Please, tell us a little bit about yourself: I am Dr. Karuna Ganesh, a physician-scientist at MSKCC. I am a medical oncologist and treat patients with advanced gastrointestinal cancers. In my lab, we study tumors removed from patients undergoing surgery to learn how cancers spread (metastasize) to different organs, and how to make better drugs that can target and reverse the aggressive biology of metastatic cancers. I grew up in India, where I first learned about physician-scientists in a medical thriller novel, and became excited about the idea of using science to make a difference in people’s lives. Since this career did not exist in India, I left aged 15, and moved to the US, UK and back to the US to train as a physician-scientist, and eventually started my own lab at MSKCC in 2019. "I became excited about the idea of using science to make a difference in people’s lives." What advice would you give yourself if you were starting your career today? What would you say to encourage other women to persevere in their career path? Believe in yourself and ignore the naysayers. You may be the first person who looks like you doing something, and people may be surprised by this, but don’t let that put you off. Perseverance is often the most critical quality for achieving something in any field. If you keep doing something that you care about, you will eventually be recognized for that. "Believe in Yourself and Ignore the naysayers." What do you think the roadblocks are to representation of women in science? How can we improve women’s visibility in science? Studies show that women are stymied at every level in science. Girls are steered away from STEM due to social pressures and the lack of role models. Early career female scientists experience subconscious and sometimes conscious discrimination in access to the best projects, resources, opportunities for visibility and promotion, often due to the reality or perception of imbalanced childcare responsibilities. The shortage of women higher up the scientific career ladder restricts peer networks, mentorship and unconscious bias where women are not seen as a ‘good fit’ for leadership positions or high-powered scientific collaborations. I am enthused by recent efforts across science to raise awareness among both men and women about unconscious bias, and to actively identify, mentor and promote women at all levels. However, a more sustained and concerted effort will be needed to achieve gender parity in science. What are your thoughts on the pressure that women face in having to make a choice between starting a family and progressing their career? I don’t see this as an either/or. Life involves choices and trade-offs. My advice is to be deliberate about decisions related to career and family. Don’t let circumstances make decisions for you instead. Make purposeful decisions about what kind of career and family life you want, what compromises you are and are not willing to make on either front. Engage the people in your life who would share caregiving responsibilities fully in this decision-making process. There is no one right answer for everyone, and your answers may change over time. But in my view, having a clear idea about who you are and what you want out of life upfront increases the probability of achieving your goals. And of course we need to keep advocating for policies and social norms that support gender parity in both work and family life. "Don’t let circumstances make decisions for you instead."
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Please, tell us a little bit about yourself: I am currently an Instructor from the Department of Pathology at NYU Langone. Born and raised in Lebanon, I performed my Ph.D. in Biology at Sorbonne Université and Institut Pasteur in Paris, followed by a postdoctoral training in Barcelona. I moved to New York in 2013 and have been focused on a deeper understanding of epigenetic mechanisms favoring the survival and invasiveness of cancer cells, as well as the potential use of epigenetic regulators as therapeutic targets. Outside of the lab, I enjoy hiking, attending the ballet, long walks/runs in Central Park and spending time with my friends and loved ones. "Let go of feeling guilty when you are not working 24/7." In your opinion, what is the best way to maintain work-life balance? The best way to maintain work-life balance is to let go of feeling guilty when we are not working 24/7. Only then will it be possible to enjoy great moments in our personal life, which will have wonderful repercussions on our professional productivity and overall positive attitude. "I wish there was more awareness that women can be extremely successful juggling both, as long as they don’t submit to unrealistic expectations - self-imposed or not - to be “perfect at everything”." What are your thoughts on the pressure that women face in having to make a choice between starting a family and progressing their career? That pressure is difficult to deal with and imposed both by the workplace and society. When I was a PhD student, it was acceptable to joke about pregnancy as an April fool’s joke to play on your supervisor, as if you were giving him/her the worst news of their lifetime. Fortunately, this attitude is unacceptable these days, although we still have a long way to go when it comes to unconscious biases. I would say that starting a family and progressing in our career should be considered as two very unrelated and extremely personal decisions. I wish there was more awareness that women can be extremely successful juggling both, as long as they don’t submit to unrealistic expectations - self-imposed or not - to be “perfect at everything”. In my opinion, choosing an excellent support system formed by the life partner who is the right person for you, family and friends is the choice that matters the most! "Nothing beats the rush I feel when a student/trainee of mine is successful, enjoying what they are doing and achieving their goals." What are the things that keep you motivated in your everyday life? Do you have any daily ritual that helps you stay consistently motivated and balanced? What motivates me every day is having the sensation that I am doing something meaningful, and having a positive impact on people surrounding me, both in professional and personal settings. Nothing beats the rush I feel when a student/trainee of mine is successful, enjoying what they are doing and achieving their goals. My morning workouts help me stay motivated, balanced and energized, and I feel their positive impact on my day. "Feeling appreciated in the workplace and not taken for granted are crucial to persevere in a career path that is often paved with difficulties." What advice would you give yourself if you were starting your career today? What would you say to encourage other women to persevere in their career path? If I were starting my career today, I would choose positions where a clear professional development plan is defined and would not shy away from asking the hard questions.
