The story of Attya and her personal and professional journey that took her to the San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy in Milan.
«There are not many places around the world that are such an excellence in the field of gene therapy applied to hematopoietic stem cells»: these are the words of Attya Omer, the embodiment of determination and love for science, who chose to work at the San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy (SR-Tiget) of Milan and who is the author of an important study recently published on the scientific journal Cell.
Attya was born in Paris from Pakistani parents who immigrated to France when they were young. «My mother never went to school, she was 25 years old when she arrived in Paris together with my father» she tells. «Being denied an education, she always wanted us children – we are six in total – to have the opportunity to study. I grew up in an European metropolis but at the same time in close contact with the Pakistani community: I witnessed girls who grew up with me dropping out from school at 16 just because they were women. My family encouraged us to go ahead in our path».
Attya’s school career was excellent since the beginning, but at the moment to decide what to study at University some prejudices arose again. «Despite being always among the best pupils of my class, I was advised to enroll for technical studies at the École Nationale Chimie Physique Biologie. Looking at my motivation and excellent grades, a Professor asked me why I did not decide to attend higher studies: she was right. Indeed after my Bachelor degree in Biotechnologies I successfully completed also a Master degree in Neurobiology at the École Pratique des Hautes Études, a public scientific institution that aims at training students at fundamental and applied research. Only a few years later I realized how the prejudices regarding me being an “immigrant-looking” woman influenced my path».
But Attya’s motivation has always been strong: she wanted to become a Researcher so after her degree she started a PhD at the Université Paris-Sud. «I was studying Huntington disease, a severe genetic disease affecting the nervous system that is also one of the fundamental models for the study of the human brain – she tells. During my PhD I did a short experience in the USA that I really liked: I found a multiethnic and stimulating environment with dynamics that were very different to what I was used to. For these reasons, when I returned to France I decided I wanted to go back to the USA, but I had to find some funding first. I tried to apply to the Fulbright program that offers fellowships to scholars, artists and scientists. I discovered the call the day before the deadline so I spent the whole night writing my project but I made it and I was awarded the funding!».
Attya worked for 3 years in the USA at the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research in Cambridge (Massachusetts). At the end of the Fullbright fellowship, her boss proposed her to stay. «I did not think about it twice: besides being in an extremely stimulating scientific context, this was also an opportunity for emancipation. None of the women of my family ever went abroad, nor lived alone: it was something new that I wanted to savor. I was studying microcephaly, a condition causing the brain to have a smaller volume, through the use of stem cells and genetic engineering techniques. I was very happy and satisfied and I did not think about returning to Europe, at least not in the near future».
But as frequently happens, life can take unexpected turns. After a brief experience in Italy, at the Brescia University, Attya met Farrukh: he comes from a Pakistani family like Attya and lives in Italy since he was 12, he works as a banker. «After a 4 years and a half long distance relationship, we got married – Attya recalls. Our plan was to move to Canada together but when we discovered I was pregnant I realized that I did not want my child to grow up so far away from our families. This led me to ask my boss an advice for an excellent European lab where I could apply my genetic engineering knowledge to stem cells, in particular to blood stem cells after a personal experience that touched me deeply. He did not have any doubt and told me that the best place for me would be the San Raffaele Telethon Institute for Gene Therapy directed by Luigi Naldini. I could not believe my ears, the Institute was even in my husband’s city! Speaking about prejudices, I admit that on my own I would have never thought about Italy».
Attya’s boss advice was the right one: the interview with Naldini has a positive outcome and in the summer of 2018, Attya moves to Italy. The first few months are not easy: when her daughter is born in October, she experiences a traumatic delivery: «I was admitted to the delivery room of the hospital on my own, nobody was speaking English nor took care that I was understanding what was happening. It is sad to admit it, but once again my physical appearance and the color of my skin influenced the way I was treated. Then, at the beginning of 2019 I started to work at SR-Tiget: on one hand I was happy to start working here but on the other one it was not easy to reconcile work and motherhood, despite the support of my husband’s family. At some point I became discouraged: a new city, a newborn, working on a new topic in a new lab. Did I overdo it? Later I found my balance, also thanks to the support of my new colleagues and boss».
The theme of inclusion of foreigners is very dear to Attya and she admits there is still a lot of work to do. «The day I started working in the lab I wore the veil, mainly to observe people’s reaction and to encourage other Muslim women to do the same, to remind that despite all we live in a multiethnic society. In the lab everyone speaks English, the issue is when you go out: I believe the Institute would need occasions to discuss about themes such as racism and inclusion. From my side I did the effort to learn Italian – that I am studying and that my husband also speaks at home with our children, who now are two – and to cultivate the relationships with my colleagues. Career and family are very important for me and I will do my best to nurture them both here in Italy». The point of view and the wealth of experience of people like Attya is extremely valuable for the whole SR-Tiget that is making ever more an effort in promoting initiatives that support a diverse and inclusive environment nurturing both the scientific and non-scientific debate.
