Prof. Marianne Carlon
Interview with
Marianne Carlon is a recently appointed assistant professor at the world-class university KU Leuven, where she is at the forefront of developing innovative therapeutic approaches for people living with chronic lung diseases like cystic fibrosis – thanks also to her successful involvement in a current MSCA-funded European research network.
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She is a supportive mentor for students at different career stages, and a nature and sports enthusiast in her free time. We have interviewed her to learn more about her life and career – and to reflect on what it means to be a woman in STEM today.
What is your scientific background and current line of work? How did you choose your career path?
I am trained as a vet, with a focus on research. However, although I love animals, I realized that human medicine would be far more fulfilling for me, and chose to focus on it for my master’s thesis. It was my first experience in a lab – and I loved it! So, I embarked on a PhD in gene therapy for lung diseases. I have since progressively transitioned from animal models to emerging technologies such as human-derived organoids, which I believe to be a powerful tool with large translational potential.
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Were you influenced by any role models?
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I didn’t have one particular role model, but definitely many researchers – men and women alike – have been inspirational at the different stages of my career. For instance, the first women scientists that paved the way despite gender inequality being the standard at their time: Marie SkÅ‚odowska-Curie, the first person to be awarded two Nobel Prizes, and Rosalind Franklin, who was sadly never recognized for her work. But I would say that very often who has the most impact are the less famous people that mentor you directly – and they might not even be aware of it!
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What accomplishment are you most proud of?
That I managed to build “from scratch” an independent research group centered on gene therapy for cystic fibrosis. It was a step into the unknown that I am proud to have taken, and I am proud of the dedicated and resilient team I now have the privilege to work with because of it: our research is internationally recognized, and our tight collaboration with clinicians can create a real-world impact.
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What was the biggest obstacle you had to face?
Living with uncertainty regarding career perspectives as a post-doc and the never-ending search for research funding in a highly competitive research environment. This is a path that can never be perfectly linear, no matter how well you prepare for it.
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Do you have any long-term objectives you would like to achieve during your career?
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I would love to see gene replacement and gene editing become a clinical reality for cystic fibrosis patients, and it would be highly rewarding if the research of my team contributed to it.
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If you could go back in time, is there anything you would have done differently?
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Not really! I definitely struggled at times, whether it was finding funding, or solving seemingly unsolvable scientific problems, but that is a learning opportunity that promotes resilience, original thinking, and networking. I have learnt so much from my failures, that I feel that a smooth path might not have been so insightful (though maybe less stressful!).
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Is it hard to divide your time between family, work and leisure? Do you think that, in general, finding this balance is harder for women?
That balance is definitely challenging to find, and a little more so for women. It all boils down to a compromise in time: I might have less time than I ideally would wish to spend with my children, but I try to focus on the quality of it, to be fully present and involved in all the important milestones. I also try to “blend” moments with family and leisure, by spending time together in nature and doing sports. Actually, I often get the best research ideas in those very moments! I don’t have a clear-cut separation of private life and work – and I am at terms with it.
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Women make up roughly half of the PhD graduates in Europe, yet, on average, only hold 19% of senior academic positions. Why do you think that is? In your opinion, what is still left to do before true gender equality is achieved in science?
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Building a career in academia requires a huge time investment during those same years in which someone usually builds a family – often putting women in the position of having to choose one or the other. To close this gap, scientific institutions should allow more flexibility to both mothers and fathers. Although gender inequality still exists, times are definitely changing! Women are starting to take up more and more space both in the industry – think of Reshma Kewalramani, first female CEO of a large biotech company – and in academia – with J. Doudna and E. Charpentier being the first all-women team to be awarded a Nobel Prize. I am also happy to add that, among freshly appointed professors at KU Leuven, the gender balance was approximately 50-50, which is amazing considering that the women could not enroll before 1920!
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What advice would you give to the next generation of women in science?
My feeling is that women are typically less confident in their qualities, more prone to self-doubt and to setting the bar way too high for themselves – which has a lot to do with the need of being taken seriously in male-dominated fields, but that ultimately stands in the way of professional growth. Based on my experience, trusting your gut feeling and getting honest feedback from mentors and peers, are good ways to overcome this. You can’t be perfect 100% of the time – and the good news is that, in order to reach your goals, you don’t need to.