This Cornell student is one of Glamour's 2025 College Women of the Year
- Maryam Bellakbira
- Oct 20
- 1 min read
Mary Bellakbira knows you might be wondering how an undergraduate at Cornell studying biomedical engineering and biotechnology is connected to fashion. But she believes her background in STEM will help her become a pioneer in creating hormone-safe fashion.
“Fabrics can contain endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) like phthalates or parabens, which interfere with hormones,” she tells Glamour. “I want to develop testing systems to detect these chemicals in clothing and introduce safer, hormone-conscious alternatives. Imagine a certification label that gives women the confidence to know their clothing is as safe as it is stylish.”
A commercial model and pageant queen from Arlington, Virginia, Bellakbira is uniquely suited to bridging the gap between science and fashion. She was motivated to study and promote hormone health, specifically, after watching friends and family members struggle with infertility, thyroid problems, PCOS, Hasimoto’s, and other issues. In addition to pursuing her degree at Cornell, she founded Hormolize, a hormone health initiative and device that can test everyday products like maxi pads for disruptors.
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