Warm, Kind, Generous - Meeting Mary-Jane
Mary-Jane Gething was invited to meet recipients of the MJ Gething Gender Equity Award over Morning Tea. Head of School, Professor Jennifer Wilkinson-Berka welcomed Mary-Jane and personally introduced her to nine early career researchers and recent beneficiaries of the award.
The event was a wonderful way for Mary-Jane to see the impact of her generosity. Mary-Jane was invested, learning about our recipients’ careers and family, each with individual stories of perseverance, passion and inspiration.
Emeritus Professor Mary-Jane Gething broke glass ceilings - she was the university’s first female Head of Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (now Department of Biochemistry and Pharmacology). Her International scientific career included positions in Cambridge and London, UK, New York and Texas, USA, carrying out research in protein chemistry and molecular biology before returning to Melbourne.
One of her biggest achievements is her work on producing a clone of a protein which breaks down blood clots, known as tissue plasminogen activator, which is saving lives today.
Mary-Jane was appointed a member of the Order of Australia in 2023 For distinguished service to biochemistry and molecular biology, to tertiary education, and to the arts.
Mary-Jane is a passionate supporter of and advocate for young female researchers working in the biomedical sciences.
The beginning of Mary-Jane's activism for gender equity came in the 1970s when she noticed that of the small number of senior women academics she’d come across, most were either unmarried or childless. And so she joined the Community Controlled Child Care action group:
I hoped then that future female researchers would be able to pursue a career in science that was compatible with raising a family.
In 1976 Mary-Jane helped establish the London Rape Crisis Centre, the first such centre in Great Britain and was an early member of the Women’s Electoral Lobby in Australia, an advocacy network who played a role in important policy changes around women's rights.
Together with her late husband, Joseph Sambrook, Mary-Jane founded the Gething-Sambrook Family Foundation, which supports the School's MJ Gething Gender Equity Awards. Since they were established in 2019, awards have been made 39 times to Early Career Researchers across the School.
Impact
Dr Grace Lidgerwood | Dept Anatomy & Physiology
Grace says having been the recipient of the MJ Gething Award twice "it was a great privilege to meet Mary Jane in person for the first time. Her genuine warmth and support as we juggle our careers and parenthood is so greatly appreciated."
This award was a crucial lifeline in my return to research after two significant career interruptions.
"It provided me with the mental space to re-engage with academia without the added strain of coordinating childcare." Grace used the funds to arrange casual care for her children so she "could fully focus on re-immersing myself in my work." On both occasions, the award gave Grace the time and clarity she needed to develop two important grant proposals—both of which were successful and have since provided employment and research stability.
Dr Li Dong | Dept Anatomy & Physiology
Meeting with Mary Jane excited Li, "I got the chance to say 'thank you' in person."
She inspires me. She listened to our story and is thinking about how she can help more people.
Li says that being a single mother since her son was 5 years old, in 2016, in itself is not officially a career interruption, but it has greatly influenced her professional journey.
"The most difficult thing for me is attending conferences, because all my family members live in China, so I didn't have anyone that could look after my son." With the MJ Gething Award funds Li attended the Spain Cancer Metabolism Conference last October, with her now 13 year old son who has since started learning Spanish!
"Attending this Conference provided me with a fantastic opportunity to extend my knowledge of metabolism and helped me with our project in the Cancer metabolism field."
Dr Lou Fourriere-Chea | Dept Biochemistry & Pharmacology
Lou said "it was fantastic to meet Mary-Jane and to also meet other recipients."
We talked about career, and life balance, specifically when you are a mum and a scientist, that strange feeling when you come back from maternity leave and feel disconnected.
Discussing the grant, Lou highlighted how easy and flexible the grant is, and how important that is, as every family is different. "Mary Jane is amazing and very generous, I was impressed by her wish to invest her wealth to help young researchers."
The MJ Gething award helped Lou attend an international conference in Europe with her family by her side. "It helped me to NOT have to decide between going for an international conference to boost my career or to continue to breastfeed and care for my little one." Whilst away, Lou also gave a Seminar at the Curie Institute, Paris, and found her preparations summarising all her recent work "empowering." She is now working in collaboration with researchers in France.
Lou says "this grant is not like any other grant. It's a fantastic opportunity to tailor your application with your exact needs."
Dr Natalie Thomas | Dept Biochemistry & Pharmacology
Meeting Mary Jane was truly inspiring and uplifting. Her warmth, compassion, and deep commitment to supporting those navigating caretaking responsibilities and extraordinary circumstances in academia was immediately felt.
Bringing all the awardees together to celebrate with her was especially meaningful, "it fostered a sense of community and shared experience. It was a powerful reminder that, despite the challenges of academia, we are not alone.”
The MJ Gething Gender Equity Award will enable Natalie to visit Prof. Jonas Bergquist’s Laboratory at Uppsala University, Sweden, to gain expertise in Ultra-Performance Supercritical Fluid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry (UPSFC-MS/MS).
“This opportunity is particularly significant because it allows me to travel with my young daughter and partner, something that would not have been possible without this unique initiative.”
Beyond advancing my research at a crucial stage of balancing motherhood and career, this award provides invaluable support and recognition. It acknowledges the unique challenges faced by working parents, which are challenges that often go unseen. More than just financial support, this award is a powerful statement that our experiences matter and deserve to be valued.
Dr Susan Christo | Dept Microbiology & Immunology
It was a pleasure to meet Mary Jane and hear her story and motivation behind the award. It made the award more special to be able to thank her in person for the generous opportunity it has provided my career.
"It has been beyond rewarding to receive the MJ Gething Award because it allowed me to take my family to one of the most important conferences for my career. All of the leaders in my field attended this conference and therefore my participation ensured my visibility on an international level that I would not have received elsewhere. I was able to not only present my recent unpublished work, but I forged connections with many of the leaders in the field as well as other colleagues that may result in collaborations. This experience would not have been possible without the generous support of the MJ Gething Award."
The morning tea for Mary-Jane Gething was an initiative of the School of Biomedical Sciences and the Donor Relations Team.
Learn more about the MJ Gething Gender Equity Award.