I would encourage women to be comfortable with asking for what they need and negotiating without worrying about how they would come off. Feeling appreciated in the workplace and not taken for granted are crucial to persevere in a career path that is often paved with difficulties. Please tell us a little bit about yourself: I am a marine biologist connecting the environment, gender equality and science diplomacy for a more sustainable and just future for all. By day, I am the Scientific Coordinator of CREAF, a multidisciplinary Spanish research center focused on global change and biodiversity research. By night, I am the President of the Association for Spanish Scientists in USA (www.ecusa.es), and President of the Network of Spanish Researchers Abroad (RAICEX, representing ECUSA). To be more proficient at connecting science and society, currently I am also pursuing a master’s degree in International Affairs by Fletcher School (Tufts University – GMAP’21). In 2018, I was awarded the Spanish Red Cross Gold Medal for advocating for gender equality as a key component of climate action. The following year, me and my teammates founded the Spanish non-profit ‘Ellas Lideran’ to continue our advocacy work. I was a 2019 Aspen Ideas Festival Scholar, and a 2018 92Y Women inPower fellow. Recently, I co-authored the children’s book ‘The Secret Life of Viruses’, translated to 14 different languages and with more than 30.000 copies already sold. I love lemon pie, miss dancing, and have two kids. "Key part of the solution: men allies." What do you think the roadblocks are to representation of women in science? How can we improve women’s visibility in science? Not everyone is aware of the magnitude of the problem and its consequences, or despite being aware of it they are not taking the necessary steps to implement real change. It is essential to continue and increase the efforts of advocating making visible women in STEM and the reasons why despite some improvement we are still seeing a lack of diversity and inclusion, especially in leadership roles. Key part of the solution: men allies. We need men to step down from manels, from all-men selection committees, etc, and to fight with us for equal salaries, equal career opportunities, to take an active role for diversity and inclusion in STEM. A lot of them are, but we need all of them. "My big picture is one month. When I tried to have a 50/50 work-life balance daily I was failing dramatically and feeling guilty every day." In your opinion, what is the best way to maintain work-life balance? Don’t think about work-life balance as a daily thing. Establish a big picture and evaluate your work-life balance from there. My big picture is one month. When I tried to have a 50/50 work-life balance daily I was failing dramatically and feeling guilty every day. Now I assume that some days I work a lot, and some others I am able to work less and enjoy other things without feeling guilty. If by the end of the month I don’t have a 50/50 aftermath, then I think about what I can change and try again. "I prefer to encourage women to do what is best for them, and sometimes that means to explore other career paths where they can be happier." What advice would you give yourself if you were starting your career today? What would you say to encourage other women to persevere in their career path? I don’t like to encourage other women to persevere in their career path, I prefer to encourage women to do what is best for them, and sometimes that means to explore other career paths where they can be happier. It is exhausting to be constantly trying to fit in a system that was not designed by women or having women in mind, and persevere under those circumstances is not for everyone. Asking women constantly to raise our voices, claim for our space, lean in… only perpetuates the narrative that WE need to do more and fix a problem that we didn’t create. Let’s remember that not everyone is a warrior, and that’s ok. And choosing not to fight doesn’t make you a failure. It would be refreshing to put the focus on men from time to time and ask THEM to step aside and give us a hand so we can, together, change the system.
