The Power of Mentoring
In recognition of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science a few days ago, I thought I would spend some time this month to explore the immeasurable impact that forging strong mentoring relationships can have on our scientific careers – and our lives.
I love hearing about the experiences of women in our community and I am inspired by the diversity of rich experiences that have shaped our personal and professional growth, and the role mentorship can play in this process. One of the most impactful mentoring examples shared with me recently comes from my friend and fellow ISSCR Board member Valentina Greco, who recounts her experiences:
“I received uneven mentoring – wonderful at times, undermining and debilitating at other times. When reflecting on an empowering experience of mentorship, I realized it was not one instance, but a series of behaviors I witnessed from my PhD advisor, Dr. Suzanne Eaton – an incredibly creative, bright, and compassionate scientist. I started to work in her lab in 1998 for my PhD without speaking much English. Whereas other group leaders were put off, it didn't scare Suzanne and she welcomed me with open arms. She was able to connect with me, understand me, and invest in me. Dr. Eaton repeatedly did this during my training regardless of mistakes I made, results that didn't make any sense, or ideas that I proposed that were not well thought out. She compassionately helped me grow, always listening and building on what I had to offer, what we discovered, and what surrounded us. I had the privilege to observe Suzanne as a scientist, mother, colleague to others, listener in seminars, and manager of her own group. The way she combined care for her young kids with care for us all, how she broke barriers by integrating distant disciplines, how she cherished advancement of others as her own even without direct gain, the way she welcomed people with different backgrounds and expertise into her lab – all of it modelled a revolutionary and compelling way to lead in this profession. As I reflect, several decades later it hit me: the way I run my lab and the principles I commit to are all Suzanne's. Like an incredibly effective parent, she had passed on to me a way of being in this scientific world that now feels my own.”
Valentina’s example illustrates the power of leading by example and creating an inclusive space for all to thrive. I also have been fortunate to have both formal and informal mentors throughout my career. Each one of them empowered me at key times to navigate a challenge that unlocked opportunities in ways I could never have imagined without their support. One mentor in particular I would like to highlight is my PhD advisor, John Bertram. I grew up on a sheep farm in Australia and my life experience was very limited. I left the farm to attend university for a degree in biological science and fell in love with developmental biology. I joined John Bertram’s lab for my PhD, and he would tell the most incredible stories about postdoctoral work in the USA and how transformative it was to experience scientific research in a different country. The opportunity came for me to attend an international meeting in the USA to present my research. John encouraged me to travel to the meeting and present an abstract. He mentored me through the abstract and travel award application process. He also helped me get my first passport! John ensured that while at the scientific meeting, I was introduced to the key researchers in my field. Without his encouragement and enthusiasm for exploring science abroad, I am not sure I would have been able to navigate that experience on my own. His mentoring through that process enabled me to discover how science can be achieved on an international scale. Two years later, I followed in his footsteps and travelled to the USA to begin my own postdoctoral journey.
I hope that sharing these experiences will inspire you to consider how much your encouragement can change the trajectory of someone’s scientific career, and illustrates the power of mentoring and giving back. If you have an experience that made a lasting difference to you, please share it with me and the ISSCR so that we can continue to model excellence not only in stem cell science but in the future of our field.
Amander