Early Career Leadership Spotlight: Irina Yushenova

We’re taking time to get to know the members of the GSA’s Early Career Scientist Committees. Join us to learn more about our early career scientist advocates.

Irina Yushenova
Community and Membership Engagement Subcommittee
Marine Biological Laboratory

Research Interest

I love enzymes. And this is a very broad statement—just like saying “I love people.” There are eight billion people on Earth, and all of them are unique. We all have our personalities. We can be seen as good, bad, or even objectively terrible. Enzymes are just like that. They all have their own personalities in terms of what they do and how they do it. Just like with people, you can assign them into several categories, and as with people, some of them are more attractive than others. All of them, though, are non-static. Enzymes represent the molecules of life that perform some actions. They are not just present; enzymes change the environment around them. They, for example, can protect cells from various stresses, as heat shock proteins do by protecting other proteins from denaturation and eventually helping those affected proteins become “healthy” again. Heat shock proteins were my first scientific crush, and eventually they became the main focus of my PhD dissertation.

There is also another group of enzymes called reverse transcriptases, which build DNA using RNA as a template. The discovery of reverse transcriptases challenged the central dogma of molecular biology, which stated that the information in the cells follow the DNA-RNA-protein line only. In a sense, reverse transcriptases are the rock stars among other proteins—the ones who break the rules and go their own way. Again, some of them, like telomerases, are constructive enzymes that protect the cells. Some are rebels who can destroy essential genes and cause organisms to die, yet they also help evolution to create biodiversity, as mobile elements do. In very rare occasions, scientists are lucky to discover an enzyme that comes to the organism from another, even very distinct, species. It happens when genetic material from one species is transferred to another, making those genes horizontally transferred. If some gene were allowed to be a part of a new genome, the enzyme it produces would be nontrivial. In a prism of evolution, such travelers can allow the organism to create a completely new way to increase survival. So, my personal scientific passion are enzymes with “outstanding personalities,” whether in a good or offbeat way. Currently, I am focusing on domesticated reverse transcriptase-related genes and mobile Penelope-like elements.

As a PhD-trained scientist, you have many career options. What interests you the most?

All my life I wanted to be a scientist. It was love at first sight with both biology and chemistry. Working in a field of biochemistry and molecular biology was my childhood dream long before I learned what exactly it would entail in practice. But I was never disappointed. At age twelve, I was already planning to become a professor/principal investigator who runs their own lab in a research institution. I followed this plan for years, first getting a doctorate in veterinary medicine—to also fulfill my passion for medicine not restricted to one species—and then a doctorate in molecular biology. Then, I moved to the USA to do my postdoc and learn another culture. A couple of years later, I realized that something was holding me back from my initial plan. Although I still enjoyed doing research, mentoring students, writing papers and grants, and even performing administrative tasks, something was missing. More than once, I heard other scientists say how much they hate when somebody asks, “What is a practical implication of your research?” This question had never felt wrong for me. After five years of training for my doctorate in veterinary medicine, it is natural for me to say that discovery A could be helpful in area X maybe in ten years, and discovery B would potentially give humanity a tool to fight disease Y. I automatically think about how each scientific question I seek to answer could not just fulfill my curiosity and contribute to textbooks for future generations but also eventually help to protect the life on this planet. Recently, I started wondering whether, before committing to a life-long, tenure-track professor position, I should try a scientific position in industry. The more I talk to industry scientists, the more I see how happy people are, seeing the immediate results of their research. Also, the COVID-19 pandemic reminded us how important it is to control cross-species pathogens to save lives. Thus, while I am fully committed to bringing to success the most beloved research projects I am working on right now, I am also looking forward to applying my skills in industry.

In addition to your research, how do you want to advance the scientific enterprise?

As I mentioned already, I feel strongly connected to both basic life science research and applied medical fields. While working in academia, I have always enjoyed making more connections in veterinary, medical, or for example, food production sectors. It becomes obvious for me that people from these different sectors speak different languages. It is extremely sad if you think about it. The whole society misses a lot of opportunities to advance both basic and applied science. While scientists who work for government must learn how to speak to policymakers, other government officials, and manufacturers, the typical academic life scientist might struggle to talk to an economist. Nowadays, we all understand the importance of interdisciplinary studies. There are many great collaborations between data scientists and molecular biologists or microscopists and embryologists. Yet, it could be even more productive. Instead of saying “I don’t understand what you want to do” and walking away, let’s say, “Wow, I don’t understand what you are saying, but together we can get a full picture of the phenomenon we both care about. Let’s collaborate!” My background allows me to understand both basic life science and veterinary doctors’ languages. I work toward organizing more collaborations with animal caregivers (veterinary doctors, aquaculture professionals, etc.). I also work on bringing more people—students or teachers, who would prepare the next generation of students—from poor and disadvantaged countries into world-class science and industry. I believe that raising awareness about available opportunities and active outreach will help to ensure the future success of life science and applied fields. Being part of the Early Career Leadership Program at GSA greatly helps me to establish new connections and learn how to effectively communicate with people from different backgrounds.

As a leader within the Genetics Society of America, what do you hope to accomplish?

The Early Career Leadership Program gives us an amazing opportunity to embrace our creativity in the way we feel would be the most beneficial for the broad community. I would like to help other early career scientists to be more prepared for the often unspoken pitfalls along their research journey. We all come from different backgrounds, and we are not always lucky to encounter the right mentor for navigating the new environment. It can be a new country that is very different from our native culture and social system. It can be stereotypes attached to our national origin. It can be the lack of understanding from superiors and colleagues that might restrict us from advancing our career as fast as others. Perhaps our visa situation prevents us from travels, attending international meetings, or doing internships in some organizations. In some cases, people will sacrifice their freedoms in favor of doing some particular research. Sometimes, there are unspoken rules, which we need to know to become successful in a new system. I believe that science loses a lot of bright minds who must give up because of non-research-related struggles. As a member of the Community and Membership Engagement Subcommittee, I deeply enjoy working on various projects that aim to provide peer support for young scientists, raise awareness about new opportunities, help access information that might be crucial to advance careers, or learn how to be a good leader—which I would define as the one who inspires others and helps everyone on their team be successful. It is an exciting journey to lead a project when members of your team are located from one coast of the Pacific Ocean to another and have different points of view and goals in life. It is complicated but very rewarding at the end of the day. I am infinitely grateful to GSA for such an invaluable experience.

I also take full advantage of training courses offered for ECLP members. With English being my second language, I always feel that my writing—especially non-scientific—stays on the level of a high schooler. Thus, the variety of writing courses offered to us became a significant development for me. I hope to leave this program with significantly improved writing skills, in addition to solidified leadership skills.

Previous leadership experience

Research advisor for seventeen students (high school, undergrad, and grad school level), 2013-present