Dr Mary McMillan

No accident

For someone whose Twitter and Instagram handle is #Accidental Scientist, Mary McMillan’s impressive career appears anything but random. She has morphed from a shy Mudgee teenager into an esteemed science communicator and diversity advocate, respected researcher and mentor in record time – achievements that have now been recognised with a UNE Alumni Rising Star award.

“I have never planned any of this; instead, I have taken opportunities as they have come along,” says the senior lecturer in Biomedical Science at UNE. “I have done a lot of different things and it’s been about what has captured me at the time. My work as a scientist is never-ending; there is always something else to look at.”

With few academic role models of her own growing up, and not knowing a single scientist, Mary became the first in her family to attend university when she enrolled in a Bachelor of Science at UNE in 2003. Six years later, she was the sole graduate to be awarded the F.D. McMaster PhD scholarship to conduct her research into stem cells and their use in reproductive technologies in cattle at the CSIRO.

Eight years since becoming a UNE academic, Mary’s progression from associate lecturer to lecturer and senior lecturer has been rapid. Along the way she has earned multiple awards and the praise of students and colleagues alike, for her inspired teaching, efforts to promote inclusivity in science, and ground-breaking research into molecular genetics and the biological basis of mental health disorders, most recently with UNE’s Brain Behaviour Research Group.

In 2018 Mary became a Curious Minds mentor and, two years later, was named one of just 12 inaugural STEM Changemakers by the Australian Academy of Science. Then came the Science and Technology Australia’s Superstar of STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) accolade, which lauds celebrity women working as scientists, with the aim of improving the visibility of women in STEM. Each role has provided Mary a powerful platform for engaging girls and women in science through mentoring, tutorials and outreach events. She also shares her enthusiastic love of all things scientific with a broader audience through a national fortnightly newspaper column.

“A lot of the stuff that I do now, particularly the Curious Minds mentoring with young women in high schools, I never had growing up in a relatively small country town,” she says. “I would have really benefitted from such role models, to talk to about careers in science. Early in my research career I was really lucky to have been surrounded by supportive people, and I would like to make that available to others. The programs are extremely rewarding; they provide an opportunity for me to pay it forward.”

Although she has not experienced overt sexism herself, Mary knows many women in science who have, and believes there is still much to be done to promote the important contributions they make. “Programs like Superstars of STEM have come out of a need for greater representation of women,” she says. “While it has provided exciting personal opportunities for me, it’s frustrating how slowly things are progressing. It’s part of a much bigger lack of diversity and inclusion in STEM. We need to have a greater focus on intersectionality, to take into account those who are non-binary, transgender, have a disability, and are people of colour. Different experiences, opinions and ways of looking at things can help us to solve the multitude of problems society faces. Research shows that those organisations with more diverse leadership teams are the most successful.”

Juggling a large teaching and research workload can be “tricky”, but Mary’s commitment to her students – and to the sheer joys of scientific discovery – is captivating. During National Science Week and the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, her creative communication of the wonders of science engages new generations and challenges stereotypes.

“Science is cool and fun,” Mary says. “We have this perception that science is all these serious people in lab coats, but it’s not just for people in universities in white lab coats. Science is a big part of our everyday lives and something that everyone can be involved in; there is always an opportunity to learn something new. Even knowing what I know now as a scientist, I’m still blown away sometimes.

“Scientists are always interrogating everything, which makes us a pain in the arse sometimes. But I have always wanted to know what’s behind things; where’s the evidence and how conclusions have been reached. It’s a very creative process, not a straight analytical, mathematical and boring thing. To be able to solve problems and look at things differently requires a lot of creativity.”

Teaching remains a source of great pleasure. “It’s the most rewarding part of my work,” Mary says. “It’s sometimes not as well regarded as peer-reviewed journal articles in academic circles, but I think it’s worth it for the impact it can have on students and their communities, or whoever it is I am engaging with.

“By the time I retire I just want to be able to say that I did something that helped people in some way, that had impact. What that looks like, I don’t know, but for me that would be a career well spent and I would be happy.”

As the world continues to grapple with the global COVID pandemic, scientists have assumed celebrity status as epidemiologists, vaccine developers and public health officials have left their labs to enter the public realm. Mary is hopeful this will herald a renewed appreciation of the power and value of science.

“Throughout the pandemic, people have needed to connect with and listen to scientists,” she says. “We’re now on a first-name basis with our health and medical officers, and I don’t think many people would have understood what an epidemiologist did five years ago; now everyone does. Most people are really grateful for the work of scientists and I think we will see a growing number of people wanting to study science in coming years. It’s always good to have science in the spotlight and to highlight its importance.”