Please tell us a little bit about yourself: My name is Jill Bargonetti and I am a native New Yorker. I went to Hunter Elementary School and High School and the transferred to the Bronx High School of Science. I earned my B.A. at SUNY College at Purchase and my Ph.D. at New York University and did postdoctoral work at Columbia University. I serve as chair of the Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology subprogram of the Ph.D. Program in Biology at The Graduate Center of CUNY and as professor of biological sciences at The Graduate Center, Hunter College and Weill Cornell Medical College. Since 1994, I have been running the Bargonetti Lab cancer biology laboratory at Hunter College, where my team is using genetically engineered tools to research breast cancer and other cancers. I have published my research in prestigious scientific journals including Cell, Nature, Genes and Development, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, and Cancer Research. I served as a standing member of the Tumor Cell Biology study section grant review panel for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) from 2012 to 2018. I have received research grants from the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, the American Cancer Society, and the Department of Defense. I have been honored by the U.S. government as an innovator in the education of minorities in science. My awards include the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, from President Bill Clinton; the New York City Mayor’s Award for Excellence in Science and Technology; the New York Voice Award (given to those who have made a significant improvement to the quality of life in New York City); the Kathy Keeton Mountain Top Award from the New York branch of the NAACP; the Outstanding Woman Scientist Award from the Association for Women in Science; the NYU Graduate School of Arts and Science and SUNY Purchase Outstanding Alumnae Achievement Awards and I have been named to the Bronx High School of Science Hall of Fame. I was profiled by Working Mother magazine as one of the nation’s “Stellar Moms.” My scientific work is currently funded by the Breast Cancer Research Foundation and the National Institutes of Health. I also do work on integrating science education and movement and have developed a Hunter College course called “Choreographing Genomics”. "Science careers do not have to be all or none." In your opinion, what is the best way to maintain work-life balance? I always recognize that prioritizing helps me to manage my many responsibilities. I also practice saying no at work so I can keep time for things at home. What are your thoughts on the pressure that women face in having to make a choice between starting a family and progressing their career? People think it is alright to ask women about their choice of having, or not having children. Not all women want children and/or families. Women must remember that their personal life is personal. When you leave work, it is up to you what you do. I think we need to start having conversations about how people manage this. Sometimes husbands think the wife is available to take care of children or manage family (sometimes staying at home) so the men rarely discuss family choice. Women think it is a choice rather than a given and tell about the juggling. I think this is alright but sometimes when women do tell their stories they are judged as “less than”. This is the pressure that I think we need to have stop. Women do not have to share all the details about their personal choices. Be that the choice of marrying or not, having children or not, working all the time or not. Science careers do not have to be all or none. "Do not be shy about being smart. Trust yourself as much as you see the men around you trusting in themselves." What are the things that keep you motivated in your everyday life? Do you have any daily ritual that helps you stay consistently motivated and balanced? I exercise every day and I drink lots of water. When things start to bother me, or when life and work get challenging, I try to take a step back. I wait to see how I feel, and what I think, the next day. I have learned that my work and scholarship are happening even when I am taking a walk. During my moments of just thinking quietly new motivations and ideas emerge. What advice would you give yourself if you were starting your career today? What would you say to encourage other women to persevere in their career path? Do not be shy about being smart. Trust yourself as much as you see the men around you trusting in themselves.
