ASTCT Women’s History Month Spotlight: Sophie Paczesny, MD, PhD

In celebration of Women’s History Month, ASTCT is proud to highlight the inspiring journeys of women making a profound impact in transplantation and cellular therapy. This spotlight features Dr. Sophie Paczesny, Professor of Immunology and Pediatrics at the Medical University of South Carolina. 

Dr. Paczesny’s path into the field was shaped by a personal loss that ignited her passion for immunologically based cancer treatments. Throughout her career, she has contributed groundbreaking research and mentored the next generation of physician-scientists. Here, she reflects on the importance of resilience, innovation and the women and men who have inspired her along the way.

1. What inspired you to enter the transplantation and cellular therapy field?
When I was a teenager, my baby sister died of a brain tumor. Not only was the diagnosis delayed due to a lack of good imaging technology, but the few available treatments were mostly ineffective and had several toxic side effects. While spending a lot of time in the hospital, I witnessed a great deal of suffering, and it became clear to me that novel treatment options beyond chemotherapies were necessary —  something that could only happen through the trailblazing power of research. 

I resolved to channel my affinity for mathematics and the biological sciences into a career focused on treating cancer patients with immunologically based therapies. At the time, dendritic cell-based immunotherapy and adoptive transfer of tumor-specific T cells were emerging in solid tumors, while hematopoietic cell transplantation remained the most validated immunotherapy for blood cancers. This was the breakthrough research I wanted to be involved in. 

Looking back, I feel fortunate to pick this field as a career path. I had had a remarkable journey driven by the pioneering spirit of my mentors paralleled with significant advancements in my field. 

2. How do you inspire others?
By striving to be a positive role model in research and development, I am trying to demonstrate dedication, perseverance and a commitment to innovation. I’ve found this has inspired, motivated and encouraged those around me. 

Of course, this alone is not enough. As a leader, I strive to develop the next generation by mentoring, advocating or sponsoring — depending on my relationships with junior colleagues or peers. As a physician-scientist with deep insight into how to bridge important basic discoveries with questions of high clinical relevance, I’m committed to training of the next generation of physician-scientists and translational scientists. 

I have a long track record of mentoring and have supervised more than 60 postdoctoral and clinical fellows, medical, PhD and undergraduate students. Several of my trainees have gained fellowship awards and now have independent faculty positions. 

3. What does it mean to be a woman in this field?
As evident from my resume, my clinical training and early career started in France. Before coming to the U.S., I never thought about this question because, to me, any medical student or resident in my class with a scientific inclination could one day be another Marie Curie — a name more prestigious (two Nobel prizes) than Pierre Curie (only one). 

For my Master of Science, I did a rotation in the lab of Dr. Eliane Gluckman’s husband, but the person I wanted to be was Eliane Gluckman. During my first postdoctoral fellowship in Jacques Banchereau lab, there was no shortage of women role models, including Karolina Palucka and Virginia Pascual. 

It wasn’t until my second postdoctoral fellowship that I realized women in the U.S. face more challenges in achieving equal representation in leadership roles. Still, it seems to me our field has been a magnet for inspirational women who have mentored the next generation of women leaders. 

As a matter of fact, we have a list of more than 100 of these fantastic women in the field — not yet including those focusing on engineered cellular therapies. A few of the women who guided me over the years include: Juliet Barker, E.J. Shpall, Katy Rezvani, Helen Heslop, Catherine Bollard, Ann Leen, Stephanie Lee, Mary Horwitz, Effie Pettersdorf, Kathy Hsu, Cathy Wu, Sung Choi, Stefanie Sarantopoulos, Kelli MacDonald, Kirsten Williams, Jennifer Holter-Chakrabarty, Marie Bleakley, Guang-Shing Cheng and many inspiring mentees. 

Let's be assured that the advancement of women leaders has also been significantly bolstered by the advocacy and support of male allies —  just as Pierre Curie supported Marie Curie. Here are a few of my male mentors, sponsors and colleagues over the years: Alain Fischer, Jacques Banchereau, Ralph Steinman, Sam Hanash, James Ferrara, Laurence Boxer, Hal Broxmeyer, Richard Jerry Ritz, Steve Pavletic, Gerard Socie, Pavan Reddy, Leo Luznik, Ivan Maillard, Reuben Kapur, Greg Yanick, Joe Hsu, Bruce Blazar and many awesome mentees. 

4. Who are your heroes in real life?
Alain Fischer inspired me early in my career. Dr. Fischer is an immunologist and pediatrician who has made significant contributions to the field of medicine in understanding and treating genetic immunodeficiencies. His work has had a profound impact on the development of gene therapy, which has transformed the treatment landscape for patients with inherited immune disorders, particularly severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID). 

I had the good fortune to be a fellow in his department at Necker in Paris. Since I wanted to treat cancer with immunotherapies, he is the one who advised me to check labs in the U.S. that were performing this kind of research — guidance that proved transformative. 

My parents are also my heroes. They instilled a very strong work ethic in me from a young age. They started from a poor background without college education and built a successful enterprise in informatics. 

Finally, my patients and their families have undoubtedly provided me with valuable lessons about resilience in the face of difficulty. 

5. What is your greatest achievement?
While discovering novel biomarkers, I had the opportunity to build bridges in a research field that was working in silos at the time. If we were going to have any biomarker, collaboration and communication between proteomics experts, physicians, basic scientists, translational researchers, academics and industry partners was essential. 

Thanks to collaborative efforts across the field, including my own, the number of multidisciplinary networks and consensus guidelines has grown exponentially — leading the way for regulatory approvals of new therapies. 

6. What advice would you give your younger self?
It’s not just the scientific breakthroughs that matter, but also the mindset and creativity that pave the way for innovation. Having a visionary approach is crucial in any research discipline, especially given the rapid developments we've seen over the past 30 years in ours. 

Reflecting on that can provide motivation and insight as “you” continue to contribute to the field. Don’t forget to build resilience for the bumpy road ahead — focus on cultivating strong relationships with “your” colleagues, both in and outside work; set meaningful goals; keep “your” passion for discovery at the forefront; learn from past experiences and maintain a hopeful outlook, while also staying adaptable to challenges.