From the ablation room to major strategic decisions, Dr Mélèze Hocini’s career path is that of a woman who has never stopped pushing boundaries: those of science, medicine… and sometimes also those imposed on women by society. A cardiologist and electrophysiologist, she is now Director General of the IHU Liryc. But before being a leader, she is above all a doctor and scientist, driven by a simple conviction: research only makes sense if it tangibly improves patients’ lives.

Can you tell us how electrophysiology came into your life?

I became a cardiologist with the simple desire to care for others, to treat patients. But I quickly realised that to go further, I also needed to understand the mechanisms of disease. Science entered my life as a tool to push the boundaries of what we thought was possible.

When I chose electrophysiology in the early 1990s, it was still an emerging field. There was little recognition and few certainties. But I was fortunate to work with Professor Michel Haïssaguerre in Bordeaux very early on, at a time when everything was still to be built. By observing patients, we began to see repetitive patterns emerge. Where many were trying to understand the mechanism of arrhythmias, we were interested in what triggered them. And this intuition led to major discoveries that are now internationally recognised.

These moments are extraordinary for a scientist: when an observation made at a patient’s bedside can change medicine around the world.

So you devoted yourself to electrophysiology and helped revolutionise this speciality. Where does this quest for excellence come from?

I think it’s primarily the education I received. It’s been ingrained in me for a very long time.

But it has also become a professional conviction: innovating means accepting to step outside your comfort zone in order to improve your skills. That is how you truly build your standards.

There are still very few women at the head of scientific institutes. Have you encountered any obstacles during your career?

When a woman takes on a position of responsibility, there is often a feeling of illegitimacy that can arise. This feeling is shared by many women. But it must not hold us back.

It is not necessarily something that others impose on you. Sometimes it is a feeling that you internalise yourself. However, women are no less ambitious than men. They have simply learned to doubt themselves more, to ask themselves more questions before daring to take the plunge.

There are still invisible glass ceilings in certain scientific and medical circles. It is a subject that is still not discussed enough, but it needs to be addressed. Things are changing; the younger generation no longer wants to choose between professional ambition and personal balance. And that is a very positive development.

You are also leading the MANDARINE research project on women’s cardiovascular health. Where did this commitment come from?

Throughout my practice, I have realised that women suffering from atrial fibrillation have specific characteristics that are not taken into account. They experience more recurrences, more complications during procedures and, above all, they arrive much later than men for curative treatment. At this stage, the disease has progressed and is more complex to treat.

There are many factors contributing to this delay in treatment: women are more often referred for conservative treatment, they are older, often post-menopausal, and more likely to have high blood pressure. There is no single cause for the differences between men and women; rather, it is a combination of several confounding factors.

The aim of MANDARINE is to isolate one of these factors: the drop in oestrogen levels, i.e. the menopause. This factor affects all women at some point in their lives, and its impact on cardiac function remains poorly understood. Our goal is to better understand this mechanism in order to provide better treatment.

Your daily life is particularly intense. How do you organise your work between clinical practice, research and management?

No two days are ever the same, but that’s what I love about my job: its diversity.

I wear many hats: doctor, researcher, manager, sometimes teacher or diplomat, depending on the situation. I go from a strategic meeting to a scientific discussion, then to thinking about the future of a project.

It is a very diverse, multi-tasking role. It is an area where women often feel very comfortable because we are often used to managing several things at once.

But multitasking does not mean spreading yourself too thin.

Without direction, we start things and never finish them.

How do you balance such a high level of responsibility with your personal and family life?

It’s a question of balance and organisation.

The days are long, the decisions numerous, the responsibilities significant. And my mind often continues to work in the evenings and at weekends. It is also at these times that I take a step back and look ahead.

But it is also important to set aside time for your personal and family life. For me, family is an essential anchor. I am proud to be able to show my children that you can be fully committed to a passion, have responsibilities, and contribute to something bigger than yourself.

I think it is important for them to see that their mother can run a scientific institute while remaining deeply committed to her values.

In your opinion, what role does research play in our society?

Science is a democratic tool that concerns all citizens, not just researchers. It is a driver of progress for society, but it needs all talents, and therefore also all women.

A society that weakens its research takes a huge risk on its ability to understand the world and innovate. This is also why science must be made more visible and accessible.

What message would you like to convey to young women?

Do not limit yourself.

Women now account for nearly half of all doctoral students in science, but they are much less numerous in positions of responsibility.

It’s not a question of talent. It’s often a question of projection or role models.

You cannot become what you cannot see. The visibility of women scientists is therefore essential for inspiration. When a young woman sees another woman scientist, leader, surgeon or researcher, it opens up a world of possibilities.

And I would also like to tell them that it is possible to lead several lives at once: a demanding career, a personal life, multiple commitments.

It’s not always easy. But it is possible, and it’s worth trying.

If you had to summarise your engine in one sentence?

Ambition is only valuable if it serves a cause.
And for me, that cause will always remain the same: patients and science.

Dre Mélèze Hocini