Eugenia Duodu | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Alma mater | University of Toronto Mississauga |
| Known for | Co-founding Visions of Science and Network for Learning |
| Scientific career | |
| Thesis | The Development of Receptors and Chemosensors for the Recognition of Proximally Phosphorylated Motifs (2015) |
| Doctoral advisor | Patrick Gunning |
Dr. Eugenia Duodu Addy is a Canadian chemist and the CEO of Visions of Science Network for Learning (VoSNL).
Duodu grew up in a Toronto Community Housing (TCH) development in Etobicoke. [1] [2] [3] She credits her teachers and past TCH mentors for fostering her passion in science, but also notes that as she further progressed through science training, she was one of the few remaining black women or from community housing. [1] [4] [5] As a child, Duodu remembers creating her own science fairs at home, inspired by Bill Nye on television, and credits her mom for encouraging her aptitude in science and math, despite facing racism from teachers. [6]
In high school she was encouraged by a teacher to attend a summer mentorship program with the University of Toronto geared towards encouraging Black and Indigenous students to pursue university degrees in STEM. The mentorship program included job shadowing scientists in labs and doctors in hospitals where she and other students were taught to read X-Rays and study MRIs. [7]
In 2010, Duodu completed a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry and biology at the University of Toronto Mississauga. [8] Duodu then pursued a PhD in medicinal chemistry at the same campus, under the supervision of Patrick Gunning, where her thesis focused on developing phosphoprotein recognition agents for disease detection and treatment. [4] [9] [10]
During her PhD, Duodu volunteered with VoSNL - a non-profit organization which provides science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) focused educational programs, through weekly local science clubs, for youth from low-income and marginalized communities. [2] [11] [12] Duodu coordinated weekend science clubs for Grade 4-8 children living in TCH developments, and was a member of the VoSNL board of directors. [2] [3] Duodu also co-founded the Creating Global Citizens project, through which she worked with TCH youth communities to furnish a Ghanaian library, as well as other initiatives in Uganda, Tanzania, Jamaica and Trinidad. [4] [13] [14]
Duodu is currently the CEO of VoSNL. [11] She currently takes part in several activities to improve science literacy, where her goal is to make a long-lasting impact in disadvantaged communities through STEM engagement and thus allow youth to unlock their potential. [1] [5] [8] [15] [16] [17] [18] [19] When she began volunteering with VoSNL in 2015, the organization was working with six communities and had an operations budget of $20,000. As of 2020, the operating budget was $1.2 million and the organization serves approximately 1,500 students from 29 communities. [6] The organization has six full-time staff, twenty-four part-time staff, and over ninety volunteers. VoSNL receives funding support from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and the Ontario Trillium Foundation. [7]
In 2018, at a TEDxYouth@Toronto event, Duodu shared her science journey in a talk titled "The 'Unlikely' Scientist." [5] [20] [21]
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