Please tell us a bit about yourself: I am a senior faculty member at New York University. I have been at NYU since completing my post-doc 36 years ago. I am also currently Vice Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Science. I have one daughter who was born during my post-doc years. I discovered research as an undergraduate and realized then that I wanted to spend my professional life as a researcher. I later discovered that I also enjoyed teaching, so when the opportunity presented itself, I accepted a tenure-track faculty position. I had a problem in mind when I decided to go to graduate school. I was working with people who had serious developmental intellectual disabilities; I wondered how those conditions had come about and how assessment of function in young children could be improved. That interest, and questions that have arisen as my research has progressed continue to drive my research. "Women often have trouble saying ‘no’ to doing more than their share." What do you think the roadblocks are to representation of women in science? How can we improve women’s visibility in science? In some ways, we are our own worst enemies; we keep challenging ourselves to work harder and do more. Women often have trouble saying ‘no’ to doing more than their share. When we do, we are often viewed as uncollegial or selfish. So we tend to agree to take on more responsibility even if we are already pulling our weight. This ultimately takes its toll on our productivity, reducing the time we have to devote to our research, mentoring activities, and impacts our visibility and standing in the field over the long-term. One way to improve the visibility of women and their research is, e.g., create a listing of women scientists in your field that are available and interested to give talks, colloquia, participate in panels and workshops at meetings. The lists can be used as sources to find and highlight the work of your female colleagues. "I have seen graduate students, post-docs and junior faculty all successfully navigate the challenges of having a family at those career stages (myself included)." What are your thoughts on the pressure that women face in having to make a choice between starting a family and progressing their career? I don’t feel that this is a choice that women in science really have to make. I think the choice is when to start a family more so than whether. It seems like there is never a really good time because there is pressure to be productive at all stages, but the stage that works best for an individual will depend on their own situation. Science – to my mind – is more flexible and open to family matters than many careers. In general, your time is quite flexible, making the inevitable juggling of family and work responsibilities easier to manage. I have seen graduate students, post-docs and junior faculty all successfully navigate the challenges of having a family at those career stages (myself included). Certainly, some do not succeed, but the outcome would likely have been similar for these women in another field. "If you are passionate about science, take every opportunity to continue down that path." What advice would you give yourself if you were starting your career today? What would you say to encourage other women to persevere in their career path? Never turn down an opportunity. If you are passionate about science, take every opportunity to continue down that path. Passion for discovery, problem solving and finding answers is what allows me to persevere. If you have that passion, you should follow it. There is more than one path to get to a position of independence. Many people have taken unconventional paths to research or faculty positions. They just kept trying until they found a way to get where they wanted to go.
Dr Jessica Tome Garcia is currently an associate director at the Michael JFox Foundation for Parkinson's research. Jessica is originally from Spain, where she obtained a Master’s Degree and a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology, from the University of the Basque Country. She moved to the US 9 years ago for a postdoctoral position at Rutgers University. Since then, she worked with different organizations and associations whose mission is to protect and give a voice to science. Jessica works towards achieving a global sustainable development based on policy and science. "I try to have some time off outside of work everyday, which helps me stay both mentally and physically healthy." "Try to understand yourself and what you want to do, and once you have that, it is crucial to find good mentors that will really help you achieve your goals." Tell us a little bit about yourself: I was born and grew up in a small town in northern Italy. After my degree and almost 6 years of experience working in cancer research, I moved to the US 12 years ago with my husband. I worked in academic institutions and a family foundation and I am currently working for a private company. We have two kids who are 10 and 7 years old. What was supposed to be a few years’ experience turned into our life and we are now settled in NY. "We all want to excel, we want to shine and have a bright career but that doesn’t mean we have to sacrifice our personal life to it." In your opinion, what is the best way to maintain work-life balance? Set boundaries. Especially now during the pandemic when we are all working from home it is important to set limits. We all want to excel, we want to shine and have a bright career but that doesn’t mean we have to sacrifice our personal life to it. It is important to learn when it is time to stop and dedicate time to a hobby, to our family, to our friends. It seems obvious and straightforward, but it is not especially if you feel the pressure of your colleagues working long hours. Our value will be recognized even if we do not work 24/7 and if the workplace is not recognizing it, then it is time for a new adventure. "Mentors and colleagues who value our expertise and skills will not ask us to choose." What are your thoughts on the pressure that women face in having to make a choice between starting a family and progressing their career? In my life, I was always very lucky, and I was never put in the positions of having to choose. All my mentors and supervisors were extremely supportive, but I can see how starting a family could be a challenge for women not as lucky as I was. I think there is not a solution to that. Women will always face a bumpier path, but I do believe that if we keep believing in our dreams, we will eventually find people around us who will believe in us and support us in our growth. Mentors and colleagues who value our expertise and skills will not ask us to choose. Finding that environment will not be easy, but we should not give up our dreams of starting a family, but rather we should focus on finding that workplace where we are valued even more because we have a family. And I can say these places totally exist. "You need to focus on what makes you happy, keeps you excited and curious." What advice would you give yourself if you were starting your career today? What would you say to encourage other women to persevere in their career path? Follow your dreams, do what you like, do not be discouraged by difficulties and seize the opportunities. You will never find the perfect job, but you need to focus on what makes you happy, keeps you excited and curious. No matter what your job is, it takes a lot of your time and you do not want to be bored or struggle because you do not like it.
