUK blog become the second most visited section of our website (just after the home page!).
If you’re keen to develop your writing skills this year, whether you have your own idea for a blog or would prefer to be inspired by our editors’ prompts, head to our Writer’s Guide, or get in touch with us via email at blog.womeninneuroscience.uk@gmail.com to find out more.
Our In-Person Events were “Inspirational”
In 2025, we hosted (and co-hosted) a whopping nine in-person events. From our first full day conference, WiNUK Day: Minds Matter in Nottingham, to our more informal Tea and Talk in Birmingham, to an Intro to WiNUK for BNA’s North East Neuro event, we had a very successful year! Over 400 of you attended our events, and we loved meeting you at our WiNUK stalls at two national conferences - thank you for coming to chat to us and for joining our mailing lists!
Look out for us at the ARUK conference once again this February…
In 2025, feedback included feeling “inspired by women who have made it - it is possible!” and that it was great to hear from “women who have made it without sacrificing family/work-life balance”. It was fantastic to hear that WiNUK had allowed you to “[find] your herd” and to feel “solidarity with women from shared experiences”. It is vital that we have helped our audience to appreciate “why women supporting other women is so important”!
Across 2025, our events consistently translated awareness into action. Our Unconscious Gender Bias Workshops have been delivered across four UK cities to date, in 2025 joining Sheffield medical students at the National Neurology and Neurosurgery conference to share evidence-based findings from Lizzie’s research on gender bias and sexism in dementia research, creating open, honest spaces for discussion and equipping attendees with practical steps to challenge bias. At this event, 90% gained new knowledge and 95% were encouraged to make changes towards inclusive workplaces.
In 2025, feedback included feeling “inspired by women who have made it - it is possible!” and that it was great to hear from “women who have made it without sacrificing family/work-life balance”. It was fantastic to hear that WiNUK had allowed you to “[find] your herd” and to feel “solidarity with women from shared experiences”. It is vital that we have helped our audience to appreciate “why women supporting other women is so important”!
Across 2025, our events consistently translated awareness into action. Our Unconscious Gender Bias Workshops have been delivered across four UK cities to date, in 2025 joining Sheffield medical students at the National Neurology and Neurosurgery conference to share evidence-based findings from Lizzie’s research on gender bias and sexism in dementia research, creating open, honest spaces for discussion and equipping attendees with practical steps to challenge bias. At this event, 90% gained new knowledge and 95% were encouraged to make changes towards inclusive workplaces.
Our events reached audiences spanning undergraduate students to group leaders, both in-person and online. Our event coupled with the Rosalind Franklin Institute (Women in Science: Overcoming Barriers and Unlocking New Career Opportunities) on International Women’s Day, brought together researchers from across disciplines and career stages to explore how gender shapes research data, alongside personal reflections on career progression and inequality. You learnt about different career paths: “your path doesn’t have to be linear to be a great scientist”, “non-traditional pathways are valuable and there…[is] space for women as leaders and mentors”. This event was voted by WiNUK volunteers as the WiNUK Project of the Year 2025 for its meaningful impact.
Also in April, our BNA Festival workshop on sex and gender disparities in neuroscience, Understanding and Tackling Sex/Gender Disparities in Neuroscience, platformed female researchers based across England and Wales and their work, exploring sex/gender differences in concussion, pain, and dementia. 86% said that the session was enjoyable and had given them new knowledge. 3 in 4 said the event made them consider sex/gender bias in their research/work.
In May, we hosted our first ever full conference day, this year in Nottingham. WiNUK Day 2025 highlighted the value of community and connection, with attendees most commonly describing the day as "supportive" and reflecting on the importance of women supporting women, open discussions about often overlooked challenges in academia, and seeing women-led research that centres women’s experiences. Together, these outcomes demonstrate not only the reach of WiNUK’s events, but their meaningful impact in empowering attendees to reflect, learn and advocate for change.
WiNUK Day will be back in 2026, this time in Birmingham! Keep an eye on our events page for more details.
WiNUK Awards 2025 was a Success!
The WiNUK Awards was bigger and better than ever in 2025, bringing together our community both in person and online, with 128 attendees celebrating excellence across neuroscience, supported by 18 in-person volunteers who helped the event run smoothly.
This year, we celebrated 13 public award categories and winners, including the introduction of new categories, reflecting the growing breadth of roles and contributions within neuroscience. In particular, we were proud to introduce the Research Support Award, recognising the invaluable contributions of research support staff who play a vital role in advancing neuroscience research but are too often under-recognised. All winners were selected by a panel of 38 judges, highlighting the diverse expertise and perspectives involved in the evaluation process.
We were thrilled to see more than a 50% increase in award nominations compared to 2024, with 190 nominations submitted. Nominations came from across the UK, highlighting the national reach of WiNUK, with submissions from London, Oxford, Nottingham, Cambridge, Scotland, Manchester, Hull, Lancaster, Exeter, Durham, Cardiff, Sheffield, Bath, Newcastle, Southampton, Warwick, Plymouth, York, Liverpool and Reading. This diversity of locations and career stages truly reflects the strength and inclusivity of our community.
