Fatima-Zahra Rachad interviewed for »Women in Science«

Born in Morocco, Fatima-Zahra Rachad came to Germany for her bachelor’s degree in biotechnology at HAW Hamburg where she mastered the linguistic and administrative challenges of an international study program. She also completed her practical semester and her bachelor’s thesis at Fraunhofer ITMP. She has been working there as a technical employee since 2024. She carries out biophysical measurements and is active in the stem cell laboratory, especially in the TRR 305 collaborative research center project funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation).

What exactly are you currently researching at Fraunhofer ITMP and how do you think research into the immune system influences the development of innovative treatments?

I am currently researching new active substances for cancer patients with brain metastases at Fraunhofer ITMP Hamburg. To this end, we are using human in vitro models, which we are developing in higher throughput for drug testing.

The long-term goal is to modulate and investigate the tumor-associated microenvironment, which includes immune cells. We also want to address these metastases in their niche tissue with new active substances, which should inhibit tumor progression. This enables us to exclude potential side effects in the sensitive nerve tissue. With our research, we also hope that our complex organoid models derived from human cells will contribute to identifying new drugs in a much more relevant way in the future.

What challenges have you faced as a woman in health research and how did you overcome them? 

I have been lucky enough to be surrounded by many women in health research right from the beginning of my career. But I noticed that there are fewer women in senior positions. This also raises questions with regard to my own career. I would still like to work in an open environment.

As a fresh bachelor’s graduate, I found it particularly challenging to translate complex procedures — as they are used in research — from theory into practice with all the guidelines.

To master this, I had to ask many questions and go through manual »trial-and-error« exercises. 


In your opinion, what are the key steps that need to be taken to promote equality in health research in the long term? 

One key step is to increase the number of women in senior positions. From my personal perspective, equality is not only made more difficult by the lack of gender equality, but also by the fact that, as a foreign employee, I have to go through a much more complicated recruitment process. The knowledge about what I am and am not allowed to do with my residence status varies immensely. There are also many hurdles involved in hiring someone with a permanent employment contract. In addition, more permanent contracts should be offered in research professions in general. Many women are put off by this — especially women who wish to have children. Fixed-term contracts offer no security whatsoever that they will be able to take up their old position again. That is why many of them make the move to industry. 

What does success in research mean to you — is it scientific progress, social recognition or something else?

Scientific progress is my benchmark for success. My goal is to find solutions for various diseases and malfunctions in the body to treat or even cure them. I love working in a field that can help other people. But I’m just at the beginning of my career. My next step is to complete my master’s degree.

I do not see success in research as a factual result, but as a path, with all the opportunities that come with it. I am proud that — even as a young professional — I am given a lot of trust and responsibility in my work in the screening and stem cell laboratories. That is very motivating. 

How can networks and mentoring programs support women in health research and what experiences have you had in this area? 

Networks and mentoring programs help you to think outside the box. Networking and exchanging ideas are very important factors when it comes to supporting one another. Women should be encouraged to exchange more information and share their experiences with each other. And I don’t just mean that in professional terms — but also about opportunities and best practice examples for career paths.

Personally, I have learned a lot through academic supervision, both in terms of the discipline and in terms of processes and etiquette. This was only touched on superficially during my studies. Mentoring programs can be very useful here. At Fraunhofer ITMP in Hamburg, we work in an international team. This greatly motivates the exchange of ideas during our Visiting Scientists program, which lasts several months.