Tell us a little bit about yourself: My profound and life-long interest in evolutionary biology has been the driving force that has pushed me to become a researcher in this field. After earning a master’s degree in Biology at University Paris Sud-XI and a Ph.D. in Genetics at the University of Cologne in Germany, I completed postdocs in both France and the United States. During my postdocs, I worked on the genetic basis of adaptation to biotic and abiotic stresses in plants and had the opportunity to analyze next-generation sequencing data with various genomics tools. Then, I decided to become a bioinformatician and earned a diploma in Bioinformatics at Paris Diderot. I now combine in-depth computer skills and extensive experience in evolutionary biology to serve the mission of Biotia as a bioinformatician. Biotia, located in NYC, is a health tech company using DNA sequencing technologies and Artificial Intelligence to fight hospital-acquired infections. "It took me years to recognise myself as an independent scientist with strong skills." Did you ever feel treated unfairly at work because of your gender and how did you deal with that? I haven’t really felt that I have been treated unfairly at work because of my gender; nevertheless, I would like to mention a habit that I have always had, which is systematically underestimating myself. It is probably a societal phenomenon due to culture, education and the low number of female scientific models. Along these lines, I have long felt the pressure to do an excellent job to prove that I am a legitimate scientist. It took me years to recognise myself as an independent scientist with strong skills. Today, though, I would still feel too shy to negotiate a pay increase. I have always thought that computer science and coding would be too difficult for me and I used to avoid them, but later I realised I really like both, and today, as I have stated, I have become a bioinformatician. I have been able to overcome my earlier fear, and I am planning to overcome all my fears and stop being my own enemy. "I would like to highlight the importance of saying “No” and recognizing and establishing your limits." In your opinion, what is the best way to maintain work-life balance? Here, I would like to highlight the importance of saying “No” and recognizing and establishing your limits. If your supervisor or colleagues ask you to complete something by a specific date, but according to you it will be impossible to finish the project in that amount of time, without working 12 hours per day and over weekends, then I recommend explaining precisely why the project requires additional time. Your clear arguments will enable your supervisor and co-workers to accept more easily having to postpone the deadline, when possible. And at the same time, you will show that you are on top of your project(s) and that you have the ability to organise and anticipate all the steps to reach your goals. I also personally preserve my weekends and my lunch time (at least 30 minutes) except if there is really an emergency. Finally, my health is my priority; I take the time to exercise several times per week, and that is non-negotiable. "It is not mandatory to follow the classical academic career from Ph.D. to professorship." What advice would you give yourself if you were starting your career today? What would you say to encourage other women to persevere in their career path? My first advice is very practical. I recommend that you work on research projects of public interest that can be easily funded. It is then very important to develop excellent skills in writing grants and scientific articles and to work in a country and a laboratory where you can do your research in the best conditions.
