Mechthild Krause

Mechthild Krause, speaker of the DKTK partnersite Dresden and director NCT Dresden, talks about her research, her career and women in science in general.

I #EmbraceEquity by supporting junior researchers to develop their potential and to find their unique career path.

WHAT IS YOUR FIELD OF RESEARCH AND WHAT FASCINATES YOU MOST ABOUT IT?
As a doctoral student, I started my research in radiobiology, evaluating the effects of different fractionation schedules in radiotherapy and novel combined schedules of radiotherapy and molecular targeting. Today, along with my role as head of a clinical and a research department, I´m leading a research group on translational radiotherapy. The focus is on the translation of preclinical radiobiological knowledge on tumour and normal tissue effects of proton or photon radiotherapy or combined treatments into improvement of clinical radiotherapy. Along with this, we are evaluating biomarkers in patient tumour material, but also preclinically, that could predict the outcome of radiotherapy or combined treatments. The aim here is to develop more individualized treatment schedules that would increase the chance of tumour cure or reduce toxicity.
Most fascinating to me is that I have the possibility to understand biological processes in preclinical experiments, also in co-operation with others, that can be translated into clinical trials and have the potential to really help patients in the treatment of their disease. Also, long-known biological mechanisms experience a new importance with nowadays´ modern molecular and imaging techniques that help for their clinical identification and application.

WHAT WAS YOUR BIGGEST SUCCESS AND WHAT WAS YOUR BIGGEST CHALLENGE SO FAR?
My biggest personal success was the appointment to the professorship for Translational Radiation Oncology at DKTK Dresden. This allowed me to further intensify my research and to establish a professional clinical trial system at my department. It was also the basis for lateron taking over the directorate of the clinical Radiooncology department in Dresden, which I felt at that time as a major challenge, also because it was not on my agenda before. Both functions together allow me in a very good manner to ensure a close connection between research and clinics and thus to harness the full potential of our preclinical and translational research for adaptation into clinical trials or clinical application.

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?
Although I know about the importance of having longer experience abroad and in different institutions, in all-day discussions with young and successful female researchers I increasingly feel this need of mobility over several years, that is usually warranted for an academic career resulting in a professorship, is a major obstacle for them and often leads to decisions against this way during the postdoc time. This issue is closely connected to the most often fixed-term work contracts over 2-3 years for postdocs, that do not allow a planning (also family planning) over longer time. I think career fundings for the best PhD graduates, that cover a realistic time period until habilitation, maybe include experiences in another institution (but also the way back) would help to hold the best female talents within academic research.