Li Chan is Professor of Molecular Endocrinology and Metabolism and Honorary Consultant in Paediatric Endocrinology at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) and Barts Health. She has co-led the Lifelong Health (LLH) multidisciplinary theme at QMUL and UKRI ageing network CELLO. Here, Zin Htut, Editorial Board member of The Endocrinologist, took an opportunity to ask Professor Chan about her career to date.
Please tell us about your background, and what drew you to paediatric endocrinology
My endocrinology journey started as a medical student in Cambridge. I distinctly remember a biochemistry book with a figure of Cushing’s disease that sparked my interest in hormones. Through serendipity, I was then a house officer on the endocrinology ward working with Steve O’Rahilly, Krish Chatterjee and Sadaf Farooqi. Not realising at the time, those 6 months laid the foundations for an endocrine career. Later, as a senior house officer in paediatrics, I met Martin Savage, who drew me into paediatric endocrinology through seeing and diagnosing complex cases and co-authoring papers. Les Perry (biochemist) sat in clinic with us, discussing hormones, normal values and assays, which was fascinating, and I was hooked. Martin introduced me to Adrian Clark, and during that time, I applied for funding, got funding, and did a PhD. The rest is history.
What has been your biggest challenge?
So, I think there are challenges throughout a career, both at home and work. Getting a PhD was a massive challenge, because funding is hard to achieve. Early on, I was relatively successful in securing grants. But, once you become a principal investigator, it is completely different. Grant success rates are low – around one in five or one in eight – meaning you face months of effort and the depression of rejection. Yet, you need that drive to find answers to scientific questions and keep your lab running. Another major challenge is work–life balance, especially starting a family. Children can delay career progress, creating publication and grant gaps, which I often discuss with other female academics.
How do you balance your roles as doctor, researcher and mother?
It’s about finding what works for you. When I had kids, we shared parental leave and I went part-time which worked for us. Many parents inevitably feel guilty on all fronts: home, academic and clinical. Give yourself a break as there is a limit to what you can do, but at the same time, try not to lose track of why you’re doing this job. Asking scientific questions and finding answers in academic medicine drives me to carry on.
What have been your goals within the Lifelong Health initiative?
This was a new strategic theme in QMUL, to think about an unmet need. The population is ageing and people are living longer, but they are not necessarily healthier. From my perspective as a paediatrician working on metabolism, understanding the early years and their impact on later health is crucial. I have been working with Siân Henson, an old-age biologist, on this Lifelong Health theme. We realised we could co-lead this role, since I cover clinical paediatrics and she covers ageing basic science. As leads for the Lifelong Health theme (as well as leads for a UKRI ageing network called CELLO) we focus on a life course approach to healthy ageing from early years to older ages, particularly in the areas of metabolism and rare diseases.
'Sharing leadership roles has been a revelation, making the journey more enjoyable and productive. I would highly recommend it! Co-leading with Siân has been great. We have pushed each other in directions we would not have undertaken otherwise, truly becoming more than the sum of our parts.'
We have recruited three senior lecturers to push this agenda within QMUL and created an interdisciplinary network where biologists, social scientists and data scientists can collaborate. Our main goal has been to get people talking and working together on big questions about improving healthy life course. This requires more than just biologists: it needs policymakers and the community.
We also established educational and public engagement aspects, to train the next generation of researchers from grassroots onwards and connect with the community. Breaking down silos and developing interdisciplinarity was a key vision of ours as part of both LLH and CELLO. It has been a challenge but I think we’ve made good progress.
Sharing leadership roles has been a revelation, making the journey more enjoyable and productive. I would highly recommend it! Co-leading with Siân has been great. We have pushed each other in directions we would not have undertaken otherwise, truly becoming more than the sum of our parts.
What exciting projects are coming up in Lifelong Health?
There’s a lot happening. We’ve recruited some great people and secured funding. We have someone who’s focusing on glucose regulation in the hypothalamus, which is really exciting. Another researcher is looking into ageing and cardiovascular disease. Overall, I believe the key to our future in the theme lies in these new recruits: they will driving success in the years to come.
What advice would you give to someone interested in paediatric endocrinology?
Expose yourself to as many patients, conferences and discussions as you can. I see endocrinology as a spectrum, and I have learned a lot from my colleagues in adult endocrinology. During my training, attending adult endocrine meetings was very educational. For anyone interested in endocrinology, grasp the basics, engage in discussions and seize opportunities. Whether you’re interested in academic or clinical work, talk to people and establish independent mentors in and outside your field.
Congratulations on your 2024 European Journal of Endocrinology Award. Is there anything you’d like to share?
It was a privilege to be nominated and receiving the award. I thank everyone who has supported me through my journey to date. I hope to continue to answer scientific questions and contribute to knowledge. Clinical academics face many changes; it’s tough to balance clinical duties with academic research. As a clinician who runs a basic science, translational lab I am concerned that the traditional ‘clinician scientist’ career path is becoming more difficult and less attractive. Increasingly there is a view the clinicians should stick with clinical research or trials, which is short sighted and perpetuates the narrative that clinicians cannot do basic science. There are many clinician scientists in endocrinology that demonstrate this is not the case. I hope funders realise this, and continue to support the development of trainees/clinical academics undertaking basic, pre-clinical research.
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