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2. May 2025
Banner photo from the book Inventors, Pioneers and Environmental Activists
© Generalitat de Catalunya
Sònia Garcia will speak on 16 May at CEITEC MUNI as part of the Life after PhD series.” Register via the CEITEC website.
Sònia Garcia is a plant evolutionary biologist at the Botanical Institute of Barcelona (IBB-CSIC), where she explores how plant genomes evolve and on, mainly, how this knowledge can be used for understanding the invasive behaviour of certain plant species of Mediterranean climate. But beyond her scientific career, Sònia is also a passionate advocate for women in science. She has written a book on pioneering female scientists and regularly speaks about gender inequality in academia. Ahead of her Life after PhD talk, we asked her a few questions—about science, women’s paths in research, and what it means to “strew the path with flowers.”
In your books, you explore the stories of female scientists who worked in environments where they were not always welcomed – yet they made ground-breaking discoveries. Have you ever felt that you had to “fight for the right to do science” yourself? What helped you keep going in challenging moments?
To be honest, I’ve never personally felt that I had to fight for the right to do science because I’m a woman. But I’m fully aware that historically, many women have faced this situation – and unfortunately, some still do today. Maybe not so much when it comes to doing science, but when it comes to leading in science, it remains harder for women than for men.
What I have felt is that building a career in science is extremely challenging for everyone – regardless of gender – because the opportunities are so limited. That, in itself, is a fight.
One of the scientists you write in your book Inventors, Pioneers and Environmental Activists about is Rachel Carson – a woman whose writing helped ignite the environmental movement. Do you feel a similar sense of responsibility today when popularising science?
Yes, in a way. Rachel Carson is a great example of how communication and education can truly shift public understanding – and even drive policy changes, like in the case of environmental protection. Her work is also a tribute to the power of good writing to convey bold, even revolutionary, ideas.
Other inspiring women in you book – Janaki Ammal worked with sugarcane, Barbara McClintock with maize – both conducted pioneering research at a time when women in science were almost invisible. Looking at crop genetics today, in what ways were their approaches ahead of their time? And what can we still learn from them?
Janaki Ammal was a tireless researcher who significantly advanced the breeding of crops like sugarcane and eggplants. But she also cared deeply about environmental protection in India, which wasn’t common for scientists of her time – especially women.
Barbara McClintock, on the other hand, made a discovery that earned her the Nobel Prize in 1983 and changed how we think about the genome – transposable elements. Her work has had a huge impact, not just in plant breeding but in genomics overall. What's striking is that her discovery was initially met with scepticism, and only gained full recognition after it was confirmed, much later, by other scientists working on Drosophila.
Even today, we are still uncovering new roles for transposable elements – from crop improvement to understanding disease. So, her work remains incredibly relevant.
Your research group studies genome evolution in plants. Why do you think it’s important for the scientific community to understand evolution in plants – not just in humans?
Plants are a fundamental part of life on Earth, and yet so much of their genome remains unexplored. For example, we still don’t fully understand the function of many genomic components like the mentioned transposable elements, in plants or even in animals and fungi.
Understanding plant genome evolution not only pushes the boundaries of knowledge in botany, but also offers insights into genome organisation and evolution across all forms of life. For instance, telomere function is well understood in both plants and animals – but while in animals telomere length is more or less linked to life expectancy, that correlation seems to not apply in plants. Why? These are the kinds of questions that need to be answered.
In crop research, there’s often strong pressure to deliver applicable results and boost yields. How do you see the space for female scientists in such an environment – especially those who may bring different perspectives or leadership styles?
Honestly, this kind of pressure exists in many jobs today – not just in research. It’s part of the highly competitive world we live in. I don’t think women feel it more than men just because of their gender. That said, based on my experience and observations, many women tend to be less confident about their abilities, while many men often project more self-assurance than women, and that’s something I think we need to talk about more. On the other hand, I think women often approach leadership differently and, in my opinion, they are particularly often more effective at organising tasks and getting things done than men.
At CEITEC, you’ll speak to PhD candidates as part of the “Life after PhD” series, which showcases various career paths – academic research, science management, education, entrepreneurship. Do you think women in science face different dilemmas than their male colleagues when deciding on their next steps?
Absolutely. The moment in your career when you're trying to land a permanent position often coincides with the time when many people are thinking about starting a family. And even today, women still carry the bulk of the responsibility when it comes to childcare – despite all the gender equality policies in place.
I’ve seen this especially in the Czech Republic, which I’ve visited regularly since 2007. I have several friends and colleagues here who’ve had children while pursuing research careers. Czech women can take up to two years of maternity leave, and most do – while men rarely even consider taking the leave themselves.
But those two years away from research can make it very hard for women to return. You lose track of developments, your CV has a publication gap, and you face more hurdles when applying for positions or funding. And even outside of academia, I’m afraid the situation isn’t much different. Many women end up switching to part-time jobs to better manage family responsibilities. All of this affects how their careers unfold.
You open your book with a quote by Émilie du Châtelet, encouraging us to choose our own path in life and to “strew that path with flowers.” What does “strewing flowers” mean to you personally – and how can we do that for the next generation of women in science?
I love that quote. For me, “strewing flowers” means shaping your path in a way that makes it meaningful and joyful – following your dreams and ideas, and making your journey your own.
Some of the most beautiful “flowers” on my own path have been the people I’ve met along the way – friends and colleagues from over 20 years in science. Many of them are in Brno, actually – at CEITEC and the Institute of Biophysics of the Czech Academy of Sciences.
If I were to give advice to young women in science, it would be this: do what you enjoy most and believe in, and don’t give up too soon. Things usually happen when you persist. But even if your “dream job” doesn’t come, that doesn’t mean you’ve failed. Life is much more than a job.
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