The Awards would not have been possible without the generous support of our sponsors. We were delighted to be supported by Platinum Sponsor Wellcome Trust, who sponsored the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Award, alongside Silver Sponsors Alzheimer’s Research UK, UK Dementia Research Institute (UK DRI), and The Transmitter. We were especially excited to welcome a representative from The Transmitter, who travelled from the US to join us in person, highlighting the growing international reach of WiNUK.
Feedback from attendees was overwhelmingly positive. 99% of respondents felt inspired being around women and allies in neuroscience, while 94% found the award categories relevant and meaningful. Notably, 100% agreed that WiNUK is committed to advocating for gender equity in neuroscience, with 88% feeling motivated to take action to promote more inclusive workplaces. The Awards continue to be a powerful reminder of the importance of visibility, recognition and community in driving positive change.
Celebrating Continued Support and New Collaborations
In 2025, sponsorships and partnerships continued to play a central role in supporting WiNUK’s mission and ensuring our work remains sustainable and impactful. We were proud to form our first official partnership with Alzheimer’s Research UK, grounded in a shared commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion in dementia research. Partnerships like this are vital in enabling WiNUK to grow, while working towards meaningful, systemic improvements in neuroscience culture.
We were also delighted to announce our partnership with the Wellcome Trust at WiNUK Awards 2025. Our two-year collaboration has supported key WiNUK activities and will do so throughout 2026. Our sponsors have engaged with WiNUK in a range of ways, from supporting events and awards, to amplifying our work through their networks, and actively participating in discussions around gender equity and inclusion in neuroscience.
As WiNUK continues to grow, we are always keen to work with organisations who share our values. We are currently seeking sponsors for WiNUK Day 2026 in April, and would love to hear from individuals or organisations interested in supporting this flagship event. More information about partnering with WiNUK can be found on our website or by contacting partner.womeninneuroscience.uk@gmail.com .
Together, these collaborations help ensure that WiNUK can continue to support, celebrate and advocate for women and under-represented groups across neuroscience.
Our Virtual Events Provided Open and Honest Spaces For Networking
Alongside our busy in-person programme, we also hosted four virtual events in 2025, helping us maintain WiNUK’s global reach and create accessible spaces for connection, learning and support across the neuroscience community.
Our virtual events spanned a wide range of formats and themes. Speed Networking offered a structured but informal way for attendees to meet others across neuroscience, sparking mentorship and peer connections in a welcoming environment. Synaptic Synergy took a different approach, providing a calm, supportive co-working space designed to boost productivity while fostering accountability and peer support. We also collaborated with WiNRepo on Networks that Nurture: Mentorship & Inclusion in Neuroscience, which combined a panel Q&A with group discussions exploring how visible role models and inclusive mentorship practices shape confidence, belonging and career progression for early-career researchers.
Finally, our Women in Pain event (read our blog summary), delivered in collaboration with the British Pain Society, explored sex and gender differences in pain perception, diagnosis, treatment and research, highlighting persistent gaps in women’s pain experiences and care. A recording of this event allowed the conversation to reach even wider audiences.
Across our virtual programme, we saw 369 sign-ups, with participants joining us from the UK, Scotland, Ireland, UAE, India, Germany, Nigeria, and Canada. Attendees ranged from undergraduate students to postdoctoral researchers, alongside research associates and science communicators, reflecting the diversity of career stages engaging with WiNUK online.
Feedback from these events was overwhelmingly positive. Attendees highlighted the excellent contributions from panellists and chairs, with many valuing the openness and honesty of speakers sharing their experiences. You loved more informal, interactive spaces, with attendees expressing interest in future events that would allow them to chat, ask questions and seek advice from professionals across different fields.
We’re excited to build on this momentum in 2026. Join us for more virtual events featuring inspiring neuroscience talks, practical careers advice, interactive networking sessions, and community-led discussions as we continue working together to build more inclusive spaces in neuroscience.
Our Online Community Continues to Grow
In 2025, WiNUK’s social media presence saw substantial growth and expanded reach across platforms. We gained over 2,900 new followers, increasing our average follower count to approximately 9,500, and reached more than 42,000 users over the year. This growth reflects both increased posting consistency and the strong performance of content designed to be accessible, timely, and relevant to our audience.
Short-form, behind-the-scenes, and on-trend content performed particularly well. As in 2024, “Day in the Life” (DITL) posts consistently generated high engagement, while posts aligned with awareness moments, such as International Women’s Day and Parkinson’s Disease Awareness Month, reached the highest numbers of non-followers. Together, these formats helped introduce WiNUK to new audiences while continuing to serve our existing community.
