Women make up less than one-third of the STEM workforce. But 26-year-old Keiana Cavé is hoping she’s part of a new generation of rising female stars in the field. 

Her interest in science and technology began over a decade ago, when the then-high school student sought to contribute to improving the effects of the BP Oil Spill on New Orleans, where her family was living at the time. That research journey continued through college, where she raised $1.2 million from Chevron to support her work at the University of Michigan. Following success—including inventing a carcinogen-fighting molecule—and accolades, such as an appearance on Forbes’ 30 Under 30, Cavé was ready to close the chapter on nanotechnology and turn her attention to women’s health. Now, she’s taking on big pharma.

After her own research showed an estimated 85% of women have experienced negative side effects from the hormonal birth control pill, Cavé spent the past five years dedicated to the research and development of a non-hormonal alternative. Currently in clinical trials, the drug, if successful, would be the first of its kind to be approved by the FDA. It’s a feat no company, big or small, has achieved to date—but one her self-proclaimed “mad scientist” brain might just be able to solve. Here, she shares how she got her start, and what keeps her going when things get wild.    

My high school offered the Project Lead the Way program, which is essentially a full engineering curriculum. I signed up for it my first year because I was curious, but I ended up liking it so much that I continued it for all four years, and later pursued a college degree in engineering. I was one of the only women—and one of the only people of color—in the program, including at my own school. Because of that, I have felt very close to the idea of making sure young women feel they can take classes like this without worrying about them being too challenging, or being excluded or discriminated against in any way.

Growing up, my mom was very clean and taught me to view the world on a nano or microbial level; to envision things that people can’t really see, like bacteria or toxins. When I moved to New Orleans, the devastation from the BP oil spill, which had happened a few years earlier [in 2010], was still prevalent in the wildlife and fishing communities, and for the people who lived there. Watching the news and caring about the locals, I wanted to come up with more solutions than what was already available. Some options for clean-up were sponges or booms, and also certain chemicals that could neutralize and essentially cut up some of the oil in the water. My immediate thought was to try and envision what was happening beneath the surface. I knew they were cleaning the oil spill physically, but what else was forming in the water that we couldn't see? There weren't really any solutions to neutralize toxins photochemically, so I developed a solution by inventing methods of detecting toxins.

I was having some side effects from my birth control pill, and it took three to four doctors and a span of six months to figure that out. It made me really angry, which naturally left me wanting to find a solution to the hormonal birth control problem. Sublima Pharmaceuticals is still in super early stages, even though I’ve been working on it for almost five years. Typically you don't have a huge fundraise until after the drug gets approved by the FDA, and ours is currently in phase three of clinical trials.

I’ve generally felt quite empowered as a young woman pursuing this, but I would say that the more I've grown up, the more I've faced challenges with feeling like I'm being taken seriously, not feeling imposter syndrome, or feeling intimidated by other people in my field. You start to internalize what everyone says about what it means to be a young woman doing this, and you start to look around and say, “Oh, man, I really am one of the only women here.” I try to have the mindset that I used to when I was younger and more naive, where I’m only thinking about my goals and staying motivated through it all.

One of my mentors would always tell me: “Keep the main thing the main thing.” And what that means is, don't get distracted by what everyone else is doing. Another advisor would say “Life is a very long string of right nows,” and that is advice I always give younger people, because if you think of every situation as a contributor to your goal or future, it really impacts how we handle each moment.

My style has evolved over the years, but fashion has always been a mainstay in my life. I have always cared about what I wear and it’s really important for me to be able to express myself with my clothes. A few years ago I had a problem with mold, and when you have any sort of mold or toxin issue—especially as a scientist who thinks on the molecular level—you really have to get rid of your stuff—everything—and start from scratch. Since then, things are a lot less precious to me, and I prioritize comfort and fit above all else. Whether it’s a simple pair of jeans, T-shirt, or blazer, as long as it’s well-tailored, I will feel more confident.