#19 - "From Illness to Innovation: A story of perseverance" - With Dr Helen M. Berman

This episode of the DASL Podcast features an extraordinary conversation with Dr. Helen M. Berman, a pioneering structural biologist whose visionary work reshaped modern science. As one of the founders of the Protein Data Bank (PDB) and creator of the Nucleic Acid Database, Helen has spent her career building global scientific infrastructure that now underpins everything from structural biology to AI-driven protein prediction. Yet behind these groundbreaking achievements lies a personal story defined by passion, persistence, and profound resilience.

Helen reflects on her early beginnings—discovering science at age 15 through an NSF research program, falling in love with crystallography as a college student, and training under demanding but transformative mentors who shaped her scientific identity. She shares how these early experiences ignited a lifelong drive to understand molecular structure and to build collaborative systems that serve the scientific community.

The episode traces Helen’s journey through academia, from setting up her first lab at Fox Chase Cancer Center to leading international collaborations that forever changed biological data sharing. She speaks candidly about the challenges faced by women entering science in the 1960s, including inequities in salary and representation, and how the confidence and preparation she received from Barnard College empowered her to persevere. Her insights illuminate not only the progress made, but the structural biases that continue to shape scientific careers today.

A deeply moving part of the conversation centers on Helen’s three battles with cancer, beginning when her son was just three years old. She discusses navigating diagnosis, treatment, recurrence, while raising a child and sustaining a demanding scientific career. From seeking psychological support to reframing cancer as a “muse,” Helen offers a rare and vulnerable window into survival, identity, and choice. Her story reveals the inner strength required to move forward when life becomes unimaginably hard—and how science itself helped her make meaning of her experiences.

The episode also explores Helen’s philosophy of leadership, mentorship, and collaboration. She reflects on the mentors who shaped her, the joy of supporting new generations of scientists, and the conviction that passion—combined with persistence—makes scientific innovation possible. Her belief in bringing people together, often long before formal structures existed, helped catalyze some of biology’s most influential community efforts.

Looking to the future, Helen discusses what excites her most about science today—from targeted cancer therapies to breakthroughs in structural prediction—and why effective science communication has become her urgent mission. Now working with collaborators in film, VR, and digital outreach, she is dedicated to bridging the growing gap between scientific knowledge and public understanding.

Helen’s story is a testament to courage, vision, and the transformative power of community. Her life’s work has touched every corner of structural biology, yet her reflections in this episode offer something even more profound: a roadmap for living with purpose, leading with compassion, and overcoming adversity with clarity and grace.

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