How I Became - a Cell Biologist
How I Became - a cell biologist with Dr. Iona Weir of Atopis
Welcome to the ‘How I Became’ series where Billie talks to women across New Zealand who are killing it in their chosen career and see how they got there!
Trying to decide what you ‘want to be when you grow up’ is hard enough as it is and your careers counsellor probably won’t have all the answers you need.
HIB aims to give you a bit of insight into different career paths and what it takes to get there.
Name: Dr. Iona Weir
Age: 57
Job Title: : Cell Biologist & Atopis Founder, Chief Science Officer and CEO
Current job: Founder, Chief Science Officer and CEO for my skincare range Atopis, which is made and invented in New Zealand. I am also CEO and Chief Scientist of WEIR_Science Ltd. I founded Atopis because while most skincare products are created FOR women, there is so little genuine skincare science created BY women. It’s time for a new perspective, as women are different right down to a cellular level!
Firstly, what drew you to science and ultimately create your Atopis skincare?
I wanted to do something that would make a change in people’s lives, and to be a part of finding the answers so that treatments could be developed.
On a personal level, I have struggled with skin issues for most of my life—so I decided to use my cell biology research to dig deeper into the fundamental systems behind healthy skin to help form the Atopis range.
Atopis started with my Dry Itchy Skin cream, and quickly extended as I looked at the skin issues my loved ones were struggling with—including the development of my Acne Prone Skin Gel for my daughters!
What subjects did you take in high school that you think helped?
Chemistry, Biology, Calculus, Physics
What did your pathway towards starting your career look like?
While securing my PhD from the Cancer Research labs of University of Auckland, I was the first to discover that apoptosis (otherwise known as ‘programmed cell death’, a good metaphor to understand what this means is the autumn leaf, which is programmed at a cellular level to turn orange and die each autumn to allow for new life the next season) can be reversed. I went onto apply this learning to human cancer and immune cells, which led me into fields such as botanical drug discovery, immune modulation and gut health.
What did you study/where/how long did it take?
I studied my undergraduate at Canterbury University, and PhD at University of Auckland’s Medical School-- it took eight years to gain my PhD in BioMedical Science, and I also studied plants, microbial and later business.
What’s the best thing about your job?
It’s absolutely that moment when the experiment works, and ultimately leads you to develop a product or technology that can change people’s lives!
What’s the hardest part?
To be successful in science you must be tenacious and not give up. Experiments never work first time or even twentieth time, and you must be strong and patient enough to deal with a lot of failures and be able to keep going and find the solution.
What surprised you most about your job once you started working?
I was worried that I was not going to be any good at being a scientist as I did not know how to ‘invent’. I was surrounded by male postgraduates who dominated the conversations and appeared so much more capable, but what I discovered was that everyone else (including the hotshots!) had no idea on what to do and also had to learn. It is a skill you learn, it is not natural instinct. It is not like the movies where young scientists just invent— you’d be surprised how many people suffer from ‘imposter syndrome’!
What does an average day look like for you?
No two days are the same. As CEO and CSO I go back and forth between the two. So, I spend my time planning, designing experiments, meetings, doing experiments, financials, troubleshooting and fund raising.
What advice would you give to those looking to follow a similar career path?
I spent the first twelve years of my career in the public sector, and dealt with lower pay and discrimination as a woman. I attended a significant number of conferences and travelled a lot, but my career was blocked. I went into the private sector and have never looked back.
So my advice is ensuring you also learn some business skills, develop a thick skin – you will need it. I also strongly recommend that you learn the process of how to develop new products and protect your IP (Intellectual Property). Never sell yourself short, and support other women in business!
What are the biggest challenges in your opinion to getting into science/ cell biology?
It is very competitive; you need to be able to fully understand the biochemistry and biophysics and how these work together. So make sure you understand the fundamentals and then everything just builds from there.
There can also be a lot of ego, so don’t waste your time and energy listening to them! Instead focus on learning how to promote yourself, as funding and career progress depend on being able to demonstrate you are worth investing in.
What kind of skills does your job require?
Tenacity, careful planning, being able to think three dimensionally and predict outcomes. Attention to detail is also very important, as you’ll need to be able to use very complex equipment.
What part of your job gives you the most satisfaction?
Finding a solution to a problem, such as a treatment for eczema and knowing it will improve people’s lives.
What has been an absolute highlight of your career?
I invented the first oral drug to be developed for the treatment of eczema, which was successfully filed as an IND (Investigative New Drug) with the USFDA (US Food and Drug Administration) for an oral botanical based drug to treat eczema! I also am one of a handful of women to own multiple global patents for my scientific work.
What’s an unexpected element to your job that people don’t realise you have to do?
There is a lot of time spent fund raising, writing funding applications. Movies suggest you spend all of your time in the lab, but this is only true if you are a technician as in BSc, MSc. If you do a PhD more of your time is spent designing and writing reports than actually doing the science.
Describe your job in three words
Fun, Creative, Rewarding.