Women in Science Celebration: Interview with Dr Marilyne Debieu

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.

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"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.