Women In Science: Miriam Merad’s French Success Story

Interested in oncology, Miriam studied at the University of Algiers and received her M.D. from the medical school in 1985, but due to political troubles in the region, she moved to France and obtained a junior residency in hospitals there. After an internship in hematology-oncology, Miriam decided to pursue a Master’s degree in Biotechnology at Paris Diderot University and later received a scholarship from Stanford University to complete a PhD in the laboratory of Edgar Engleman.

She arrived in New York in 2004, and although she had planned on returning to France in order to become a clinical director, she ended up staying after meeting her husband and getting hired by Mount Sinai to create a cancer immunology laboratory. Miriam is convinced that the immune system is the key to revolutionizing medicine on all levels, from cancer to Alzheimer’s disease, and even aging! Realizing that very little was known about myeloid cell development, she also collaborated with Irving Weissman to study the origin of macrophages and dendritic cells. This resulted in a series of ontogeny studies and the re-writing of textbook chapters on the subject.

Aside from science, Miriam has another inspiration, a human one. As the head of laboratories and institutes, she saw her team grow and her young colleagues become international leaders. The role of women in science therefore became a cause dear to her, and through interventions and events, Miriam regularly encourages women to undertake this difficult career and reassures them about the possibility of still having a rich family life: “It is possible to do everything if we take the time to explain our intellectual commitment to the people around us”, she says. “That’s what I try to explain to women.”

Miriam has kept strong ties with France as many of her family members, friends, and colleagues still live there.

Miriam is a member of the scientific advisory board at several research institutes and she participates in research programs at Institut Curie, Institut Gustave-Roussy, and many others. She has authored more than two hundred primary papers and reviews in high profile journals, and her work has been cited several thousand times.

The key to her success? She integrated both the French and American cultures to her lifestyle. France has provided her with a quality education, and in America she has learned how to surpass herself. Miriam believes in what she does. She is convinced that research can transform medicine. Her inspiring story serves as an encouragement to girls and women around the world who, like her, hope to pursue a scientific career.