Could you tell us a little about your background? What attracted you to becoming a scientist and geneticist?

My mother dreamed that I would become a medical doctor, and inspired my early interest in biology and chemistry. During my studies, however, thanks to the participation in the national and International Biology Olympiad (IBO), I realised that I am very intrigued by “how” and “why” questions, and I was attracted by the intricate ways in which living systems work.

During the preparation for the IBO, in my final year of high school, I heard a talk given by Ľubomír Tomáška, a head of the Department of Genetics at the Comenius University in Bratislava, on the biology of telomeres.

I was very excited to learn about how elegantly our chromosomes protect their very ends from attrition and damage, and I though with awe and a little envy about the people who had the privilege to study such beautiful molecular systems.

How excited I was when I started at the University in Bratislava and I could join the group working on telomere biology! I was given literature on the evolution on telomeres to study, I was introduced into the work in the laboratory, and I could not have been happier.

The Department of Genetics became my academic home, and I gladly spent my Bachelor, Master and graduate years there, studying telomeric proteins of yeasts among fantastic colleagues.

[…] I realised that I am very intrigued by “how” and “why” questions, and I was attracted by the intricate ways in which living systems work.

This year, the International day of Women and Girls in Science will focus on the role women play in contributing to the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Why is women leadership and empowerment in science crucial to achieve a sustainable future?

Sustainable future seems to be a very difficult goal to achieve, and it may require all the technological and scientific innovation, together with societal change, that humanity is capable of.

If we exclude half of the society from contributing to this goal, or hamper their access to be a part of this effort, we are losing enormous potential that we cannot afford to spare. If we are looking for the most capable scientists, creative innovators and leaders, in all areas of research, we need to include women in the selection pool, otherwise we limit the potential our society has.

To cite an example outside my field, I would mention Elinor Ostrom, a Nobel prize-winning economist. She was born in 1933, and faced rejection when she applied for a PhD degree in economics. She persisted, completed a PhD in another programme, and proceeded to carry out a research on economic governance of the commons. In her work, she has demonstrated how small communities work together and establish rules to utilise shared resources, avoiding overexploitation, and achieving sustainable use of the common resource. Her story is a concrete example of how women-led research is essential on the path to a sustainable future.

In many places in the world, though still imperfect, conditions for women entering academia have improved markedly in the last half-century. Importantly, however, we should not forget that this is far from true for many countries and societies, and especially women of colour, women from poor or marginalised communities and sexual minorities and disabled women are still facing immense hurdles even in superficially egalitarian environments.

If we are looking for the most capable scientists, creative innovators and leaders, in all areas of research, we need to include women in the selection pool, otherwise we limit the potential our society has.

How was your experience as an MSCA researcher?

Being an MSCA fellow is both an exciting period and a demanding challenge. Receiving an MSCA fellowship meant for me acquiring research freedom, and the opportunity to pursue an original, high-risk research that is well-planned, thanks to the framework of the MSCA grant application that calls for a very specific and detailed research plan.

It means that I can study what I am most passionate about—long non-coding RNAs derived from telomeres and their role in cancer. I can enjoy the intellectual challenge of coming up with research ideas, collaborate with students and colleagues at my institute, CIBIO at the University of Trento, Italy, and see the experiments I have planned yielding exciting results.

On the other hand, as with any other scientific project, especially during early career in academia, the uncertainty of the results, the complexity of our model system and the necessity to also focus on future career transitions can be at times overwhelming.

As a member of the Marie Curie Alumni Association and during the activities organised by European Commission, such as the European Youth Policy Dialogue, I have had the opportunity to interact with fantastic and passionate young people and colleagues who are active in their communities and whose commitment and enthusiasm about popularising science, shaping policy and making academia a welcoming place for everyone made me feel very optimistic.

Receiving an MSCA fellowship meant for me acquiring research freedom, and the opportunity to pursue an original, high-risk research that is well-planned.

During your career you have been a strong advocate for better conditions for researchers and innovators in your country. What are your fights and wishes for women scientists in the next years?

I wish that every woman and girl in science is surrounded by supporting environment and mentors that allow her to focus on the research she is passionate about, not wasting her energy and resources on battling inequality.

However, in reality, women in academia are still underpaid, are less likely to be hired than their equally competent male colleagues, are underrepresented in scientific panels and leading positions  and shoulder the majority of service and teaching work that is not valued by funding bodies. Under these circumstances, I wish that women in science maintained the patience and the grit necessary to tolerate and overcome these obstacles while they exist.

In my home country, Slovakia, a fellow MSCA researcher, Sofia Karina Trommlerová, is one of the founders of SAVIA, an organisation supporting women in science, research and innovation. Their goals include supporting the equality of female researchers, mediating opportunities and the development of mentoring network. This is one of the first bottom-up initiatives focusing on women scientists in Slovakia, and I really wish they are successful in their mission.

In 2022 we have also seen the first Slovak conference on gender equality in science, organised jointly by a governmentally funded organisation (the Slovak Centre of Scientific and Technical Information) and a non-profit organisation, "Žijem vedu" ("I live science") (mostly run by women scientists!).

It is wonderful to see that the topic of gender balance and specific problems of women researchers are also discussed in my home country, and I strongly hope that we will also see a shift from discussion to the implementation of solutions.

I wish that every woman and girl in science is surrounded by supporting environment and mentors that allow her to focus on the research she is passionate about, not wasting her energy and resources on battling inequality.

You have been actively involved in initiatives to increase youngsters’ interest in science and research. What are we missing to make education and research more gender-inclusive and encourage more women and girls into science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) careers?

In my personal experience, girls and women tend to be as passionate and excited by science as their male classmates and colleagues, and lack of confidence is holding them back from pursuing a career in research.

Very bright and clever young women suffer from impostor syndrome (“I only won by chance, I got lucky”), feel inadequate if they are not the best of the best (“Anyone could make it to the second place if they tried, it was not that hard”) or feel that the “real” scientists are geniuses in ivory towers. This anecdotal experience is also reflected in research: girls tend to underestimate their performance, which in turn influences their career choice.

I believe there are several ways to encourage women and girls to pursue a career in STEM.

The first is to present role models they can admire and see themselves in—again, research shows that relatable role models stimulate girls’ interest in STEM careers. This is most easily achieved by giving visibility to women scientists in media.

However, in the long run, a systemic change of science is necessary—removing institutional barriers and ensuring more equal conditions means more women researchers having access to their full potential, which in turn means better research, more awards, more leadership positions and ultimately, making the scientific career an appealing choice for women.

Equally importantly, strengthening the self-confidence of young women interested in STEM and teaching them to appreciate their own competences enables them to make an unbiased career decision. Here, a supportive mentor may have a crucial influence.