Roscoff Biological Station Director, Catherine Bowen campaigns for women’s research

1872-2022: 150 years of scientific adventure at the Roscoff Biological Station (SBR). And almost as much for a lady, Katherine Bowen, to take over the world-famous institution in a row of ten ex-males. Like a small revolution in “this place dedicated to science, to impart knowledge and openness to scientists from all over the world.”

The 62-year-old director is thrilled: “It’s an incredible freedom to run this lab, which has nonetheless gone through three centuries, in such an inspiring setting: Roscoff is a place of research with a strong identity. Because it’s undiluted. On campus.” Heiress, like all of her team, from Scientific and historical heritage of the station? , returned to collective history. With the desire to imprint on it the values ​​close to his heart.

From the bench to major European projects

Britton was raised by her mother, who “always loved the natural sciences,” and attended the Faculty of Science as a course. At my Masters in Nantes, I discovered the biological plant during a course on algae, clicking towards DEA in algology. After small sabbatical contracts, she was awarded an Ifremer scholarship that allowed her to continue working at the station. The researcher connects several professions there: “First on the platform, for the thirst for knowledge and experimentation. Then as the head of supervision and project management.

Thirty pivotal years during which “technological advances made amazing advances in biology”. While sequencing the human genome is still in its infancy, Katherine Bowen feels “we mustn’t miss the bandwagon.” From 2004 to 2008, it put together and coordinated a massive European project to promote and develop marine genomics that “will enable the station to be a leader in this field”. This crucial step to getting algae recognized as important models in evolutionary biology is well worth doing Knight of the Legion of Honor in 2011.

Push researchers to break the glass ceiling

At the end of 2018, when Bernard Klwarg – Former thesis supervisor turned principal Nearing the end of her term, Catherine Bowen is ready to take over. “At the age of 59, it was a new step to implement the vision of my project. My way of giving back to the station is what it gave me, by establishing a sense of community with the idea that we must renew ourselves.”

“In this, it is important to be a woman because until now there has been a glass ceiling. In the highly competitive world of research, the more responsibilities you have, the more the balance deteriorates and this is unacceptable: if there are not as many women as men at all levels of positions, we We deprive ourselves of skills and diversity,” the scientist deplores. Who created the Gender Equality Cell within the station: “Ambition is not easy, despite the good parity in our teams: we have to be careful not to be among us and to catch indifference.”

I persevered and passed the national competitions four times before I was recruited by the National Center for Scientific Research! Proof that you can take responsibility without sacrificing your personal life.

“Nothing beats the value of an example.”

She also believes in “the power of patronage in encouraging female researchers to seek promotion without fear of imposter syndrome. And it works! It’s not a quota story: We have a group of eligible women, and the problem is that we rate them differently. Why? Especific reason
On this “unconscious gender bias,” Katherine Bowen explains: “During recruitment, even someone who is convinced that women are equal to men, because of their patriarchal society, culture, and history, will be more sympathetic to the male profile. So the director encourages ‘y
Recognizing this bias because deconstructing stereotypes in order to rebuild them is indeed a first step towards equality, inclusion and solidarity
“.

Hence the importance of going to schools to show girls that research jobs are not just for men. Nothing beats example value: I thought research was too far fetched for me, but I persevered and passed national competitions four times before I was recruited by CNRS! Proof that you can take responsibility and lead a career without sacrificing your personal life.