The committee
Lorraine McDowell
President
Lorraine has always been passionate about science, from her early days in the laboratory to her current work in the pharmaceutical industry, where she analyses clinical trial data. After graduating with a degree in genetics in the United Kingdom, she noticed the lack of girls in this field, going so far as to take her science exams at a boys' school. When she joined EYH in 2009, she wanted to encourage girls to choose a scientific career path. She lives in Geneva with her husband and their three children.
Marie-Claude Blatter
Committee
Marie-Claude trained as a biochemist. After fifteen years devoted to basic research, she went on to pursue a career in bioinformatics. Passionate about science—and molecular biology in particular—she has been committed for many years to sharing knowledge, making science accessible (see the websites www.chromosomewalk.ch and https://lightofevolution.org/and helping younger generations discover the range of possibilities available to them in scientific careers. She has been a volunteer with Elargis tes Horizons since 2025 and a committee member since 2026.
Marie-Claude et Lena coordonnent ensemble les activités d’ETH.
Marie Mellody
Committee
Marie, trained in biochemistry and microbiology, has been working in academia and biomedicine for over 30 years. Having travelled and worked in the United States, Ireland, the United Kingdom and Switzerland, she teaches science to young people with passion and enthusiasm. A volunteer at EYH for eight years, she joined the Committee in 2023 to strengthen her commitment to scientific vocations.
Angela Piazzi
Treasurer
Angela has over 30 years of experience in new drug development. She has held positions as an inspector, project manager and director of teams responsible for setting up and conducting clinical trials at European and global levels. She has made it her mission to share her passion for research and her industry experience with as many girls as possible. That is why she joined the EYH committee in 2023.
Kenneth Wong
Vice-president and coordinator of annual activities, as well as workshops and stands at the biennial event.
A physicist and chemist, Kenneth has had an international career in the chemical industry, studying the interactions between active ingredients and complex environments in perfumery, cosmetics, paints and plastics. He considers diversity to be essential to the sustainability of organisations and their teams, as well as to nature and its balance, hence his involvement with EYH.
Caroline Eghagha Oyeyi
Committee
Half Swiss and half Nigerian, Caroline grew up in Lagos and moved to Geneva in her late teens. She always knew that there was no intellectual difference between boys and girls and passed this belief on to her four children (two girls and two boys). She joined EYH in 2017 and is thoroughly enjoying the experience!
Silvie Holowaty
Secretary, development officer and website editor
Silvie, who was drawn to science from an early age, studied mathematics, psychology and 3D computer graphics. She has worked passionately in research, teaching and the creation of educational materials (games, books, films, software). Convinced that girls have a rightful place in science, she enthusiastically joined the EYH project, motivated by a desire to promote equality and access to science for all.
Nicoletta Garelli
Volunteer Coordinator
Nicoletta is a particle physicist with 15 years of experience working on the ATLAS experiment at CERN (Geneva) and SLAC (California). An expert in problem solving, she has worked on detectors, data acquisition, triggering and software. An efficient and motivating coordinator, she has also organised training courses, workshops and the CERN Open Days 2019. She led CERN's contribution to the EYH biennial events in 2017 and 2019.
Chloë Sheikh - Kadir
Committee
Chloë holds a degree in genetics from University College London. The combination of an MSc in biological photography and imaging and a master's degree in museology has helped her to better understand how to get people interested in science. She has enthusiastically managed science communication and education projects in Brussels, London and Geneva.
Elle a géré avec enthousiasme des projets de communication et d’éducation scientifiques à Bruxelles, Londres et Genève.
Lena Maislisch
Committee
Lena a une formation en biochimie et travaille dans le secteur pharmaceutique et biotech depuis plus de 20 ans. Tant la science que la formation, et particulièrement celle des jeunes, sont des sujets qui lui tiennent beaucoup à coeur. Aussi, lorsqu’une amie membre du comité d’organisation lui a proposé de participer en tant que bénévole à l’édition 2013 d’ETH, elle a tout de suite accepté. Lena a été tellement enthousiasmée par cet événement qu’elle a décidé de rejoindre le comité pour l’édition suivante. Lena et Marie-Claude coordonnent ensemble les activités d’ETH.
Valérie Barbié
Committee
Valérie trained as a computer engineer and has always worked in the field of bioinformatics, both in academia and in the pharmaceutical industry. Involved in several initiatives related to education, particularly for young girls, she has been a volunteer with Elargis tes Horizons since 2012.