Meet Sheona Scales, Head of the ECMC Programme Office

To celebrate International Women’s Day, we sat down with the new head of the ECMC Programme Office, Sheona Scales. We got to know Sheona, discussed her new role, her vision for the Programme Office and what International Women’s Day means to her. 

 

It’s fantastic to welcome you as our new Head of the ECMC Programme office. Can you tell us about your background and what attracted you to the role?

I was previously an academic scientist- working at the fabulous National Institute for Medical Research followed by the Francis Crick studying aneuploidy, it was some of the most rewarding years of my career. I moved from the Crick to the ECMC Programme Office as my first stint in the team, to take up the newly created role of ECMC Paediatric Network Manager- I have since held a number of roles at CRUK and have just spent a year on secondment as Head of Research for the Cancer Grand Challenges initiative. I am very much enjoying being back with my colleagues in the ECMC.

 

What’s your vision for the programme office and the network as we come to the new quinquennium?

This is a hugely exciting time to be in the ECMC as we kick off the next funding period and the ECMC Network strategy. There is lots to be done but I am excited about how the Programme office and all of the Network and our wider community work together to co-create key activity and initiatives- we really worked out how to do this in the last few years through creating the ECMC Intelligence platform and the Network strategy- now I am looking forward to our next endeavours.

 

What is your proudest achievement to date?

My proudest achievement to date is launching the CRUK Children and Young People’s Research Strategy. It was an incredible amount of work which many people within the Paediatric research community contributed to as well as people and families affected by childhood cancer. There are now a number of key projects which were developed to deliver the strategy and its been fantastic seeing the progress 

 

What is the most important piece of advice you’ve been given?

‘you learn the most when something goes wrong’. This was really brough to life for me when I was in the lab and when my experiment wouldn’t work- you would spend ages changing concentrations, temperatures, incubation times- and this meant that I really understood something. If things work all the time, you don’t learn as much. When things aren’t going the way you would like, look for what you learning and how you can maximise this. 

 

How can we encourage more women to pursue senior leadership roles in their career?

It’s a complex question, but it has to start with everyone championing an inclusive environment. That’s not just about rights but also about attitudes. Last year I held a role which required a lot of travelling and my husband needed to look after our children more. I was surprised and saddened at some of the reactions we received from personal network- reactions I am not sure that we would have had if the roles were reversed. Support and encouragement is the only 

 

Is there anyone that has inspired you during your career?

My PhD Professor was a real inspiration; he had a real love for science which was infectious- but most importantly he would greet us cups of tea when we were doing long experiments and help to empty our bins. He taught me that no matter how busy you are, always make time for those around you.