This book is the second edition of the acclaimed work on Laura Maria Caterina Bassi (1711–1778), the first woman to earn a doctorate in science and hold a university chair in Europe. It traces her extraordinary journey as a physicist, academic, and pioneer who helped shift scientific thought from Cartesian to Newtonian principles. This new edition brings significant updates: corrected historical details, newly uncovered material on Bassi’s scientific contributions and correspondence, and a reorganized structure that offers deeper insight into her networks, her strategies for advancing in a male-dominated world, and her lasting influence on women in science. Readers find a richer, more accurate narrative that situates Bassi within the intellectual and social debates of her time while exploring the broader evolution of women’s roles in science and medicine.

Monique Frize is a Canadian biomedical engineer and trailblazer for women in STEM. She became the first woman to graduate in engineering from the University of Ottawa in 1966. Her career spans clinical engineering, academia, and leadership in advancing gender equity. She held the NSERC/Nortel Chair for Women in Science and Engineering in Ontario and prior to that she held the first Northen Telecom Chair for women in engineering at UNB. Frize co-founded the International Network of Women Engineers and Scientists (INWES). Her research focused on medical imaging, decision support systems, and neonatal care. Recognized as an Officer of the Order of Canada, she remains a global role model in STEM.