• Woman Entrepreneur of the Year 2023, molecular geneticist and Genelabs Medical CEO Dr. Chandanamali Punchihewa elaborates on how cultural biases and social norms do not encourage females to enter into STEM disciplines 

Women’s representation in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines in Sri Lanka appears to be making progress at the secondary school level, but almost flat-lines once women move into higher academics. The University Grants Commission notes that only 60% of women complete their degree and even less – 42% – pursue post-graduate level studies. However, Sri Lanka is home to some remarkable women in the STEM fields, each blazing a trail to the future. 

With the International Women’s Day on 8 March and as Kaleidoscope celebrates International Women’s Month, featured on the show was Woman Entrepreneur of the Year 2022, molecular geneticist, and Genelabs Medical Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dr. Chandanamali Punchihewa. It was Punchihewa’s decades of experience in molecular biology, biochemistry, and drug discovery, trailblazing discoveries and plunge into the business world that gained her this prestigious accolade at a ceremony organised by the Women’s Chamber of Industry and Commerce. 

Her passion for the sciences took her into the world of molecular genetics, but her foray into higher studies began in law. She joined the Sri Lanka Law College, passing out as an Attorney-at-Law. However, the sciences were inherent in her genes. She entered the University of Colombo, got her Bachelor’s (Honours) Degree in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, and then won a scholarship to the University of Arizona, United States (US), where she was conferred her Doctor of Philosophy in Biochemistry. 

Winning a highly-competitive post-doctoral Fellowship to the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, the top paediatric cancer Hospital in the US, she delved into anti-cancer drug discovery and development, which now makes her a co-inventor holding a US patent for a potential anti-cancer drug. She has co-authored a number of internationally peer-reviewed research articles including one published in the Nature, which is one of the world’s highest ranked journals, while she also co-authored a chapter in a book titled Telomeres and Telomerase in Cancer which was published in the US. These are on the back of numerous other achievements, accolades, and Fellowships from both the University of Arizona and the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. 

On her return to Sri Lanka in 2014, she established the Molecular Diagnostics laboratory at the Lanka Hospitals and, in 2018, jumped headfirst into her very own venture: Genelabs Medical (Private) Limited. Her vision was to have state-of-the-art genetic tests, which are currently available in developed countries, to be more accessible to patients in emerging markets and developing nations, especially countries in the vicinity of Sri Lanka. 

Following are excerpts of the interview:

Q: How does it feel to be recognised on a national scale for your entrepreneurship capabilities?

A: It actually means a lot because I started this work out of a necessity, more than as a business, due to the void that existed in this area of genetic testing. We all have a responsibility to provide a better service to this country. It is that thought that encourages me to hold on to my business, despite all the challenges, and to keep stepping up with more work in the area. 

Q: As a woman involved in the STEM disciplines, how easy or difficult was it to pursue your dream?

A: STEM is my field – I’m in the sciences as a biologist and a scientist. However, running a business, whether you’re a man or a woman, is a challenge, because in Sri Lanka, things are challenging for an entrepreneur. It was a learning curve every day to discover these challenges, to go through the loopholes, and to get things together.

Q: Genelabs Medical is your genetic testing lab and you have brought both STEM disciplines and entrepreneurship together – how challenging was that?

A: For women in STEM, when it comes to entrepreneurship, we have to be involved in both the technical and business side, which includes human resources. It is difficult to find local expertise in the STEM areas, which means that we end up doing a lot of technical work and also being hands-on in running the business, while also managing family related commitments. Not easy, as you can imagine!

Q: How challenging is it for women to get into the STEM areas?

A: It is not difficult to get into the STEM fields, but what is difficult is retaining these women. Our education system encourages women in STEM, but once women are in the world of work, juggling multiple personal and career roles becomes tough. We cannot expect employers to treat us differently because of gender and, whether we like it or not, we are compared to males when we work. The workplace looks for productivity, not gender, so working at the same capacity as men while having those additional personal commitments becomes very challenging and therefore retention is very low. 

Q: What are the opportunities in the STEM field if a woman wants to go into the entrepreneurship space?

A: In all areas of STEM, there are many opportunities because the demand is very high. I am involved in laboratories – that’s one area. The need in technology is infinite because in all of these fields, you use your technical knowledge. It is just a matter of thinking out of the box, looking for that niche, and then going into that world of business. 

Q: What holds women back from pursuing a career in STEM?

A: Primarily cultural biases and social norms hold women back. Women are primary caregivers – expected to bear children, nurture them, look after the family, and sometimes even the extended family, put all three meals on the table, and on top of that, be as productive as the males in the workplace. The gender based expectations placed on women are very high, which, unless you are a superwoman, is difficult for anyone to balance. This means that women end up prioritising, and generally, personal commitments gain precedence because they don’t want to be branded as workaholics, resulting in a pull back when it comes to work. 

Q: What do you think STEM women bring to the table both as entrepreneurs and as employees?

A: What matters most is leadership skills, whether they are a man or a woman. Women have their strengths and men have theirs. A Pew Research Centre study concluded that women are more compassionate, ethical, and easier to work with because of their empathetic nature. Men on the other hand work better under stress, negotiate better, and take risks. Women bring in their strengths and men theirs, which is why you need a good gender balance in any workplace. But, in general, leadership, troubleshooting, and good management skills are imperatives whether as an entrepreneur or as an employee.

Q: As a role model for young women in STEM, what would you say to those who want to make this a career or go into entrepreneurship?

A: Follow your passion, because it is passion that takes you places. There will be challenges but use those as learning steps, because that’s what keeps everything interesting. When you get through those challenges and look back, you realise how much you’ve accomplished. So, very simply, follow your passion and learn from your challenges. You will succeed.

(Rodrigo is the host, director, and co-producer of the weekly digital programme ‘Kaleidoscope with Savithri Rodrigo’ which can be viewed on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. She has over three decades of experience in print, electronic, and social media.)