For this feature, we ask our female PIs three questions – about the SFB, their career, their balancing of work and private life, gender issues in general etc.
Did you ever consider leaving academia and what made you stay on?
I did consider transitioning to industry right after my PhD, driven by my purpose to contribute to health care more directly. However, my scientific curiosity and deep passion for research soon made it clear that the path I envisioned for myself aligned more with an academic career. Academia offers an incredible degree of intellectual freedom and flexibility, as well as abundant opportunities to collaborate with brilliant minds. Moreover, the encouragement and support I received from my surrounding scientific community reinforced my belief that I could thrive in this environment and make a meaningful, long-term impact on healthcare.
Which aspect of being a principal investigator do you like best?
As a first-generation scientist from a socioeconomic background where pursuing anything beyond a traditional job and family life was uncommon, first of all it is incredibly fulfilling to now be in a position where I can hone my leadership skills. One of the most rewarding aspects of this role is the opportunity to mentor and train the next generation of scientists while sharing my own journey with them. I find their enthusiasm invigorating and it brings a renewed energy to my work and creates a meaningful space to pass on knowledge, experience, and perspective.
What career could you imagine for you if you weren´t a scientist?
I am a keen observer, and I have always loved capturing moments and landscapes through photography. If I were not a scientist, I could imagine myself as a travel photographer and writer. I would travel to explore different cultures, document stories, and portray them through both words and images. My goal would be to show people the world through my lens, highlighting the beauty, diversity, and shared humanity that exists across places. In many ways, it is similar to science, observing, understanding, and sharing discoveries with others.
Sukanya Guhathakurta studied Microbiology and Biotechnology in India, before she joined the Max Planck Institute for Immunobiology and Epigenetics in Freiburg for her doctoral studies. As postdoctoral fellow at the same institute she has been awarded with a Minerva Fast Track Fellowship to develop an independent project. Her work focuses on exploring the complex relationship between metabolic processes and epigenetic mechanisms that influence cell fate decisions. Sukanya is one of our Young Investigator Grantees and heads project YIG04.
