Mommy, Can Boys Also Be Doctors?

Marlene Belfort, PhD

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Mother, Scientist, Immigrant, Scholar, Wife, Trailblazer, Mentor.

Acclaimed biochemist Dr. Marlene Belfort has something to say to the next generation.

The child of immigrant parents who escaped Hitler’s regime, she recounts growing up in South Africa during apartheid, losing her father to suicide, and trying to make sense of an insensible world.

To young scientists, Dr. Belfort concedes to “muddling through” during her career, learning to be at ease with uncertainty and embracing ambiguity.

To parents, she cites her own experience as a working mother as evidence that the very activities that we fear will damage children often do the opposite, building their resilience and lifelong connections.

To those suffering from depression, she poignantly describes her own illness and recovery, offering hope and inspiration.

Mommy, Can Boys Also Be Doctors? explores walking the tightrope of balancing the personal and professional. It frankly discusses the human struggle to deal with discrimination, depression, and loss. And it celebrates the joy of living a rich, fulfilling life. Letting go is liberating!

Press & Praise

Thomas R. Cech, Nobel Laureate and author of The Catalyst

"Belfort's tortuous and triumphant path to both scientific acclaim and a fulfilling family life will be inspirational to anyone embarking on that journey."

Kate Zernike, author of The Exceptions: Nancy Hopkins and the Fight for Women in Science

"Marlene Belfort has moved across continents and uncharted territory, through tragedy to triumph, to create an extraordinary life in science starting at a time when women were all but not allowed. Like her, this book is a portrait of resilience, but it is also more: a love letter to science and career, and to family and motherhood; a tender memoir and a powerful rallying cry for women of the next generation. Her story is a testament to a life guided by the thrill of discovery, no matter what the pursuit."

Karl Deisseroth, professor of bioengineering and psychiatry, Stanford University, and author of Projections

"Marlene Belfort is the epitome of resilience, overcoming discrimination in her scientific career as well as episodes of major depression. She rose to the top of her field by facing her challenges head-on. This talented storyteller, highly accomplished scientist, and mother of three is blazing a brilliant trail for young professionals, fledgling parents, and all those facing new challenges from mental illness, across the human lifespan and spanning the diversity of the human experience."

Frances H. Arnold, professor, Caltech, and Nobel Laureate in Chemistry

"Six decades after the start of the women's movement, this scientist and mom tells of the trials, tribulations, and triumphs of a life in science. This courageous, stormy, and joyful story crosses continents, from Africa to Europe, the Middle East, and finally, the USA, on waves of science and human relationships. A must-read for those interested in the role of the modern woman in the workplace and at home."

Dr. Marlene Belfort was born in South Africa to German-Jewish refugees escaping Hitler’s regime. One of the first women to study graduate biochemistry and microbiology at the University of Cape Town, she earned her PhD from the University of California, Irvine, and conducted postdoctoral research at the Hebrew University, Jerusalem, and Northwestern University. A member of the US National Academy of Sciences and a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, she holds the International RNA Society’s Lifetime Achievement Award. Dr. Belfort is a Distinguished Professor at University at Albany, SUNY. She and her husband, Georges, live in Massachusetts.

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