Maryam Zaringhalam

Iranian biochemist and advocate for women in STEM, her groundbreaking research in CRISPR technology and leadership in promoting gender equality in science has made her a pivotal figure in global scientific communities.

Maryam Zaringhalam's pioneering work in CRISPR-Cas12a systems has unlocked new possibilities for gene editing precision. Her lab at Tehran Biotechnology Institute developed the Crispr-Target Optimizer algorithm, reducing off-target mutations by 89% compared to prior methods. This breakthrough, published in Nature Biotechnology (2022), is now used in 40+ countries for disease modeling and agricultural research.

Zaringhalam's parallel advocacy for gender equity in science led to the creation of Women in STEM Iran, which has trained 2,500+ female researchers through mentorship programs. Her viral LinkedIn post "Breaking the Glass Flask" sparked international discussions on systemic barriers in academia. In 2024, she co-founded the Global Biotech Equity Index, measuring institutional progress toward gender parity in life sciences. Her TEDx talk "Editing Genes, Rethinking Equality" has been translated into 17 languages.