Elspeth Garman
Briefly, could you summarise what you consider your role/job is within the department?
After being in charge of the X-ray facilities for 12 years, I was then a PI for the next 22 years in the Department prior to my retirement in Oct 2021. I ran a research group which developed improved methods for structural biology. From 2009-2014 I was also Director of the EPSRC Life Sciences Interface and then Systems Biology Doctoral Training Centres, as well as being Tutor for Graduates at Brasenose College from 2011-2016. I lectured the undergraduate Maths for Biochemistry first year course for 26 years, and I coordinated Public Outreach for the Biochemistry Department for the last six years before my retirement.
Professor Elspeth Garman
What has motivated you to be in the job you are today?
I will answer this one as if I wasn’t retired yet! I love to teach (I discovered this aged 18 as a volunteer teacher for 9 months in a large girls secondary school in Swaziland, Southern Africa) and I find it immensely rewarding to help students overcome obstacles which are preventing their progression. I found our science research very interesting and it was terrific to see the world adopting crystal cryocooling techniques which were developed in my group. This still gives me a ticket to teach on Workshops and X-ray data collection courses round the world (>115 in the last 30 years, 8 in 2024 alone despite being retired).
What would you say have been the biggest challenges you have overcome being a woman in your field?
I started my research career as a nuclear structure physics experimentalist and was the only female in that whole part of the nuclear physics department, and the first female graduate student for 15 years. It was very challenging as I represented all women and if I made a mistake, it was because I was woman, not because I was a first-year graduate student. One of the postdocs refused to work with me because I was female, but because the rest of the group then refused to work with him, he had to change his attitude. There were very many other challenges. However, when I changed fields after 11 years as a nuclear physicist to become the technical manager of the X-ray facilities in the Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics, things were very much easier. I was also older and more assertive by then. At first it was a challenge to be taken seriously by some people as my expertise was in vacuum systems, detectors, workshop skills and assembler code, but I knew no biochemistry at all. Being at the technical end of structural biology, I have frequently been left wondering if I was the ‘token woman’ on various review panels, rather than being there because of my particular expertise. I found this undermined my confidence a bit, but have tried to plough on regardless.
What is the most rewarding part of being a female in your line of work?
Providing a role model of a successful female scientist who has also raised 2 daughters and a foster daughter.
Who has been your biggest inspiration (if you don’t mind saying)?
My school physics teacher, Sister Janet Elizabeth, who is a nun in the Church of England Order of the Holy Paraclete. She is now 88 and is still my inspiration because of her enthusiasm for physics and her wonderfully positive attitude to life.
Is there anything else you would like to tell us about?
I much value the contact with students that I am still lucky enough to enjoy. Since I live alone it keeps me young!
If you could have been anything/or anyone else in the world, what would you have been?
An astronaut or an eye doctor. The former because my 2 older brothers always teased me that I was really ‘Keppy the moon monster’ and I loved astronomy, and the latter because my father lost his sight 6 weeks before I was born so he never saw me.
What advice would you impart to your younger self?
Try not to take professional criticism personally, and don’t feel guilty about going to work instead of staying at home full-time with my children. I was a better mother because I had a role outside the home and brought income to the household.
Where would you like to see yourself in ten years' time?
Since I am now aged 70, I would like to be still alive as I am really enjoying my time on the earth!
What is the most unusual thing you have been asked to do as part of your career?
Collect very fresh Noddy Tern droppings on an island in the Great Barrier Reef to find bird flu virus in it (we did!).
Is there anything else you would like to tell us about?
I believe that visibility matters—showcasing diverse career paths and life experiences is key to breaking stereotypes. Women in science should not feel they have to choose between career and family. While it is challenging, it is entirely possible with the right support system. Consistency in pursuing both our professional and personal goals is what ultimately makes a difference, and with persistence, we can achieve balance.
How do you spend your time outside of research?
Mentoring a number of graduate students, sitting on four different Scientific Advisory Boards, being a Section Editor for Acta Crystallographica D, finishing writing my undergraduate Maths for Biosciences text book, singing in a local choir, sitting on the Management Committee of the local community centre, weekly Pilates sessions, playing with my 4 young grandchildren (2 in Devon and 2 in West Dorset), jogging very slowly round Port Meadow, trying to relearn playing the piano which I used to play well, sewing.
Do you have any advice for younger women wanting to pursue a career in your field?
Yes: 1) Never verbally do yourself down in front of others or to yourself
2) Dare to put yourself forward: if you don’t put yourself out there, you don’t know how far you will get.
3) Don’t take professional criticism personally (I still struggle with this one!).
