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A leading Indian woman scientist, Shubha Tole has been appointed as the president-elect of the International Brain Research Organisation (IBRO). She is the first scientist from a developing country to be appointed to the top position. The IBRO governing council represents 69 scientific societies and federations from 57 countries worldwide. It recently elected new officers during its annual assembly in Chicago, USA. Ms. Tole, currently serves as the dean of graduate studies at Mumbai’s premier scientific research institute – Tata Institute of Fundamental Research.
The International Brain Research Organization is the global federation of neuroscience organizations which promote and support neuroscience around the world through training, teaching, collaborative research, advocacy and outreach. While speaking exclusively to The Hindu, Ms. Tole said, “Leadership position offers the opportunity to have impact on a wider range of issues and expands the range of people one can help. The importance of women role models cannot be under-emphasized in these matters.”
This is the exclusive interview she gave to The Hindu after being appointed to the position.
How significant is it for an Indian scientist to be appointed to IBRO?
I left India to join a PhD program at Caltech when I was 21. I returned after PhD (Caltech) and postdoc (University of Chicago) when I was 31. It is now 25 years since I’ve been running my lab at TIFR. My lab was the first one in India to explore the development of the vertebrate brain using modern transgenic approaches. Now, there is a growing neuroscience community in India that includes my own trainees having returned and set up their own labs in leading research and teaching institutions. I actively mentor younger faculty and promote the sharing of reagents, training opportunities and collaborations within the country. I am vocal on social media about issues that are important for Indian science to thrive.
Whenever I am invited to give a scientific talk in any University/ Institution I offer a second talk about Career Planning/ Women in Science/ Mentorship/ How Graduate Programs could better support students. In this sense, I promoted DEI initiatives long before this was articulated as a desirable policy.
I have served in international organizations for some time now. I am currently the President of the International Society for Developmental Neuroscience; in the past, I served on the Ethics and Scientific Publications committees of the Society for Neuroscience and also on the Board of Directors of the ALBA Network.
My election as IBRO’s President-elect is in a sense a recognition of this kind of engagement with the scientific and student community worldwide - something I have been doing outside of my research for my entire career.
How important is this appointment for women scientists across the world?
It is always meaningful for women to be elected to positions of leadership. Fortunately, in the biological sciences, this is not as rare an occurrence as it is in other STEM fields. But, a leadership position offers the opportunity to have an impact on a wider range of issues and expands the range of people one can help. The importance of women role models cannot be underemphasized in these matters.
How do you foresee your contribution to IBRO?
The experiences of challenges and creative solutions, interactions with the local community and shared efforts to overcome hurdles - all these are what I will contribute to my role in IBRO. In electing its first President-elect from outside Europe/ North America, IBRO is demonstrating its truly global identity. It is a privilege to serve the global neuroscience community through an organization like IBRO that has a network to reach aspiring and practising neuroscientists worldwide, including those from regions that may not have easy access to resources or networking opportunities.
Published - October 15, 2024 11:05 pm IST