Structural biology professor Dr Jennifer Martin grew up with eight siblings in Melbourne’s Dandenong, before pursuing an international science career that took her as far as becoming a postdoctoral scientist at Rockefeller University in Manhattan.
She recalls telling a colleague at the time, “No way”, when asked if she’d consider returning to Australia to take a group leader position on a research project in her field.
However, some tragic news from back home changed her plans. Six months after landing in New York in 1991, Martin’s younger brother was killed in a car accident. She remembers the day vividly, writing recently that she was on a flight back to Melbourne within hours of hearing the news. “It was surreal. That morning I’d been purifying protein, now I was on my way home to help organise by youngest brother’s funeral. My brother Peter. So full of life and mischief.”
Martin made a personal pact to finish the work she’d started in the US but move back to Australia within two years to be close to her family. She had completed a PhD in the US and a postdoc in the US, but pursued a leadership career in Australia for family reasons.
“I set my sights on establishing my own lab at the University of Queensland where exciting research was happening,” she says. “Two years later, I was awarded an Australian Research Council Queen Elizabeth II Fellowship to do just that.” Martin became the group leader she had vowed never to become.
And she’s been pursuing science research locally ever since — and going further, by advocating for the advancement of women in science. Martin’s a Professor at the Institute for Molecular Bioscience where, among other things, she leads a team of 15 researchers hoping to develop new drugs to overcome antibiotic resistance. She’s a recipient of the Australian Research Council Laureate Fellowship and was recently appointed to the Science in Australia Gender Equality steering committee.
Having seen the lack of women in her profession firsthand, she’s also focused on personally addressing the chronic underrepresentation of female speakers at science conferences, and has created a model for achieving gender balance at academic conferences that has been adopted across the globe.
Martin was a finalist in the Mentor of the Year category of the NAB Women’s Agenda Leadership Awards.
The short facts on Jennifer Martin’s story.
Born. Bairnsdale in Gippsland, country Victoria
Childhood? Dandenong, a low socioeconomic suburb of Melbourne and a melting pot for migrants. Perhaps that’s where I learned that diversity is good.
Leadership qualifications? B Pharm (gold medallist) and MPharm both from Vic Coll Pharmacy in Melbourne, DPhil from University of Oxford.
High school career ambition? I desperately wanted to be a vet (even though I faint at the sight of blood).
And your first, ever job? Central Sterilising Unit of the local hospital where I learned to clean, package and autoclave surgical instruments and gowns to supply the operating theatre.
Today, who and what do you lead? A team of 15 researchers with a major goal to develop new drugs to overcome antibiotic resistance; an X-ray Diffraction Facility used by >70 scientists; deputy head for the Division of Chemistry and Structural Biology (~150 staff and students) of my Institute; Vice-President (incoming Pres) of the Asian Crystallography Association.
How do you stay informed on a daily basis? Twitter mostly: ABC, Guardian, BBC, NY Times, LA times, many scientific journals, and of course the Women’s Agenda and lots of incredible and inspirational women and men.
What helps you manage your wellbeing? Long-distance walks with hubby Michael to look forward to each year (last year the Ridgeway and South Downs Way in England); cryptic crosswords to challenge the brain; writing blogs to vent; food – especially chocolate – for comfort; and the loving disdain of two mischievous Russian Blue cats (Ivan the terrible and Sacha the wicked) to keep me grounded.
What is the first thing you do in the morning? Exercise – bliss! I’ve only just got back to regular outdoor training classes after 2 years off with a chronic illness.
An average day in the life… Arrive 7.30-8am, meet with PhD students and young scientists to discuss their results and plan experiments, write grant applications and scientific papers, evaluate applicants for Fellowships or Promotion to Professor; prepare a scientific presentation for an international conference or public lecture; discuss research or management strategy with colleagues; develop policies to address gender inequity at universities; enjoy an afternoon tea with the team and a #crystalcake (see #crystalcake blog) then home by 7pm with an hour or two of work in the evening.
Leadership ‘superpower’? Empathy. Perhaps also resilience.
What do you believe needs to change in order to better support women at work – particularly in your industry?
1. Recognition that leadership stereotypes are holding us back as a society.
2. Realisation that the traditional way of measuring success is not the only effective model.
3. Quotas
Advice to your 18-year-old self. Believe in yourself. You are stronger than you think. You will go far beyond what you ever dreamed, if only you dare to dream.
Jennifer Martin’s story is the latest of our 100 Stories Project, in which we’re asking women about a turning point that’s shifted her leadership career. Telling 100 stories from January 1 2015, the project showcases the diverse range of leadership careers available, as well as some of the brilliant achievements and fascinating career paths of women. It also demonstrates how planned and unexpected forks in the road can take you places you never thought possible.
Got an idea? Get in contact. Check out more on our 100 Stories Project here.
Other women featured in this series include:
Sarah Turner: How to head up a legal department while still in your twenties
Aviva Tuffield: The story behind supporting female story-tellers
Kim McGuinness: How to commit to a career change and make it happen
Christina Matthews: Loving cricket and rising to CEO
Julie McKay: How came to head up UN Women
Angela Ferguson: The woman designing the future of work (Google included)
Jo-Ann Hicks: eBay’s leading woman on the risks that made her digital career
Annabelle Daniel: ‘I’m the unlikely combination of CEO and single parent
Sarah Liu: Multiple job titles and variety: Life as a ‘slashie’
Lindy Stephens: When the power shifts, women should make the most of it
Kate Morris: Why I gave up law to become an online entrepreneur
Jacque Comery: Leading a team of 12 on an Antarctic base