Across platforms, certain posts stood out for engagement and visibility. On LinkedIn, the most interacted-with post was How Pregnancy Shapes the Brain, which received 78 likes, 2 comments and 10 reposts. On Instagram, the most liked post was the DITL PhD Student: Lab Edition carousel, with 168 likes, while the most viewed post was the video How Do Hormones Affect Your Brain?, which received 3,902 views. On TikTok, the DITL of a Neuroscience MSci Student carousel was the most liked post with 536 likes, and DITL of a PhD Student: Lab Edition was the most viewed post, reaching 5,871 views.
Our content reached audiences across the UK, including London, Cambridge, Nottingham, Bristol, Edinburgh and Sheffield, as well as internationally, with strong engagement from users in the USA and India. This geographic spread highlights the growing global visibility of WiNUK’s work and the broad relevance of our content.
The DITL PhD Student: Lab Edition carousel documented the day-to-day realities of PhD research within a lab environment, including techniques such as patch-clamping and electrophysiology. Similarly, the DITL of a Neuroscience MSci Student showcased undergraduate training experiences, from Animal Health and Welfare lectures to animal handling assessments, spinal cord surgery and staining. Educational posts also performed strongly, with How Pregnancy Shapes the Brain signposting to a recent blog exploring structural and functional brain changes during pregnancy, and How Do Hormones Affect Your Brain? providing an accessible short-form explanation of how hormones such as oestrogen, cortisol and testosterone influence brain function. Together, these posts demonstrate the impact of combining lived experience, education, and research-led content to engage diverse audiences.
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You Stayed Connected Through Our Newsletter
Our newsletter had a brilliant year in 2025, and we’re so proud of how our community continues to grow. By the end of the year, our mailing list had reached 979 subscribers, up from 666 in 2024, helping us to edge ever closer to the 1,000-subscriber milestone.
One of our biggest changes came in April 2025, when we switched from a PDF-style newsletter to a fully email-based format. This made the newsletter easier to read, more mobile-friendly, and allowed us to better track which content you were enjoying most. Alongside this, we updated our colour scheme to improve accessibility, ensuring our content is welcoming and usable for as many people as possible.
In terms of content, our blog highlights section continued to be a firm favourite, consistently receiving the highest number of clicks. Featuring blog posts across ‘research’, ‘reviews’, and ‘reality’ in neuroscience, this section shows just how much our community values evidence-informed, relatable content. Our WiNUK volunteer spotlights are another standout, celebrating the incredible achievements of our volunteers, from published research papers to podcasts and other creative science outputs.
We used the newsletter to keep you up to date with WiNUK events, sharing recaps of both virtual and in-person activities and promoting upcoming events. Some of our most-clicked links in 2025 were registrations for WiNUK Day: Minds Matter, WiNUK Awards nomination submissions, and our Women in Pain virtual event in collaboration with the British Pain Society. Alongside this, we highlighted key WiNUK social media posts and included a flexible “other” section for partnership announcements, job opportunities, and wider neuroscience news we thought you’d find useful.
Overall, the newsletter has become a key way for us to connect with our community, amplify the work of women in neuroscience, and make sure important conversations reach as many people as possible. Thank you for reading, sharing, and helping our mailing list grow, we can’t wait to see where it goes next.
If you aren’t already subscribed to our email newsletter, head to the bottom of our webpage to sign up!
What’s Next?
Beyond these metrics, we are so proud of the meaningful connections and important conversations we’ve sparked throughout the year. None of this would be possible without you and our fantastic volunteers. As we look to 2026, we are excited to continue growing our community to inspire and engage current and/or aspiring female neuroscientists worldwide. Here’s to an even more successful 2026 and continuing to build a brighter and more equitable scientific field!
2026 goals:
Cement WiNUK as the sector leader in inclusive neuroscience by increasing our profile and evidencing our research expertise.
Enhance our community structures, through our second annual conference and optimising our digital membership.
Continue to build partnerships with universities, funding bodies and biotechs to expand individual-led changes and begin to influence system-level changes to neuroscience culture.
Join us in 2026 for more inspiring neuroscience, networking connections, and advocacy towards more inclusive and innovative neuroscience. We’ve got lots more for you in the coming year, so stay tuned to our social media and mailing list! But if you can’t wait for that, here’s a sneak peek…
Following the success of our inaugural WiNUK Day, in 2026 we will be holding our next annual WiNUK Day in April in Birmingham, and it’s going to be bigger and better than ever! This edition’s theme is neurodiversity with a focus on inclusive research into neurodiversity plus lived experiences of neurodiverse researchers.
We are delighted to once again be attending the Alzheimer’s UK Research Conference on the 24th and 25th February in Manchester with a conference stall.
To all our WiNUK supporters, I wish you a happy and healthy 2026, filled with many successes!
From Rebecca Pope
Blog Coordinator & Editor
This article was written by Rebecca Pope and edited by Lizzie English, with graphics produced by Eve Cottenden, Ishika Joshi, Ginevra Sperandio, and Rebecca Pope. If you enjoyed this article, be the first to be notified about new posts by signing up to become a WiNUK member (top right of this page)! Interested in writing for WiNUK yourself? Contact us through the blog page and the editors will be in touch.