Interview with Marnie Imhoff, Women & Science, Rockefeller University BACK

Published by AFAR

 

Tell me a little bit about the W&S program at Rockefeller and what inspired you to be one of the driving forces behind the creation of the program?

In the mid-1990s, The Rockefeller University made it an institutional priority to support women in scientific careers, to increase the number of women scientists in the University community, and to create an environment where women can flourish professionally.  As part of this major effort, together with several key women on our Board of Trustees, we launched the Women & Science Initiative in 1998—an outreach program connecting women scientists with women in New York City.  At the core of the initiative’s success is the active involvement of volunteers.  Women from the city’s business and philanthropic communities helped to establish the Women & Science Initiative and are active participants in the program, which is now led by five co-chairs and a committee of more than 70 women leaders.  The initiative promotes interaction between women scientists and their supporters—providing an opportunity to build friendships and a shared passion for scientific advancement.

Women & Science has become a national model for encouraging women to embrace scientific research as a philanthropic interest.  The program highlights the crucial role of basic and clinical research in addressing the scientific challenges related to health and medicine, showcases the contributions of women scientists, and provides support for women scientists at all stages in their careers.  Since 1998, more than 2,500 women have participated in Women & Science programs on such topics as heart disease, cancer, and estrogen’s effects on the brain. 

How does the W&S program support women scientists, particularly at Rockefeller?

The W&S Initiative serves as a robust system of financial support and encouragement for women scientists at The Rockefeller University.  The initiative has raised over
$14 million to:
•    provide crucial funding for more than 100 Women & Science postdoctoral and graduate fellowships.
•    create seed funds for research related to global health, cancer, and neuroscience.
•    underwrite initiatives to support career development and the University’s Child and Family Center. 
•    support the University’s commitment to recruit women at both the tenure-track and tenured levels.  For example, in 2001 Women & Science raised $3 million to establish a chair for a tenured woman scientist at Rockefeller, named the Rebecca C. Lancefield Professorship in the recognition of the Rockefeller scientist who pioneered the study of streptococcal bacteria.  Elaine Fuchs, Ph.D., who was recruited to Rockefeller as the first Rebecca C. Lancefield Professor, was awarded the National Medal of Science at a White House ceremony in October 2009, for her groundbreaking contributions to skin biology and stem cell research. 
•    offer scholarships for young women investigators participating in the Science Outreach Program for high school students and the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship Program for college students. 

W&S also recognizes outstanding women scientists internationally through the Pearl Meister Greengard Prize, which is awarded annually by The Rockefeller University to outstanding women in biomedical science.  The prize was created by Rockefeller professor and Nobel laureate Paul Greengard, and his wife, the renowned sculptor Ursula von Rydingsvard.  Dr. Greengard donated his entire monetary share of the Nobel Prize to endow the award.  Two awardees of the Greengard Prize in 2008, Elizabeth H. Blackburn and Carol W. Greider, shared the Nobel Prize in 2009, realizing Dr. Greengard’s hope that Rockefeller’s award would serve as a pipeline for the Nobel Prize.

W&S has helped the University to recruit and support women scientists on campus, changing its landscape.  Today, 40 percent of Rockefeller’s 270 scientists—including research and clinical scientists, assistant and associate professors, and tenured senior professors—are women.  More than 40 percent of the University’s 350 postdoctoral investigators are women, as are half of the 195 students enrolled in Rockefeller’s Ph.D. program.  Another, perhaps unexpected, outcome of W&S has been the increased representation of women on the University’s Board of Trustees. 

Clearly there is quite a bit of talk about the lack of funding for basic research.  What are your thoughts on this subject?  Do you see this impacting women’s entry into science research?

Funding is a major challenge faced by all aspiring biomedical scientists, as grant support is less available during the economic downturn.  Women may be impacted more than men by the lack of funding.  As one Rockefeller scientist said to me, when a woman is expecting her first child, a stable future for her family is the priority.  In those circumstances, biomedical research may seem too much of a risk.  Postdoctoral researchers embarked on the task of creating a compelling research program may earn no more than $45,000 per year—and often much less—well into their late thirties, and still the prospect of a higher salary or a permanent position may be elusive. 

For women struggling with this kind of uncertainty, the “decision point” to stay in academic research or leave coincides with peak child rearing years.  The extraordinary difficulty of trying to have children while establishing a scientific career forces some women to postpone motherhood until after securing a position.  Others choose to leave academic science for work in fields with higher compensation, such as the pharma and biotech industries, or seek jobs with more child-friendly policies.

Access to affordable child care at research institutions is essential.  Rockefeller University has both an infant and toddler center and an outstanding pre-school on campus that provide subsidized tuition for the children of our scientists.  Graduates students and postdoctoral fellows receive paid maternity leave.  Students, postdocs, and faculty have access to on-campus subsidized housing, and the University offers its faculty mortgage assistance and help with the educational costs of their children.  These policies are a major reason Rockefeller is able to attract and retain the best scientists in the world. 

We, at AFAR, understand the crucial need to support the next generation of scientists.  What sort of barriers do you see for scientists entering into basic research science?  And, do you feel there are additional challenges for women scientists?

It takes a lot of time and money for a man or a woman to build an independent research program that will attract job offers.  If a woman does become an independent investigator, she needs to raise support for her research in a climate where funds are short and competition fierce.  Women may be at a disadvantage for grants, especially in situations where a funding agency requires that only one candidate be put forward by an institution for a particular award.  Funders and grant agencies can increase grant opportunities for women by permitting self-nomination/self-application or by inviting institutions to nominate up to three individuals for competitive award programs.  Offering a three or four year postdoctoral fellowship to women, rather than a one-year fellowship, would make an enormous difference.

Women may also be deterred by a lack of female role models in academia.  Today, slightly more women than men receive the Ph.D. in biomedical science each year.  Yet women still remain relatively scarce in tenure-track and tenured positions.  As a consequence, young women entering basic science may suffer from a lack of mentorship and encouragement from women who have successfully advanced to the highest ranks.  I must say that Rockefeller has been proactive in addressing this challenge, actively recruiting new female faculty who can serve as mentors to Rockefeller graduate students and postdoctoral fellows.  Tenured faculty members such as Drs. Titia de Lange, Cori Bargmann, Leslie Vosshall, Mary Jeanne Kreek, and others are very involved in helping young women at Rockefeller establish their careers.
 
Finally, attending scientific conferences can be a challenge for women scientists with children.  Providing grants to cover the costs of travel and hotels, as well as childcare while they are away at the conference, is extremely beneficial.  These meetings enable women to have the opportunity to present their work to their peers and to meet other scientists, which often can lead to future job opportunities.  Rockefeller has a fund that awards travel grants to young scientists, which has proved to be very helpful.

Marnie Imhoff was featured in the spring by the Wall Street Journal for the Women & Science luncheon on cardiovascular disease.

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