In this exciting midwinter edition of the CAMB Newsletter, our team is excited to introduce Dr. Aime Franco. Dr. Franco relocated her lab to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia in 2019, where she now leads the Pediatric Thyroid Cancer Translational Laboratory. In speaking with the Newsletter, Dr. Franco shared with us her career journey and offered advice for students in the midst of their graduate work.
Tell us a little bit about your scientific journey. What was your path like, from graduate student to postdoc to PI?
My path really began in undergrad when I thought if you loved science you would become a doctor. But I got to college and realized I kind of hated the premed curriculum, and realized being a medical doctor would not fuel my passion for science. I had a bit of a crisis moment not knowing what I would do! I didn’t even know that this career path of being a professor but doing research existed.
I finished undergrad with degrees in Sports Medicine and Biology, but I was working for the University of Connecticut basketball teams and had the opportunity to stay on to do a Master’s degree. I got a MS in Nutrition, focused on molecular nutrition investigating how zinc stabilized transcription factors. I refound my love of science and discovery, and that is when I decided to do a PhD.
I did my PhD in Cancer Biology investigating how H. pylori infection increases the risk for gastric cancer. When I started in the lab, I had no idea what H. pylori was, but my mentor Rick’s passion for the research was infectious, and I just knew that was where I wanted to be. I loved my research and loved the balance of doing both microbiology and cancer biology. We used gerbils as our model system because it was the most physiologically relevant to the disease that developed in patients. It was really important to me for our work to be as translatable as possible. I also realized that I didn’t want to beg for money for my whole career so I decided I would go into industry (that obviously did not work out!).
I decided for my postdoc I wanted to learn more about mouse genetic models and more about molecular signaling, so I applied to a postdoc ad in the back of Science that literally stated it was using novel mouse genetic models of thyroid cancer to elucidate molecular signaling cascades. I am a thyroid cancer survivor, so I figured this was a good opportunity to learn a little more about my own disease, but fully intended on returning to H. pylori research (or industry). But during my postdoc, I also discovered my passion for advocacy, and how powerful my voice could be as both a cancer researcher and a cancer survivor. I also realized I was extremely independent and did not like being told what to do, and more importantly, that when someone told me I couldn’t do something, it motivated me even more to do it and prove them wrong!
When I started applying for faculty positions, I had three small children, so I intentionally looked for positions at smaller institutions where I could build my research program. I spent 8 years at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences building my research program and helping to build their Cancer Institute. Then in 2019, I moved to Penn/CHOP to initiate and help build the Pediatric Thyroid Cancer Research Program.
What factors influenced your decision to become a PI? When did you know it was the right path for you?
I was still debating between industry and academia as a postdoc. I had an interview all arranged for an industry position, the limo was booked for the interview, and a couple days before the interview I was ghosted. I had no idea what was happening, but learned that they eliminated both the position and the entire research portfolio that I was going to be working on. I realized quickly that industry wasn’t as secure as I thought it might be, and I knew my passion was asking my own question on my own terms. The industry door was closed for me, but this is where I belong, getting to follow my passion and ask the questions I want to ask.
What’s your favorite part about being a PI?
I love the autonomy to answer the questions I find most interesting and getting to work with amazing labmates and collaborators. It is really an incredible honor to be a part of watching someone discover their passion, even if it isn’t the research we directly do in the lab. Being a part of the journey of empowering folks to find their passion is really amazing. My philosophy is that we need to do great science to get funded and contribute to the field, but my greatest role is to empower those in my lab to attain their dream job, whether that is in my lab, in science, or in something completely unrelated!
What kind of environment do you aim to create in your lab, and how do you facilitate that as a mentor?
I want my lab to be a place where people want to come to work, where they can be themselves and find their passion. I try to be always accessible, have an open door policy, and not be judgmental. I view the lab as a family; we stick with each other through the good times and the not so great times. I don’t expect everyone to be best friends, but we need to support each other and celebrate the successes and bring each other up through the setbacks.
Did you always know what area of study you wanted to focus on? What excites you about your research?
Honestly, I always wanted to go back to H. pylori research, and I even think about ways we can incorporate some sort of H. pylori project into our current work. However, the passion I have for thyroid cancer research comes from a deeply personal place, and although at times it is terrifying to know so much about your own disease, the perspective that I can bring to the research as a patient is invaluable. Everything we do in the lab I view through the lens of a patient and push to ensure that the questions are patient-centric and that we can translate the knowledge gained to improve the outcomes for patients. Our work isn’t just a job for me, but a passion project, and because of that, it keeps me motivated even through the days of rejected grants and manuscripts.
What are the overarching questions your lab hopes to answer?
We really want to understand why thyroid cancer acts so differently between males and females, and between young and older patients. We think that if we can understand this differential pathogenesis in thyroid cancer, we can apply this knowledge to other cancers.
What do you enjoy doing outside of the lab?
I enjoy cooking, running local races (not to win, just all about the bling with the medals and just getting out to be active), traveling, and doing cancer advocacy work both locally and nationally.
What advice would you give to current PhD students?
Follow your passion! This PhD process is only one step in a piece of hopefully a very long life. Take time occasionally to just sit and reflect on the things that make you happiest and the things that make you most discouraged, and use that information to recalibrate what you are doing. I think we spend a lot of time doing what we think others want or think we should be doing, and not enough time doing what truly lights our own fire.
If you’d like to reach out to Dr. Franco, she can be contacted at francoa1@chop.edu.
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