“Sometimes you don’t realize how much you have to share until someone asks the right questions”
Last November, Audrey Salles of Institut Pasteur travelled from Paris to Ghent to meet with Saskia Lippens, VIB’s Deputy Technology Director. Officially here to shadow, Salles and Lippens quickly agreed to take full advantage of the opportunity to turn it into a two-way information exchange and learning experience.
As we were writing up this interview, we received the devastating news of the sudden passing of Spencer Shorte. Spencer was not only the founding director of ‘Core Technologies in Life Science’ (CTLS)—the association funding the shadowing program—but also Audrey Salles higher-up and a mutual connection between her and Saskia Lippens.
Much like our own Technology Director Geert Van Minnebruggen, Spencer Shorte built bridges to empower scientific communities, resulting in the respective initiatives Core for Life and CTLS. A true champion for collaboration and knowledge exchange across facilities and borders, Shorte has laid the foundations for countless collaborative initiatives, enabling the shadowing program that has brought not only Saskia and Audrey, but also VIB and Institut Pasteur closer together. He was a colleague, friend, partner, mentor, and above all an inspirational scientist. We dedicate this story to him.
Audrey Salles works as a research engineer at Institut Pasteur’s Photonic Bioimaging facility. She enjoys the breadth, scope, and collaborative nature of working at a core facility.
“We directly discuss research questions with our users and are involved in a variety of projects. I find it really rewarding to help push science forward: from helping to select, develop, or adapt techniques to address specific biological enquiries, all the way to the interpretation of results,” says Audrey. After a decade at the facility, she wanted to take a step back and reflect on her career while exploring new facets of core facility management.
She took the opportunity offered by Core Technologies in Life Science (CTLS) to participate in an international shadowing program. CTLS is a global non-profit association dedicated to fostering collaboration among scientists, technical experts, and administrative professionals in core facilities, research infrastructures, and shared resource laboratories across the globe. The shadowing program allows participants to apply for funding to cover travel and accommodation expenses, enabling them to visit and learn from peers at other facilities.
“My plan is to stay within the core facility world,” explains Audrey. “I saw the shadowing program as an ideal opportunity to learn more about the work and responsibilities involved in managing a technology program or a core facility. This immersion was an invaluable experience in terms of gaining a more detailed understanding of this career path, taking the time to discuss the challenges and to reflect on my own career choice and the skills I would need to develop to grow into such a role.”
The decision to shadow Saskia Lippens, who has successfully navigated the transition from researcher to core facility head and now Deputy Technology Director at VIB, was natural. “I admire Saskia’s career trajectory and was eager to understand how her role operates in practice.”
A two-way exchange
Audrey and Saskia didn’t really know each other well, but when Audrey reached out to explore the possibility of shadowing, Saskia immediately said yes—on one condition: that she would not only share her own expertise with Audrey, but also tap into hers and that of the facility at Institut Pasteur. “Right from the start, I wanted this to be more than a one-way mentorship relation—I wanted it to be a horizontal exchange,” Saskia emphasized. “Both the shadower and shadowee stand to learn a great deal.”
With that goal in mind, Audrey’s visit to VIB was carefully planned. On two occasions, spaced a few weeks apart, Audrey travelled from Paris to Ghent to interact with Saskia and various other members of the VIB Technologies team. The staggered format allowed time for reflection and deeper engagement.
“We covered a variety of topics,” says Audrey, “including core facility management, quality control, and the intricacies of running a technology program.” Audrey observed Saskia’s day-to-day responsibilities and participated in meetings that revealed the dynamics of VIB’s internal organization. “It may sound a bit mundane to ‘attend meetings’, but they really provided me with a window into how a successful technology program is managed,” she explains.
Audrey in turn gave a lecture on ISO certification processes, a subject in which she and her colleagues in Paris have extensive expertise. Her insights sparked productive discussions and provided very direct and practical feedback, Saskia reflected, “Instead of looking at ISO for the sake of having ISO, we reflected on what ISO stands for and what the value is of clear workflows in our operations.”
Audrey’s experience with user service also put things in a new perspective for the team at VIB. “It was really nice to get Audrey’s feedback on our efforts to measure user satisfaction. We talked about frequency and realistic expectations on response rates.”
The broader value
What started off from one person’s question on career development thus resulted in much more than that. After meeting different VIB colleagues, Audrey in turn put them in touch with some of her colleagues back at Institut Pasteur. “The ripple effects of this exchange are already evident,” says Saskia, who is convinced that these discussions will lead to further and closer collaboration between VIB and Institut Pasteur.
Audrey: “I think it is important to realize, also for researchers considering transitioning into a more technology-focused role, that just like scientists in their field of study, technologists have strong local and global networks that help drive innovation through shared knowledge.”
Saskia agrees: “It’s indeed crucial for core facility staff to realize that we’re part of a larger, interconnected network. Researchers often overlook the depth of collaboration and expertise within this community.”
She is convinced that exchanges like the one she had with Audrey could also be very valuable within the VIB Technologies program. “We previously probed for interest in a similar shadowing program, locally within VIB,” she says. “The first shadowing pairs have already been matched. In some cases, the exchange of information is very practical, in others it’s more a high-level introduction to the ins and outs of another facility.”
Whether internal or external, such shadowing programs offer a win-win scenario: fresh perspectives, stronger networks, and new opportunities enable mutual growth. Audrey wouldn’t hesitate to advise others to embark on such a shadowing program: “Take the leap. It’s a fantastic opportunity to learn, share, and grow—both personally and professionally.”
Step back and reflect
Audrey is grateful for the rare opportunity to pause and evaluate her career path. “I had the chance to map out my strengths, identify areas for growth, and truly consider where I want to go,” she said. Observing Saskia’s approach to leadership and her role at VIB offered a real-world perspective that helped Audrey to refine her own aspirations.
For Saskia, hosting Audrey was equally rewarding. “Sometimes you don’t realize how much you have to share until someone asks the right questions,” she explained. By engaging with Audrey, Saskia was able to reassess her own strategies and reflect on the broader impact of VIB’s technological programs. “Because of the direct, one-on-one interaction, this exchange has been one of the most concrete types of networking I’ve ever done. Everything was immediately very tangible.”
Both women highlight that programs like CTLS’s shadowing initiative remind us that no matter how specialized or localized our work may seem, we are all part of a global network striving to advance science.
“We were able to do this exchange because there is an international community willing to invest time and resources to exchange know-how and learnings,” says Saskia. “By definition, this effort is bigger than one individual or institution, but visionaries like Spencer Shorte have been instrumental in building and strengthening this network. We will continue to honor his legacy.”
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