1. Philippa Fawcett In 1890, Fawcett scored the highest mark of all the candidates for the Mathematical Tripos. She was placed `above the Senior Wrangler' (that is, above the top first) because women were not then eligible for the Cambridge BA degree and therefore could not be classed as Wranglers. Following this she won a scholarship through which she conducted research in Fluid Dynamics. Her published papers include "Note on the Motion of Solids in a Liquid". Muriel Wheldale Onslow British biochemist. 1880 – 1932. Her study of the inheritance of flower colour in the common snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus) contributed to the foundation of modern genetics. She also made important discoveries concerning the biochemistry of pigment molecules in plants, particularly the group of pigments known as anthocyanins. British mathematician. 1868 - 1948

2. Ottoline Leyser British plant biologist. 1965 – present. Leyser's research interests are in the genetics of plant development and the interaction of plant hormones with the environment. How plants grow and develop is crucial for the long term security of a sustainable supply of food and other plant products. She is the Director of the Sainsbury Laboratory. Constance Tipper British metallurgist and crystallographer. 1894 – 1995. Tipper specialized in the investigation of metal strength and its effect on engineering problems. She was the first person to use a scanning electron microscope for studies of fracture and identified the cause of brittle fracture that plagued World War II Liberty Ships. Her 100th birthday in 1994 was celebrated by Newnham College with the planting of the Tipper Tree.

3. Athene Donald British physicist. 1953 – present. Currently a professor of experimental physics at the Cavendish Laboratory, Cambridge. Athene Donald is known for her work relating mechanical properties to the structure of polymers. She has an active interest in the issues around women in science and has given many talks on the subject. Hertha Ayrton British engineer, physicist, mathematician and inventor. 1854 - 1923. She studied maths at Girton college but was not awarded a degree as Cambridge did not award degrees to women at this time. During her time at Cambridge she founded the Girton Fire Brigade. She was awarded the Hughes Medal by the Royal Society for her work on electric arcs and ripples in sand and water. She was nominated to become a Fellow of the Royal Society, however she was ineligible due to being married.