Co-developer AstraZeneca vaccine becomes Barbie

Professor Sarah Gilbert, who helped develop the Astrazeneca vaccine, got her own Barbie doll.

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Professor Gilbert initially thought it was a ‘weird idea’: a Barbie doll in her likeness. But if it would inspire young girls to opt for a Stem training program more often, she would agree. And that Gilbert then inspires, it may be said. Earlier this year, she was knighted for her contribution to the development of the AstraZeneca vaccine: the professor led the team dedicated to developing covid vaccines at Oxford University.

Five inspiring women

Gilbert isn’t the only Barbie doll parent company Mattel has now released: Five women working in Stem professions got their own doll: Amy O’Sullivan — who cared for New York’s first covid patient —, Kirby White — who was to doctor’s coats in Australia–, Doctor Audrey Cruz, Canadian doctor and campaigner Dr Chika Stacy Oriuwa and Brazilian biomedical researcher Jaqueline Goes de Jesus each get their own doll.

Not in toy stores

“Barbie recognizes that all frontline workers have made huge sacrifices. (…) We want to highlight their achievements by sharing their stories,” Mattel said. “To inspire a new generation to be like these heroes and give back,” the company said in a press release.

However, the barbie dolls are not available in the toy stores, it is about a ‘symbolic’ doll that every woman gets from the company.

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