Meet Rosela Golloshi, Passionate Cell Biologist and Inspiring Young Leader
Rosela Golloshi is a Post doctorate fellow in the Department of Cell Biology, Ewald Lab, at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. She grew up in Albania and came to the United States at age 18 to study at the University of North Georgia and subsequently completed her graduate work at the University of Tennessee. Rosela works in the incredibly challenging field of cell biology, at one of the foremost research labs in the country. She is passionate, forthright and engaging, and was open about sharing her experiences and perspectives as a woman in STEM.
Rosela what do you think are the key challenges for younger women in STEM today?
“Both men and women will face challenges in their career, however women in STEM face unique challenges. The STEM field is a male-dominated world having originated from the belief that men are better at math, science, and related subjects. Such stereotypes have resulted in a confidence gap between male and female scientists and the need of the female scientists to often have to prove their capabilities. Unfortunately, women who choose to have a family and continue their scientific career are often questioned about the commitment to their career which sometimes leads to feelings of inequality and guilt. Sadly, women in science still face sexual harassment and bullying, which I think to be one of the major challenges in this field. Our abilities are questioned from the way we carry ourselves, the way we look or the way we dress.”
What do the opportunities for women in STEM look like today compared to the past?
“As a society we are more aware of the discrepancies and obstacles that women in science face, and everyone is trying to be more accepting. In the hiring process there is an effort being made to create greater representation for women in science. More scholarship opportunities exist to encourage women to continue in the STEM field. We are moving in the right direction. And more women in power are doing a good job of reaching out to other women, creating a mentored and supportive environment.”
How has being an immigrant impacted you?
“My experience has been a little more challenging because I didn’t speak English well. On top of being a woman in STEM, often when you have an accent you must do double the work to prove that you are capable enough. The process of immigration here is demoralizing as well and I wish there were easier ways. On a personal level, sometimes it can feel lonely to be away from your home country. You can feel isolated, but the opportunities for women here are much better here than in Albania. I am so grateful to my parents and all my mentors that have helped me move forward with my career and I am thrilled to return the favor to other women in science.”
It’s so important for us all to think about the difficulties that immigrants face throughout many stages of their journey and to reach out to help.
How did COVID impact you at work?
“I cannot say that my work was negatively impacted by COVID as I defended my dissertation during the pandemic and never actually took time off. This is all thanks to the support groups I had and the lack of extra responsibilities that some other women have had to deal with. Some of my colleagues faced a bigger struggle because of extra childcare and family responsibilities. I wish there were more ways to help women during difficult situations. Childcare is a key issue, and it would be so helpful if workplaces could provide childcare so that women can manage both parts of their lives.
What was the topic of your dissertation?
“My dissertation was focused on understanding how melanoma cancer cells spread through the body. When cancer cells spread through the body, they must squeeze through tiny spaces which non-cancerous cells cannot pass (except immune cells). If we can find ways to stop cancer cells from squeezing and spreading through the body, we can more easily treat cancer.”
Wow, that’s fascinating and incredibly important. Thank you for explaining it to me in layperson’s terms!
How did you become involved in ATHENA International?
“My involvement with ATHENA is all thanks to ATHENA’s President Ann Playter, who I consider to be one of my mentors. I mentored her son in graduate school, and we invited Ann to give a talk to our Graduate Student Organization. Her impressive work with ATHENA made me want to become involved. I finished the ATHENA leadership class only a few months ago.”
How has the ATHENA International’s Becoming ATHENA: Leadership Model for Professionals program impacted you?
“It made me think more independently about myself and increased my confidence. It was very empowering to gather with other women, to learn from each other and share our experiences. It helped me to recognize my strengths and my weaknesses. I am a very straightforward individual who can come across as intimidating at times and the ATHENA program helped me recognize ways to use my traits to my advantage. I was very lucky to have this training at this stage of my career, as it provided with a wealth of knowledge and has already helped me in my work environment. And beyond that, it has been such a gift to be a part of a successful group of women that are changing the world. This makes me feel very hopeful about the future and has inspired me to use all my experiences to mentor other women in science.”
Do you have any ideas for next steps for ATHENA International’s leadership programs?
“I wish more women in early career stages had access to this leadership program. If it weren’t for Ms. Playter, I would not have learned of the opportunity so I think it’s a good idea for ATHENA to reach out to colleges or other institutions where we can make a huge impact in the early development of women’s leadership skills. Throughout the years, I have learned the importance of mentorship and it is not always easy to to find mentors and build relationships with other women at work. I hope that ATHENA can help with that. I would love to see more integration of Becoming ATHENA programs into the academic and industry settings, to increase awareness of the many endless gifts that women possess which can contribute to great organizational leadership.”
We would love to have your help to achieve some of these goals!
“I would be happy to help”
Rosela thank you so much for sharing your thoughts with me today. You are an inspiring scientist and leader with so many amazing ideas and we look forward to your continued involvement with ATHENA.
Karen J Laufer,
ATHENA contributor