One of the plays, Eden, was created based on the personal experience of a young researcher Polona Tepes, as she endeavors to save a 13-year-old patient with a rare tumor.

Polona is a Ph.D. candidate in molecular biology, focusing on pediatric cancer research at the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in New York.

In an interview, a lot of information about pediatric cancer, gender inequality in medicine, and other interesting issues were discussed, and the touching story that inspired the creation of the play, Eden,  was revealed.

Polona, can you tell us more about your work?

I’m researching cancer, specifically pediatric cancer. I’m passionate about it because I didn’t just choose to research out of curiosity but from a humanitarian point of view. I shifted from lung cancer to pediatric cancer for various reasons.

I’ve always loved science, but I started to go into the entrepreneurial aspect after my master's degree. I was working for a pharmaceutical company, and then I realized I wasn’t just interested in selling, I wanted to know how these drugs worked, and how they were made. As a result, I signed up for a Ph.D. and came here. I’ve been here for six years.

Six years?

The more you learn, the more questions are open. It’s like a pandora box-- you open and there’s more.

What’s in your pandora box?

My pandora box was the day I decided to switch from researching lung cancer to pediatric cancer.

In adults with lung cancer, there’s so much mutation going on and you can easily identify the mutant gene, but in pediatric cancer, you get surprised, because there’s just one mutation that’s causing such a big mess, and the more I learn about it, the more I see the connection between the environment and genes.

What inspired you to shift from lung cancer to pediatric cancer?

It happened when my PI told me there’s a 14-year-old girl with cancer growing in her body. In two days, I flew to the place to get the tumor from the pathology department...brought it over, and I started observing. The fact that I got to meet the child and her parents was the changing factor.

Other times we just get samples and we don’t establish personal relationships with the patients, but when I met her, knowing she’s a child, I felt I had to help her. That was when I decided to shift from lung cancer to this. But I didn’t know pediatric cancer tumors are complicated. They are flat because it’s one mutation driving the whole tumor.

What do you love about science?

My friends ask if I’m not bored of pipetting because that's the stereotype for scientists in the media, but it’s not like that. I feel like a detective, like Sherlock Holmes. You’re trying to uncover what’s happening in the micro-environment because it affects everyone. You come up with theories and investigate. The mystery is fascinating, and if Sherlock Holmes doesn’t get bored uncovering truths, why should I?

What’s your take on women's involvement in science?

Empowerment! I’m glad we’re allowed to study, get degrees, and work, unlike in the 1960s. But the pandemic has taken us back in unimaginable ways. I found out during research that there’s been a decline in women authors. Most women had to quit their jobs to become housewives. I also researched and found out that in most cases when women and men bid for grants, whenever a woman wins, the grant she receives is often less than the original amount. We can’t fold our hands and hope it changes.

What was it like collaborating with playwright Wi-Moto Nyoka on Eden?

It was great. She interestingly portrayed science, the way it ought to be portrayed, not the boring stereotype. Society needs to evolve to embrace the true portrayal of science in the media because, with science, there’s no stereotype, there’s no compartmentalization, no gender inequality,  a man would get the same result as a woman if he does the same experiment.

We can push the change and teach the coming generations to be more inclusive.

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