By Society Member Joy Anwuli
Joy is a PhD student of Physiology at University of Benin, Nigeria. Her research focuses on reproductive physiology and developmental biology with a particular interest on germ cell development and molecular regulation of the reproductive system, using rodent models as her primary experimental system. Her research explores the expression and function of key genes to better understand sex-specific developmental pathways and fertility.
Throughout her career, she has been committed to ensuring that scientific research and training environments are accessible, representative, and inclusive. She believes receiving the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Fund from the Physiological Society is a tremendous honor and a vital support. This funding enabled her to promote equitable participation in physiology, helping to remove barriers for underrepresented groups in a secondary school within her community and she looks forward to subsequent collaborations with the Society.
Joy Anwuli was a 2025 Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Fund recipient. We followed up with Joy to find out more about her project and the outcomes.
Please tell us about your project
The event ‘Igniting Minds’ introduced basic scientific principles to secondary students. This project demonstrated the effectiveness of early exposure to science to rural communities and the importance of adapting teaching methods to local contexts to help students appreciate science. Some of the basic physiology principles demonstrated were homeostasis and specialised cells. For homeostasis, we demonstrated how the body regulates its internal environment through positive and negative feedback response, while for specialised cells, we demonstrated the different cell types in the body and their various functions.
What were the outcomes/impact of your project? If still ongoing, what will these be?
The outcome was increased student engagement with science, demonstrated by active participation and positive feedback. This sparked curiosity and inspired some students to consider STEM fields in the future. Because science is relatable, the students were so engrossed with the activities that it spurred more students to be interested in the sciences.
Do you have any plans to continue this work? If so, how?
While the initial phase is completed, we are committed to having a ‘next’ phase of ‘Igniting Minds’ for sustainability.
Do you have any advice or recommendations for potential future applicants?
My advice to future applicants is to show how their respective projects can overcome barriers in under-deserved communities.