Veterinary Woman Role Model - Professor Joanne P. Webster

From studying psychology to leading global research on neglected tropical diseases, Professor Joanne P. Webster FMedSci FRS has built a remarkable career at the intersection of human and animal health. Now based at the Royal Veterinary College, she reflects on the experiences, mentors and motivations that have shaped her path in science.

Please summarise your journey / biography:

I’ve always been passionate about animal and human health and welfare. Regarding my academic journey, I’ve perhaps never had a clear plan, but instead been fortunate to have many wonderful opportunities – ending up here in a veterinary school, working on both animal and human health.

I initially thought I may want to be a clinical psychologist or neurologist, so I actually started out studying psychology – but then I really enjoyed the biology/physiology modules as they helped elucidate the fuller picture behind any pathology. As I did not want to miss out on modules, I was permitted to do both subjects simultaneously, with a combined research project, gaining a double First Class honours.

I again debated whether to follow a more clinical practice or research career, and thus I focused my doctoral work at Oxford University on zoonotic disease within the UK, including the impact of pathogens on behaviour. After graduating, I spent a year as an NHS Clinical Scientist, working in a sexually-transmitted-disease unit, before returning to Oxford University as a Junior Research Fellow, being offered a position working on the tropical disease, schistosomiasis, in Zimbabwe. Immediately following this, again staying at Oxford University, I obtained a Lectureship in Infectious Diseases and then, after a year’s maternity leave, I was delighted to receive a Royal Society University Research Fellowship (URF) to really expand my tropical disease research programmes across Africa and Asia.

I then accepted a Professorship at Imperial College’s Faculty of Medicine, whilst still also a URF, and served as co-Director of the Schistosomiasis Control Initiative from its inauguration, providing essential and sustainable anthelminthic treatments for many millions of children and at-risk adults across sub-Saharan Africa.

In 2014, I joined the Royal Veterinary College to further expand my global One Health research and also move from Associate Director to Director of the London Centre for Neglected Tropical Disease Research.

Describe your typical day from waking to sleeping:

Hmm, tricky, as I cannot really say I have a typical day, and that is truly what the beauty of my position is – and one that I would wholly recommend to others.

Some days I am in the field, often West or East Africa, and I wake up where occasional electricity and running water is a bonus, and then spend my days collecting and processing urine and stool samples, be it from the youngest children to the sweetest sheep or largest angriest bull, with all sorts of wildlife in between. I perform this side by side with my students and local field teams, which I feel brings a closer bond with both my research group and colleagues as well as trust within the local communities.

Whilst in the UK, I may be lecturing, mentoring and marking, in the laboratory itself, or designing studies and analysing the data/writing up the papers uncovering what they are showing.

Intermixed with this, whilst in the UK, I’m taking my lovely little dog, Etti, for lots of walks (a huge benefit of being based at the RVC rather than my prior hospital or research settings, is being able to take my dog to work with me) and ideally riding my horse in the evening and competing in show jumping or dressage at weekends. When working in the field, I’m also usually to be found looking after some stray dogs too!

How would you describe yourself in a sentence?

‘Driven, caring, enthusiastic and resilient – but undoubtedly with a tendency to take on too many things’

How would others describe you in a sentence?

Somewhat embarrassingly, I gathered a few opinions, and these ranged from:

‘Joanne is an inspiring, kind, and brilliant mentor who goes above and beyond to support, encourage, and bring out the best in her students.’

‘A grounded human being with a selfless desire to pursue scientific curiosity with passion and brilliance, whilst somehow remaining entirely unassuming and unfazed by her numerous, well-deserved, and historically prestigious global awards in recognition of her work.’

‘Joanne is a driven, innovative, and influential leader who has achieved remarkable things while championing others along the way.’

‘Smart brain, nerves of steel and the softest of soft hearts.’

To –

‘Crazy dog/horse/rabbit-lady’

What has been your top success and what have you learned from this?

In addition to the satisfaction of seeing the great successes of my students, from a more personal perspective it is to have been elected as a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences (FMedSci ) and a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS), and in such short succession.

