These 21 Amazing Researchers Pioneered The Way For Today's Female Scientists

The female contribution to the advancement of science and medicine is often overlooked, but the Grolier Club celebrated the role of women in science with its exhibit "Extraordinary Women in Science & Medicine: Four Centuries of Achievement."

Starting with women born in the mid 1500s, the 32 women celebrated in this exhibit were not only pioneers in their fields, many were women's rights activists and worked to encourage other women to enter the science and medical fields.

We've picked out 21 of the women to highlight here.

The exhibit celebrated these women's contributions to science while revealing how many challenges they faced as women in a field dominated by men. Many faced lack of education opportunities, pressure from their parents and society, and many were not given the same recognition for their achievements as their male counterparts.

The exhibit only ran through Nov. 23, but you can check out the book that includes all the information. The Grolier Club is an organization that collects books and prints written throughout history, so we got to see the published papers, lab notebooks, dissertations, and lab equipment of these women up close.