Fatty acids and feminism: Ida Smedley MacLean, the first woman to Chair the Biochemical Society

In 2017, Professor Anne Dell will take over as Chair of the Biochemical Society. She is only the fourth woman to hold that office in more than 100 years, with the first of her predecessors taking up the office 90 years ago in 1927! Fostering diversity and equal opportunity is one of the Society's strategic objectives. Having inclusivity as a norm – and an expectation on the part of our members and community – would not have been possible without the pioneering role of women such as Ida Smedley MacLean.