Women in Science Celebration: Interview with Dr. Hannah Meyer

Tell us a little bit about yourself

I moved to Long Island in 2019 to start my own research lab as a Fellow at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. We study how the immune system distinguishes between self and non-self to effectively fight infection and prevent autoimmune diseases. I originally trained in molecular biotechnology with a wet-lab focus on synthetic biology and immunology. For my PhD I switched to computational biology, ‘picking up’ math and statistics on the way, to develop models for analyzing high-dimensional phenotype data and association analysis of human cardiac morphology data. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory hired me as Fellow directly after my PhD. This faculty position uniquely allows me to bring together my long-standing interest in immunology with my skills in high-dimensional data analyses and statistical methods in my own independent research group. We develop new experimental and computational approaches to understand how gene expression heterogeneity is regulated during T cell development in the thymus. 

What do you think the roadblocks are to representation of women in science? How can we improve women’s visibility in science?

Many of the issues on representation of women in science have been discussed for many years, long before I became a scientist myself. It seems like the issues are known, but discussions often stay theoretical without practical impact. Worse even, the burden of trying to make a change is often placed on the minority group, here women – this takes away from time that can be spent on research or other ‘productive’ efforts, putting women in a further disadvantage.  We need male allies on all levels, direct peer to peer support and, importantly, allies in leadership positions. We need leaders to fully acknowledge the issues of underrepresentation and obstacles and need their full commitment to bring about practical change. This includes not only transparent recruitment efforts but also creating and establishing supportive work environments and equitable opportunities.

In your opinion, what is the best way to maintain work-life balance?

Work-life balance means different things for different people. So first, find out what it means for yourself and determine your priorities – not what you think other people expect. How flexible do you want to be and how flexible can you be with your responsibilities at home and at work? I found these answers for myself and use them to establish boundaries. This includes prioritizing projects, learning (still in the progress) to say ‘no’, and learning (also still in progress) not to feel guilty when I cannot stick to my own rules. 

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 do not have a daily ritual per se – I try not to set too many additional ‘must do’s’ that I feel bad about when I don’t manage to do them. In the past half a year, I’ve enjoyed daily online yoga classes. Depending on the intensity level, it’s either a great exercise session or meditative. As I do it first thing in the morning, it is a great way to start the day before work.

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?

Trust your instincts, have confidence in your own abilities, don’t compare yourself to others! The latter has been a crucial learning point for me and is something that I still have to tell myself on a regular basis. The further you get in your career, the less constant feedback you’ll receive. Find peers and colleagues in similar positions to share the good and bad and form peer-to-peer mentorship.

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'Trust your instincts, have confidence in your own abilities, don’t compare yourself to others! '