Communicating science brings balance to her career

By Laura García Romañach

Carole Dubreuil shares her fascination with plants through science communication, including her popular science book Incroyables végétaux (“Amazing Plants”). She visited UPSC this summer, when this photo was taken. Photo: Laura García Romañach

Nine years ago, Carole Dubreuil left her position as a plant researcher at UPSC for a career in industry. During her time in academia, she developed a passion for science communication that persists until today. She currently works as Head of the CEO Project Office at ENYO Pharma overseeing and supervising the company’s projects, while making plant science accessible to broader audiences in her free time. For her, science communication complements and balances her professional work.

Her career in academia taught her to adapt

Her five years as a post-doc at UPSC in Umeå, Sweden, shaped skills and experiences that she still draws on today.

“In academia, we adapt all the time both on the scientific and the human sides. We work in highly international environments, and we are used to solving problems and thinking outside the box,” she says.

In particular, the international character of UPSC made a deep impression on her. With around 200 people representing more than 40 nationalities, the centre brought together researchers from many different backgrounds.

“Being able to step into someone else’s perspective – to understand and be understood – is a skill I developed from working and living in an international environment, and it has helped me in my later career,” Carole points out.

It was not only the people around her who shaped Carole's experience at UPSC. Living and working in Sweden also left a transformative and inspiring mark on her. 

“Working in Sweden made me realise that good work ethics lead to well being and therefore efficiency at work,” she says.

Living in Northern Sweden, with its harsh weather conditions, gave her the chance to step out of her comfort zone. At the same time, the harmony and kindness she found in Swedish culture helped her cope with it, making her more resilient.

Switching from academia to industry

Looking back, Carole believes that learning to adapt to new situations prepared her well for the next step in her career. She eventually decided to change her career path and move to industry.

“After 15 years in academia, I felt I had accomplished what I wanted and was ready to apply the skills I had gained in a different environment,” she says.

In her current role at ENYO Pharma, a French biotech company, she oversees and manages projects together with the CEO. While her professional path took her into industry, her passion for science communication continued to grow, building on experiences she had gained in academia.

During her time at UPSC, she had the chance to develop her communication skills she had already built as a teacher at a university in France. When the communications officer at the Chemical Biological Centre at Umeå University was looking for help, she volunteered and became involved in science communication activities. In parallel with her research projects, she was involved in organising scientific conferences and popular science events like the International Fascination of Plants Day.

Today, while she works full time at ENYO Pharma, she dedicates her free time to her science communication projects.

“I need science communication to balance my life, and I also want to contribute to society by helping raise awareness of science and the living world,” she says.

Sharing her fascination with plants

Carole’s fascination with plants eventually inspired her to write the book Incroyables végétaux (“Amazing plants”), a popular science book introducing readers to the biology of different plant species around the world.

“As a biologist, I see the plants from a scientific point of view. Each plant is unique and extraordinary, whether it is a simple clover or an orchid species. I was always amazed during our Monday seminars at UPSC by how plants can develop and adapt so well. I wanted to bring this knowledge to people who do not realise how amazing plants are,” she says.

The book features pictures of Arabidopsis roots she took for her postdoc projects.

“I wanted to bring my everyday science into the book so people could understand that yes, Arabidopsis is a small plant we often see as invasive, but it is genuinely important as it is the model species in plant research,” she explains.

At her book signings, Carole Dubreuil uses plant and animal figurines to draw people into conversations about plants, animals and science. Photo: Courtesy of Carole Dubreuil

For Carole, Incroyables végétaux is a way to tell stories she wants people to remember. She describes it as an "edutaining" book that combines scientific accuracy with humour and accessible storytelling.

“Stories are the key to remembering, because they carry emotions and feelings, whether they are funny or sad,” she says.

Writing this book and participating in book signings opened doors to public events, which quickly took on a life of their own.

“Even though the book signings were the starting point for interacting with a general audience, my scope is much broader now,” she says.

Carole is expanding her science communication activities through talks, workshops and article series.

“I recently participated in Fête de la Science, the French National Science Day, where I gave a talk about Plant intelligence”, she explains.

She has also sculpted plant and animal figurines in polymer clay and brings them to her events.

“Kids and adults love them,” she says. “My figurines attract their attention and help me start a conversation with them.”

For Carole, telling funny stories rather than only listing facts about plants, animals and their relationship with the world around them is how she gets people interested in nature.

“It is important to get curious about the interactions between plants and animals,” she reflects. “We can only protect what we understand. If we do not understand our own connection with nature, we cannot respect it nor protect it.”

For more information, please contact:

Dr. Carole Dubreuil
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
LinkedIn: https://fr.linkedin.com/in/carole-dubreuil/en