What have I learned from this? That with passion, luck and a truly insane work ethic, everything might be possible.

What has been your biggest challenge, setback or failure and how have you overcome it? How did you grow or change as a result?

For so long it was a lack of confidence and absolute terror of public speaking in any form (perhaps it is not best to repeat here quite how many beta blockers I took coping with a lectureship and Plenary lectures so early in my career – Rescue Remedy does not quite match).

How did I grow? I have accepted, although I apparently hide it well, that large public speaking will always fill me with nerves – but I overcame this somewhat by ensuring I am always fully prepared, spending hours/weeks on making slides and aiming to tell an engaging narrative with my research findings.

I feel this also helps make me more nurturing and supportive to my students, team members, mentees and colleagues facing similar challenges. Indeed, I always make a concerted effort to help encourage the perhaps shyer/less initially forthcoming members in any discussions to participate. Similarly, coming from a rural state comprehensive educational background throughout, and working subsequently predominantly across lower-and middle-income countries where these diseases are most prevalent, I spend much of my time working with and encouraging engagement from the broadest sphere of people possible.

My biggest challenge currently is the severe lack of funding opportunities available for either research or treatment programmes for those neglected tropical diseases impacting the poorest populations of the world. How I overcome this is still a work in progress.

What compromises have you had to make and what, if anything, could have helped?

Compromises – I’m not sure – of course in modern academia, we always have to balance endless bureaucracy and competing demands on our time. Sleep is largely but a fond childhood memory. In terms of helping – a PA might have been nice 😉

I cannot deny that I’m not the best to speak about work-life balance – it’s something I’m getting better at – but I can undoubtedly say I have always put my daughter first and the rest has had to fit around that. But again, I don’t see that as any form of compromise, instead it just necessitated more organisation and lots of pre-planning. Indeed, my daughter has travelled with me on fieldwork across Africa, Asia and beyond since she was just a few months old – and has now recently qualified and started her own medical residency.

What advice would you have given to your younger self, that you would now give to others wanting to follow your path?

To others – to aim to do what you love and feel most passionate about.

To my younger self, I would have loved to have had the self-confidence to think that I could.

I couldn’t have got where I am today without…

Again this is tricky, as I have been hugely fortunate to benefit from so many here. There are, however, undoubtedly some key individuals –

Without a doubt, the late Professor Ali Anwar, a veterinarian originally from Persia who enlightened me to, and inspired my unending passion for, parasitology, and very much adopted me as his own whilst I was a student at Oxford.

Professor Roy Anderson, for giving me so many opportunities – from, for example, encouraging me to apply for my original Lectureship in Infectious Disease and then the move to Imperial’s Faculty of Medicine to help set up the Schistosomiasis Control Initiative

Professor Elizabeth Simpson, who very much embodies the ultimate veterinary woman role model. We spend so much time mentoring and nurturing others, across juniors and peers– but as you progress in science, there is no doubt that at all stages we still need some form of mentorship to inspire and guide us, and give support and advice in the more stressful moments. I first met Prof Simpson when she was brought in for a mock interview practice (turning out that she was at Cambridge Vet School with my father as a student), and I have benefitted in so many ways ever since, for which I am truly thankful.

And finally, of course, my wonderful daughter, Poppy, for always showing me what is truly the most important thing in life.

What are your three top likes?

Making a difference.

Riding my horse.

Designing research studies.

What are your three top dislikes?

Injustice of any sort.

Traffic jams.

Negativity.

What is the most helpful book you’ve read and why?

The most helpful (and enjoyable) – ‘A cartoon guide to genetics’ by Larry Gonick. First read whilst I was still at school – it explains genetics so beautifully and memorably – and I subsequently used a similar cartoon format for all my revision notes throughout university and indeed, to the apparent enjoyment of my students, for many of my early teaching lectures (I keep meaning to buy an iPad and stylus to start this again).

One of the most important, helpful and heart-breaking books – has to be ‘The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks’ by Rebecca Skloot, which I think everyone involved in medical research should read.

Veterinary Woman Role Model – Professor Joanne P. Webster FMedSci FRS