Melba Muñoz MD. PhD. interviewed for »Women in Science«

Melba Muñoz took part in the Allergy and Clinical Immunology Fellowship Program at Johns Hopkins University in the USA from 2003 to 2005. She completed a Master of Science degree in cell biology and molecular genetics at the University of Maryland (2005–2007). She then completed her doctorate at the Max Planck Institute for Infection Biology in 2011. Before starting her current job at Fraunhofer ITMP in Berlin, she was a postdoc at the German Rheumatism Research Center in Berlin until 2016.

Who or what made you want to work in health research?

I was lucky enough to meet Dr. Luis Caraballo from the University of Cartagena in Colombia when I started my medical studies. With his enthusiasm for science, he inspired me to start my first projects on genetic susceptibility to asthma among people in the Caribbean. During my studies at the Institute for Immunological Research at the University of Cartagena, I discovered my passion for immunology. Back in Colombia, I never imagined that a scientific career would be an option for me. Alongside my medical studies, I was able to broaden my horizons through additional immunological research studies in the laboratory. This enabled me to continue my research at the Johns Hopkins University Asthma & Allergy Center in Baltimore in the USA. I then completed my specialist training in dermatology and allergology.

To what extent do you think the dynamics and relevance of health research have changed in recent years? And how has the role of women changed?

In immunological research, we are currently seeing a revolution in the implementation of years of basic research. Many diseases are being cured and the quality of life of those affected is being significantly improved. Some of these milestones in health research have extended the lives of seriously ill cancer patients by more than five years. It is now possible to alter the progression of some chronic inflammatory diseases and even achieve complete remission in some cases.

I am also inspired by the fact that more and more women have been awarded the Nobel Prize in scientific fields over the last three years. Although there are many factors that still prevent women from being recognized professionally as equals, a lot of changes are currently happening. Thanks to gender equality concepts, initiatives and measures to support the advancement of women, we can make better progress in ensuring equality for women.

What exactly are you currently working on at Fraunhofer ITMP?

I am currently looking into pathogenetic mechanisms in order to understand the extent to which they cause chronic urticaria. Chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) is one of the most common skin diseases. Those affected by it suffer from itchy wheals, swelling or even both on an almost a daily basis, which severely impairs their quality of life.

Mast cells play a key role in triggering CSU symptoms. We are currently investigating certain factors that cause the activation of mast cells in CSU and contribute to the development of symptoms. We are examining the extent to which blocking the complement system reduces disease activity. At the moment we are working on an upcoming clinical trial to investigate the efficacy of a complement inhibitor in CSU patients.

What other goals are on your research agenda and to what extent does your work interact with your private life, with your family and friends?

Another important part of my research is aimed at understanding the development of symptomatic dermographism (SD), which most commonly starts with urticaria. SD is the recurrent appearance of itchy and streaky wheals that develop after exposure to shear forces on the skin such as stroking, scratching or rubbing. I am trying to better characterize patients who suffer from this disease in terms of epidemiology, laboratory tests, therapy and prognosis. This includes developing better tools to assess disease activity, quality of life and disease control.

The support of my family, my husband and my friends is crucial to me. Their support and good organizational skills have enabled me to achieve my professional goals.

What advice would you like to give to women who want to start a career in health research?

I would like to encourage women to take advantage of career opportunities in health research. It takes courage and effort to be curious, to discover, to understand and to look for solutions. As researchers, we make an important contribution to improving health in society. Even if hypotheses can’t always be conclusively proven or experiments fail, it is challenges like these that bring you so much joy when you finally find a successful solution. There are many women who are not afraid to work hard in order to pursue what inspires them. That’s why I would like to see more women like this in research.