Women scientists find formula of success

Talk With Lu Jian, a Chinese TV show, has launched a series of programs under the title of She Power in Tech, dedicated to highlighting the voices and work of women scientists.

Premiered on Dec 3, the series opened with an interview with Chinese geneticist Fu Qiaomei, the professor and group leader of the Molecular Paleontology Laboratory at the Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology of Chinese Academy of Sciences.

"From across the fields of science, these women in science have a lot to say," says Lu Jian, the TV show's host, who visited Fu and talked with her at her laboratory. "It's important for women scientists to be seen because there are still so few of them in this field, compared to other fields like arts and education. These women scientists came with their own stories of why they fell in love with science, which are very inspiring," Lu says.

Fu shared her findings in the first episode of She Power in Tech series.

"A man who lived 40,000 years ago and whose remains were found in Tianyuan Cave in Beijing reveals the closest genetic relationship with people living today in East Asia, but has no immediate descendants among them. He also shares ancestry with an ancient West Eurasian that is not shared with all ancient West Eurasians," Fu says.

Her findings help people better understand the structure of ancient populations.

"When she talks about her research, she is very concentrated and proud. She told me that no matter how hard it may seem, it's absolutely worth it," says Lu. "Actually, that's something shared by these women scientists."

In the show, Fu, 38, also told her story of how she became a scientist. She grew up with a keen interest in biology. After studying at Northwest University in Xi'an, the capital of Shaanxi province, and then at the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing, Fu completed her PhD in the Department of Evolutionary Genetics at the Max Planck Institute.

She says her interdisciplinary work as an undergraduate, studying both chemistry and cultural relics, prepared her for her current work. Upon completing her master's degree in 2009, she headed to the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Germany to study for a PhD in ancient human genomics.

"At that time, I was not really confident, but I told myself to try my best. Sometimes I felt really stupid and frustrated because I did not understand the discussion in group meetings. The group was really in high pressure and you got really good feedback. They gave me a half year to test me－to show whether I have potential or not," she told Lu.

The other women scientists Lu interviewed include Lyu Zhi, who is a professor of life sciences at Peking University, Rong Yi, who is a chief designer of the Long March 2F rocket, and Zhang Yuhua, a key player in China's major achievements in space exploration who worked as the deputy chief commander of both the Chang'e 5 lunar exploration project and Tianwen 1, China's first Mars mission.

"They share strong passion for science. They are making a pathway for the next women scientists," Lu says.

The TV show, Talk With Lu Jian, was launched by China's Central Television 4 early this year. So far, 31 guests were interviewed, most of whom are elites in the fields, such as sports, arts, economy and aerospace.

"Most of my interviewees are men. When we prepared for this series about women scientists, I felt very different. Many of their fields are foreign to me. With the help of my team, I did lots of homework," says Lu.

According to the She Power in Tech series' producer, Yang Yawen, the series is also streamed online.

"We've read messages left by the audiences, most of whom are impressed by the women scientists' stories and are amazed at their achievements. They set a great example for the younger generation and their fields, which may not be familiar by many people, are like new doors opening to the audiences," says Yang.