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Arlou Kristina Angeles

© Jutta Jung / DKFZ

Arlou Kristina Angeles, Postdoctoral Researcher in the Division of Cancer Genome Research, talks about her research at DKFZ, her career and women in science in general.

I #EmbraceEquity in science because women are intelligent, creative, and problem-solvers, and they deserve to be represented and celebrated.

WHAT IS YOUR FIELD OF RESEARCH AND WHAT FASCINATES YOU MOST ABOUT IT?
My main research interest now is on liquid biopsy. Confirmation of cancer diagnosis is typically done using tissue biopsy—meaning a part of a suspicious tumor growth is taken and analyzed under the microscope. This collection of tumor material is very invasive, and in many cases the small part that you take out might not give the whole picture of the disease. In contrast, we are working with technologies that detect molecules released by the tumor into the blood and other biofluids such as saliva and urine. The hope is that the simple sampling of blood, saliva or urine would be enough to say whether cancer is present or in cases when a patient is being treated, if certain medications are working or not. This procedure is less painful, easily performed, and can be done more often compared to repeated tissue biopsies. The potential translational application of liquid biopsy technologies keeps me motivated in my work. It also brings together experts from different fields such as clinical specialists, scientists, and bioinformaticians. The resulting interactions and discussions are always insightful and interesting due to unique perspectives being brought together.

WHAT WAS YOUR BIGGEST SUCCESS AND WHAT WAS YOUR BIGGEST CHALLENGE SO FAR?
Career-wise, I would say my biggest success was being awarded the PhD fellowship from the DKFZ. It was my foot in the door, so to speak. Having the opportunity to work at the DKFZ has led me to scientific pursuits that would otherwise not be feasible had I not been exposed to the expertise and technologies available here. Ironically, the biggest challenge for me was also related to having a position at the DKFZ. Coming from the Philippines, moving to Heidelberg was a huge step and I had to make significant adjustments in terms of my lifestyle. I was far away from my family and my primary support system. I did not speak the language and I am not used to the climate. Thankfully, I was able to find very good friends here and eventually adapted to living abroad.

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?
There are many factors that determine a successful career in academia. As an early career researcher, among the elements I consider important are self-motivation and mentorship. There are times when things are not working and it is easy to be disheartened. Thinking about the things I learned during these moments helped me stay focused and get through them. I am also thankful that I have a supportive mentor that can offer a different view or I could ask for advice.
Being a single woman, my experience in science is admittedly vastly different from one who has kids or is starting a family. Many women tend to change career paths due to insecure employment in academia as well as sometimes the long hours of work taken away from their families. In these respects, I hope that there would be more flexibility in the working hours or support for childcare provided by academic employers. For in-person meetings, there should be available childcare for traveling mothers. Employers should also not discriminate against hiring women because they are at the age, or phase in life, when they would be starting a family. Instead, there should be more support (e.g., mentorship, technical) for would-be mothers prior to and after their parental leave.

IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE?
I truly appreciate the Women in Science campaign of the DKFZ. Women are intelligent, creative, and problem-solvers. Women should be represented in science because we have a lot to offer. I look up to women who have made science their lifelong career because this is not an easy path to navigate. Little by little, I hope improvements can be made to encourage women to stay in science.

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