Second, I advise you to be very active on professional/social networks to optimize your visibility within the scientific community. Networking skills are very helpful to finding suitable job offers, recruiting people, facilitating useful collaborations. Finally, I would like to remind you that it is not mandatory to follow the classical academic career from Ph.D. to professorship. For example, I am working in a health tech start-up whose mission matches my values; I feel really useful, and it makes me proud of being a scientist. Please tell us a little bit about yourself: I moved to the US with my pets in 2012 and joined Dr Ron Duman’s lab at Yale University as a post-doc fellow. There, I quickly became interested in rapid-acting antidepressants and other topics that were new to me. In summer 2015, I started to look for jobs and thought I would need to go back to France since I was on a J-1 visa here. I wanted to work outside academia. By chance, at that time there was a job opening at a biopharmaceutical company that fitted with my skills. Long story short: I applied even though I was not feeling ready and it worked out: the company even sponsored my visa and later on my green card. "The best ways to maintain work-life balance is to have clear boundaries while remaining flexible and willing to help our colleagues" In your opinion, what is the best way to maintain work-life balance? During the PhD and post-doc, it is expected to work long hours, even on weekends. I would say that work-life balance is more reachable at a later stage, beyond the post-doc. And one of the best ways to maintain it is to have clear boundaries while remaining flexible and willing to help our colleagues. "Having nice colleagues with good team spirit makes a huge difference at the end of the day." What are the things that keep you motivated in your everyday life? Do you have any daily ritual that helps you stay consistently motivated and balanced? Having nice colleagues with good team spirit is very important and motivates to come to work. That makes a huge difference at the end of the day. I am otherwise always looking for improvement in all sorts of areas, buying new books, watching inspiring shows or documentaries. During the pandemic, we all had to rethink our schedule. I stopped exercising for a while and I realized I’d better move more if I want to feel well. "Find an activity that helps you reset on a daily basis." What advice would you give yourself if you were starting your career today? What would you say to encourage other women to persevere in their career path? I wish I had learnt transcendental meditation earlier as it has been making a difference compared with other meditations I had tried. Meditating regularly helps me remain grounded. I get a clearer mind and am able to focus better, which helps during experiments. I would encourage anybody to find an activity that helps them reset on a daily basis. It can be activity-based like running, yoga, or more art-focused… but TV does not qualify!
Please tell us a little bit about yourself: I am Dr. Triparna Sen, PhD, an Assistant Attending at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York. I am a translational cancer researcher and the ultimate goal of my research is to translate new mechanism-driven insights of cancer biology into bringing novel therapies to the clinic for cancer patients. I identified DNA damage response (DDR) proteins as therapeutic targets for small cell lung cancer (SCLC), the most aggressive form of lung cancer. I was the first to demonstrate that targeting DDR promotes antitumor immunity in SCLC. My work has supported multiple clinical trials and shaped novel therapeutic strategies for SCLC. My biggest personal goal, however, remains to inspire and help launch young scientists on independent careers. I continue to foster the next generation of scientific leaders. I have served as the two-time President of the Association for Women in Science-Gulf Coast Houston Chapter and currently serve on the leadership team of 500WomenScientist NYCPod. "My biggest personal goal remains to inspire and help launch young scientists on independent careers." What do you think the roadblocks are to representation of women in science? How can we improve women’s visibility in science? In my opinion the following are the roadblocks to representation of women in science:
"Seek mentors very early on in your career." What are the things that keep you motivated in your everyday life? Do you have any daily ritual that helps you stay consistently motivated and balanced?
"Resilience is the most valuable trait you can have." What advice would you give yourself if you were starting your career today? Seek mentors very early on in your career. I understood the value of mentorship later than I should have and then my fear of “asking for help” delayed the process of seeking mentors. Mentors are crucial for your career. The right mentor will guide you to seize opportunities, open doors for you, will be a sounding board as your make difficult career choices, will champion for you. So find a good mentor and really nurture the relationship. "Do not let setbacks define you." What would you say to encourage other women to persevere in their career path? Everyone I know has encountered setbacks and I certainly have faced many in my career path. So I would say, resilience is the most valuable trait you can have. Expect setbacks and delays in your career, use these experiences as a chance to learn and grow. Please, do not let setbacks define you. Finally, never tie your sense of self-worth to your job or your professional rejections!
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