Coding for Kids
While studying bioscience in university, Chantelle Bell, along with classmate Anya Roy, co-founded Syrona Women (later Syrona Health) after developing an innovative home device that lets women test themselves for cervical cancer. Needless to say, we were impressed and wanted to find out more. That’s why we’re so excited to feature Chantelle in Tynker’s Women in STEM series.
In an interview with Forbes, Bell, who they named one of 2018’s Top Women in Tech, said:
“We’re looking to empower women, to create a paradigm where women are able to monitor their own health.”
Once Chantelle and Anya realized that at-home testing could one day save millions of lives, they developed a personal testing kit so women could monitor themselves for STDs, endometriosis, and cervical cancer and, as a result, get diagnosed faster. At the time, Bell said:
“At present, many of the detection methods for these conditions are very invasive, expensive, and infrequent.”
But before any of this, Chantelle worked hard at school.
Education
Chantelle received a Bachelor of Science from the University of Essex, focusing on Genetics, where she was also a member of the Ice Skating Society. Cool!
Next, she attended the University of Cambridge, earning a Master of Philosophy in the field of Bioscience Enterprise. And she was on her way. . .
Postcollege
Her first job out of college was in London as a Business Associate with ZS, a Pharmaceutical & Medical Device Management Consultancy. The dots are beginning to connect!
What’s Chantelle Up To Now?
In 2019, Roy and her launched Syrona as a solution for gynaecological health; including fertility, menopause, and endometriosis; a virtual clinic focusing on health, wellness, and fitness.
Chantelle stated Syrona’s purpose in a video she posted on vimeo as part of the Oslo Innovation Week:
“Women’s healthcare is an area that’s been overlooked and under-researched for too many years. Our vision is to create a portfolio of women’s healthcare services.”
Their main focus, however, is endometriosis, which affects over 150 million women around the world. To make it easier for women to get the support they need in an efficient and timely manner, Syrona developed an app, SORO, to track symptoms and get expert insights.
Going Forward
Helping people through science and technology is what Chantelle does best, which makes her a great example of the kind of determination and leadership that Tynker loves and a true inspiration to the next generation of girls who are thinking about a career in STEM-related fields. We asked Chantelle if she had anything to say to our young coders at Tynker:
“Always pursue your passion and create strong support networks to help you reach your goals.”
We can’t wait to see what Chantelle does next!
