Michaela Frye

Michaela Frye, Head of Division of Mechanisms Regulating Gene Expression talks about her research at DKFZ, her career and women in science in general.

I #EmbraceEquity because we all benefit when all people contribute to their fullest potential.

WHAT IS YOUR FIELD OF RESEARCH AND WHAT FASCINATES YOU MOST ABOUT IT?
Our overall research questions are 'how do cells make decisions' and 'can we use this knowledge to enforce a specific cellular behaviour'? For instance, for cancer cells to grow and invade the surrounding tissue in an attempt to form a new tumour in other organs or to evade cancer therapies, they have to constantly adapt to new surroundings that are often unfavourable. To survive those hostile conditions, cancer cells must flexibly adapt their gene expression program when challenged with shortage of oxygen, lack of nutrients or exposure to clinical interventions for example. Our group found that specific biochemical modifications in RNA allow cells to rapidly adapt their gene expression program to different cell stressors such as DNA damage or exposure to anti-cancer drugs. Once we have identified which of these modifications are essential for cancer cell survival under stress, we can use this knowledge to specifically target cancer cells that would otherwise resist the effects of drugs used during therapies. Thereby, we inhibit their ability to reform tumours, a process known as recurrence or relapse.
I am fascinated by the cell's infinite repertoire of possible mechanisms to survive challenges and that there are still truly novel mechanisms to be discovered.

WHAT WAS YOUR BIGGEST SUCCESS AND WHAT WAS YOUR BIGGEST CHALLENGE SO FAR?
My personal biggest success was the first publication as a senior corresponding author when my group was just established. It showed me (and my director at that time, his sigh of relief was enormous) that I can make it. This first publication was remarkable because at that time nobody ever heard of RNA modifications, and my project was considered extremely high risk from everybody including the funders.
I consider the presence of power abuse as one of the biggest challenges in science. This can be competing groups abusing reviewing processes to scoop studies or co-authors stopping manuscript submissions for personal benefits. Both has happened to my best postdocs who worked extremely hard to get their first manuscript ready, only to then be exposed to these career damaging power plays by established senior scientists.

WHAT CHANGES, IF ANY, ARE NEEDED IN THE SCIENCE SYSTEM TO MAKE IT MORE ATTRACTIVE TO WOMEN IN SCIENCE AND WHAT HAS HELPED YOU MOST TO BE SUCCESSFUL?
It is difficult for me to judge that because I never really considered an alternative career. But what certainly helped me throughout my career was the many great sponsors who supported and pushed me to make sure I kept going.
Personally, I believe the science system needs to change its measure of success. Innovation and research quality are still not sufficiently acknowledged and instead, qualitative measures dominate evaluation processes.

IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE?
I believe in order to change the system, the scientific community must distribute executive power more evenly and also better include Junior PIs into decision making.