Meet 10x's Kamila Belhocine
Women’s History Month is all about sharing the stories of women who’ve helped shape our world. And, here at 10x, we love any opportunity to highlight the contributions of women, especially when it comes to scientific discovery. But, instead of focusing on the great women of the past, we're featuring women who are making a difference in science right now. We talked to four 10x’ers about how they got into science, what they do at 10x, and how we can all promote women in science, and we'll be posting each of their profiles periodically throughout the rest of the month.
March is almost over, but we've still one more 10x’er for you to meet - Kamila Belhocine, Ph. D. who works on our molecular biology team!
Growing up, I was fascinated by planets and stars and wanted to study astronomy. I started a physics degree in college to study astrophysics. Mid-way through college though, I had my first encounter with molecular biology during a biophysics class and found my new passion! After obtaining my PhD in Microbiology/Molecular Biology and undergoing a post-doctoral training, I joined the dynamic world of biotechnology in the Bay Area. I now work in the molecular biology team at 10x, developing novel molecular biology tools that power 10x through the cutting edge of discovery and innovation.
I believe that promoting women in Science starts by empowering young girls in school to succeed in math and science. It starts by fighting gender stereotypes reinforcing the ideas that boys are smart while girls are pretty. Girls should know they can be pretty AND smart, and that they can do great things. Many resources highlight the accomplishments of special women, and these many examples should be promoted to show every little girl that she can do anything and that the sky is the limit.