Dr Sonia Shah has always been curious about the human body and how things work.
It’s a trait she is putting to good use in her work: using genetic data to learn more about heart disease, with an ultimate goal of improving prevention, diagnosis and treatment.
Always having an interest in science at school, Dr Shah found biology was her favourite subject, which eventually led her into bioinformatics – the application of computing tools to analyse biological data.
Research close to her heart
“Whilst working as a bioinformatician, I was asked to work on a cardiovascular disease genetics project, and I really fell in love with it.
“This research is very close to my heart – after being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, my dad did everything right. He changed his diet, exercised regularly and lost a lot of weight. So, it was a huge surprise when, a few years later, a heart health check revealed three blocked arteries and need for a triple bypass.”
Dr Shah has established her own research group and works closely with doctors to ensure her research is answering clinical questions.
“I want to make sure we are addressing the gaps in our knowledge, driven by clinical needs. Risk factors, symptoms, disease severity, and even response to medication can vary by sex and ethnicity, but we lack data in women and those of non-European ancestry. I’m hoping our work will contribute towards reducing existing inequity in cardiovascular healthcare.”
A positive impact through mentoring
Dr Shah is also hoping to make a difference in the lives of young women and girls who are interested in pursuing a STEM career.“The most challenging part of my career has not been deciphering the complex information contained in our genome, but rather returning to work after having a baby,” she said.
“If it wasn’t for the support of my mentor, Professor Naomi Wray, I may have given up at some point and just said, ‘This is too difficult’.
Dr Shah is now paying this help forward by mentoring female high school students who are passionate about science.
“My career path has not been linear, and an academic career was never intentional. I’ve realised that sharing my experience with building a career while raising a family can have a positive impact, and mentoring is something that I have found highly rewarding.”
It’s a lesson her two daughters are also learning, as they see Dr Shah making mentoring calls from the car as they head into gymnastics lessons.
“I hope I am laying the groundwork to not only kindle a passion for STEM in my daughters, but also to help ensure they have fewer barriers to hurdle over than I did.”
