“Be proud of who you are and where you came from. Always follow your passion“

Research Scientists: A New Type of Hero

Dr. Olena Shtanko’s Story

Imagine a career studying incurable infectious diseases. Why would someone potentially risk their own health by investigating deadly viruses, including Ebola virus, knowing there is no cure? The answer is simple: because people are dying. The desire to help people motivates research scientists, such as Olena Shtanko, PhD. Olena works in a Biosafety Level 4 (BSL4) lab at Texas Biomedical Research Institute in San Antonio, Texas. As a Staff Scientist in the BSL4 lab, Olena and her colleagues strive to understand deadly viruses with the goal to develop effective treatments. Although her career led her to Texas, Olena grew up in Ukraine. How does a girl from Ukraine end up as a research scientist in Texas? Read on!

When Olena was a child, Ukraine was part of the Soviet Union. At the time, Ukrainian women were expected to adhere to mostly traditional feminine roles: getting married, running the home, and raising children. Career opportunities for women in the Soviet Union were limited. In school, Olena was recognized for her talent in math, but the biological sciences were her true passion. She regarded scientists as heroes whose commitment to research helped people. But a career as a scientist was not a traditional role for a woman. Fortunately, Olena had a strong role model: her grandfather. Knowing she would not be satisfied in a traditional role, he told Olena to follow her passion and it would lead her to the career she was meant to have. Life was challenging in Ukraine. When Olena had an opportunity to come to the United States, she took it. Her initial plan was to become a physician. Olena worked in a research lab during the day and attended college in the evening. While working in the lab, she discovered her passion for biomedical research. Remembering her grandfather’s advice, she decided to follow her passion and pursue a career as a research scientist.

Throughout her life, Olena has had strong female mentors. One mentor recommended she read “The Coming Plague”, a book that described the discovery of deadly viruses and the effect social and environmental factors have on microbial transmission. Olena recognized the strong connection between poverty and disease. With her passion to help people, she decided to study viruses with no cure. Through biomedical research, Dr. Shtanko uses her research to help people, just like her childhood heroes. Dr. Shtanko’s key to success is believing in herself. She shares the advice provided by her grandfather: “Be proud of who you are and where you came from. Always follow your passion.”

Additional Materials

Discussion Questions

1. Women are underrepresented in STEM careers. Why do you think this is? How can this trend be changed?
2. Dr. Shtanko’s grandfather advised her to always follow her passion to the right career. What are your passions and how can you envision these passions connecting to a future career? 

Suggested Activity

Identify women currently working in one of the following STEM careers. Include their name, degrees, organization, and what you believe is their most notable achievement. Start locally, checking company websites, professional organizations and higher education institutions.

Extension: If possible, contact the individual. Identify you are working on a school project about women in STEM careers and would like to interview her about her career. Potential questions: 

When did your interest in science develop?

What appealed to you about your chosen career?

What challenges, if any, did you face as you pursued your career?

Describe what it is like to be a woman in a STEM career.

Knowing what you know now, what advice would you give your younger self?

Who had a strong influence on your decision to pursue a STEM career?

TEKS

8.10A-C, 8.11A-C, 7.12B, 7.12D, 7.12F, 6.12D