More equal opportunities

Why does science lose so many talented women along the path to leadership positions? This is a question that junior professor Irene Vercellino has sought to get to the bottom of alongside her structural biology research.

The scientist, who has been leading her own research group at the Ernst Ruska-Centre for Microscopy and Spectroscopy with Electrons (ER-C) for two years now, is passionate about her field. Vercellino is full of enthusiasm when she talks about mitochondria – fundamental components of all biological cells with a nucleus (see info box): “Mitochondria are the power plants of the cells,” she enthuses. But defects in the inner membrane of mitochondria can cause severe organ damage and lead to neurodegenerative diseases. “Some of these defects are so severe that the organisms affected are not viable,” says Vercellino.

Vercellino aims to find out exactly how the mitochondrial membrane folds and why the mitochondrion as a whole no longer functions when something goes wrong. To do so, she uses state-of-the-art technology such as cryo-electron microscopy at ER-C and the high-performance computers of the Jülich Supercomputing Centre. With the help of this technology, she is able to visualize the building blocks of mitochondria in their natural environment right down to the atomic level.

The gradual disappearance of women over time

In addition to her ground-breaking research, Vercellino is committed to equal opportunities, especially when it comes to leadership positions in the natural and engineering sciences. During her postdoc work at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria, she joined the “STEM-fatale” initiative. STEM stands for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. STEM-fatale aims to raise awareness of stereotypes and thus help to break them down. One example is the “leaky pipeline” phenomenon in STEM subjects, which describes the gradual disappearance of highly qualified female university graduates at each qualification and career level. Even in subjects where the gender balance is initially even, women consistently drop out of the race for leadership positions.

“A study by the Harvard Business School shows that the highly skilled workforce loses out on women not due to their lack of talent, but because of socially influenced pressures and prejudices,” explains Vercellino. In addition, women have a harder time with job applications, as was underlined by a 2024 study by the University of Toronto. The researchers involved submitted identical application documents with male- or female-sounding names, or non-binary identity designations. The result was that the applications of supposedly female applicants had significantly worse chances of receiving a job offer than male applicants, while those with non-binary identities fared even worse.

A fairer distribution of roles

In her private life, Vercellino puts gender equality into practice. Since she and her husband moved to Germany, her day-to-day life has become more intense. Last year, the couple became parents. They have divided their roles in such a way that Irene works intensively on her research projects, while her husband is currently taking full-time care of the baby.

But Vercellino is convinced that equal opportunities in academia require more than a balanced division of family responsibilities: “Something also needs to change in the workplace, where female scientists are still at a disadvantage because of their gender,” she says.

STEM-fatale is therefore pursuing several goals, which the initiative underlines through its reinterpretation of the acronym STEM: survey, transformation, exchange, and mentoring. With the help of a scientific survey, the initiators want to identify the main factors that lead to fewer women occupying leadership positions. They will use the results to develop evidence-based strategies for removing educational and socio-political stumbling blocks for women. Mentoring and coaching platforms that promote exchange among women, as well as training courses and workshops, are also on the agenda.

Vercellino also aims to bring another idea from the STEM-fatale toolbox to Germany: “We have established a successful format in the Vienna region to get girls interested in science. As part of the #GirlsGoTech creative competition, young people were able to either present a famous woman or her achievements in research and technology, or they could slip into the role of an inventor themselves.” Vercellino could imagine a similar competition taking place in the Aachen–Jülich region: “Role models encourage people not to be dissuaded from pursuing their goals. This is how we can help to set the course at an early stage and ensure that talented individuals stick to it.”

Text: Brigitte Stahl-Busse