Belinda Di Bartolo
BIO
Chief Operating Officer at a biotech company and mother-of-three.
Twitter: @BA_Dibartolo
Instagram: @belinda.dibartolo
Belinda Di Bartolo
“My juggle between career and family still exists but it leans towards a harmonious balance.”
I am a mother of three wonderful children and despite my love for science and academia I needed to make a choice between the two. Don’t misunderstand – I still have a fantastic career but it is now one where I can give more of myself to both parts of my life. I was interested in science and medical research from a young age but really found that I sort of ‘fell’ into most of my career choices.
I was very fortunate to be supported by some fantastic mentors, friends and colleagues who always inspired me to strive for whatever I wanted in life. So, decision after decision led me to a career in academic research.
I felt lucky that I received grants early in my career and was able to publish papers during my first postdoc position. I was even luckier that I was well supported when I had two of my children during this time. My supervisor was herself a mother and always understood how hard it was to balance motherhood and academic research. I will be forever grateful for that understanding.
Despite the significant career breaks I had, I was determined that my career didn’t suffer and was always focused on the metrics that I needed to secure to succeed in academia, and one day be a leader and have my own research group. I sent the girls to childcare insisting that my career wasn’t something to sacrifice.
I was given a remarkable opportunity to move interstate and start my own research by a previous mentor and friend. I moved my family and started a new chapter where I was able to explore my own leadership ability and research projects. It was here that I unexpectedly fell pregnant with my 3rd child – a happy surprise but one that I was scared would derail all my efforts with my ability to lead a research team.
While I feel that my absence slowed things down I had a wonderful group of students and staff that continued to work through. After my son was born I spent my maternity leave writing grants and going to conferences (son in tow) convinced that if I slowed down it would be detrimental to my career.
My husband was offered a job back home which was interstate – a job that was too good to pass up. But I wasn’t finished with my research…. so we decided to make it work long distance – me with 3 kids and he flying back every month-wholly supported and paid for by his new employer.
That 1 and ½ years was tough – I was a single mum working full-time with zero family support. There were times that I wasn’t sure if I could do it but in the end I think it made us all stronger. My girls (aged 6 and 4 at the time) became incredibly resilient – they learned to ‘help’ mummy. Packed their own bags for school, got themselves ready and looked after their baby brother. I made it work – it was all on me. We set it up so everything was as easy as possible and for the most part, things operated well.
If it taught me anything it was how incredibly resilient and competent I was, being able to manage as a solo mum and a full-time research scientist. It was hard but I was proud.
Circumstances changed and I needed to move back home. Unfortunately, I wasn’t funded and had to leave my research team behind. And while I was coming home to a good opportunity it wasn’t exactly what I wanted. I made the best of it and continued to write grants and publish papers. However when COVID hit in 2020 - everything was put into perspective. The mandate to work from home and homeschool put an incredible strain on everyone and my extensive caring responsibilities became an issue.
I felt utterly destroyed by the pressure and discrimination because I had a family that I wanted to care for. Despite my level of work my contract wasn’t renewed.
And while at the time I was devastated by all aspects of what had happened I had realised for the first time that I wanted to be better for my kids. I wanted to be around for them more and not be the absent mummy who was always working and writing grants and fighting for my livelihood. Academia had broken me and I was convinced that I had just thrown away 20 years of my life and I was letting academia down. After some reflection I realised that in actual fact academia didn’t deserve me – that my strengths were better used elsewhere, where I was valued and appreciated and more importantly where I could be more balanced in work and in life.
I now have a fantastic career in industry where I have learned so much and continue to be exposed to wonderful opportunities and people every day. I no longer feel pigeon-holed into one career… the opportunities are endless!
My journey has taught me many wonderful and awful things about being a mother in academia; That you need to be in control of what your priorities are, and sometimes it's ok that work be the priority and vice versa. That looking after your physical, emotional and mental health is not something that will come later.
I was forever saying I would do something for myself after the next grant or when the manuscript was written - the truth is that there is never down time, never a good time to take a break and never a good time to look after yourself. For once in my life my priorities are in order – family comes first … my juggle between career and family still exists but it leans towards a harmonious balance. I am a more present and happier mother and scientist.