Spotlight On... Science - Susan Burghes
SPOTLIGHT on…. Science
As part of our SPOTLIGHT on… series we interview our Old Vikings to hear about life after Shiplake College. We delve into what career paths they chose and what influenced them along the way.
This month we take an unprecedented angle of interviewing an amazing husband and wife team. I was honoured to meet them both when they visited Shiplake earlier this year, Susan is our first interview. Whilst Susan is not an Old Viking, she is married to Arthur who was at the College(74E) and is now a Professor of Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry at Ohio State University.
Both of their lives have been in the field of science and their dedication to research, advancement and education is extraordinary.
Hi Susan, could you tell us a little about yourself and how you got started in the field of Science?
I was born and raised in southeastern Connecticut, USA. We lived in a town on Long Island Sound, where I learned to love swimming in the sea and small sailboat racing. All of my education until university, was in the local ‘comprehensive’ [we call them public] schools. Because my town of Waterford was only about 20,000 people, we had relatively small numbers in our classrooms, and space to find quiet time, play sports, or read through college booklets in the guidance office. My husband, Arthur Burghes is an OV, and a very successful research scientist. That is my connection to Shiplake College.
When did you realise you had a passion for science?
My father was a veteran of World War II [the Italy campaign], and the son of immigrants. His father was from Tyne and Wear [and served in WWI at Vimy Ridge], and his mother was French Canadian [Quebec City, Canada]. My father loved history, and the sciences. Education was a #1 priority in our family, not only because it would prepare us for the road ahead, but no one can take your education away from you. This lesson stayed with me throughout my life. There was great emphasis put on developing ‘useful’ skills. Everything else was a hobby or an outside interest.
What about the field of science that captured your imagination?
It wasn’t until about age 11 that I had science as a class in school. I never tired of studying ‘how things work’ from the physics of light and sound, to the beautiful opening up of the universe, to how living things are born, survive, and multiply [plants and animals].
I am naturally gifted in languages. Therefore, most of my time in high school [equivalent of Shiplake College], was divided between language study [French and Latin], mathematics [required, but not my favourite], and the sciences. There was a proscribed sequence we had to follow in the sciences – (1) biology, anatomy & physiology, (2) chemistry, (3) physics. The order of maths: (1) algebra I, (2) geometry, (3) algebra 2, (4) trigonometry, and if you were able, (5) pre-calculus. I wasn’t able, but I loved trigonometry.
What areas of science did you study, where did you study and how did your time at Shiplake influence that journey (if applicable/ or any other learning institution)? Were there any teachers along the way that inspired you?
I took to chemistry like a duck to water. My teacher was a young woman, married with children, who clearly loved teaching her subject. I felt very comfortable working in the lab and studying a geeky subject. At the same time, my French teacher, a middle-aged woman, opened up French language to me in a way that came naturally to me. Both of these women had gone to Mount Holyoke College after high school. Mt. Holyoke is a small, well-regarded women’s college. (In America, the distinction between college and university is size of the student body, and the type of degrees conferred. Universities offer postgraduate masters and doctoral degrees whereas colleges typically do not.)
Upon graduating from high school [1974], I attended Mount Holyoke College, a liberal arts school. This meant that I had to take a variety of subjects before choosing areas of concentration [majors and minors]. This was a good format for me as I believe that we gain something from everything we experience – even if it is that we don’t want to do that again!
I chose the study of French language/literature and chemistry as my 2 major areas of focus. With some complicated scheduling of courses, I was able to spend my third year abroad studying in Paris – Jussieu Paris VII (thermodynamics & biochemistry), Institut Protestant (philosophy & literature). To this day, that experience has influenced my life. Most of all, I learned that people are more or less the same everywhere in that we want to improve our quality of life, and hopefully have a positive impact on those around us. I became an avid traveler, and fearless at going places where I could experience new cultures, art, and language.
How did you decide on which area of science to pursue?
*It is important to understand that in the mid-1970’s, there were not many female scientists in professional positions [i.e. with an advanced degree], and certainly very few female role models. Most women were either teachers of science, nurses or doctors [medics]. However, in hindsight, I believe my 2 high school teachers influenced my choice of college/university and my areas of concentration.
The deeper I advanced in my science coursework, I realized that biochemistry was the field for me. I think this is because it is a synthesis of the science of living things [biology], from the perspective of the bioactive molecules that drive the reactions in living organisms, e.g. Kreb’s cycle, mitochondrial function, meiosis and mitosis, biomechanics of muscle, and the role of ions and electrical signaling in nerve cells.
*The discovery and confirmation of the physical structure of DNA in the late 1950’s and into the 1960’s as an antiparallel double helix, and the proof that it was, indeed, the genetic material present in all living things [RNA viruses had yet to be discovered], led to the explosion of the field of molecular biology [https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-01313-5.pdf ]. This is an area that would draw much from cell and microbiology, virology, genetics, among others [1050’s – 1970’s].
*I still remember reading the 1975 Rolling Stone magazine article The Pandora’s Box Congress [held in Asilomar, California https://web.mit.edu/endy/www/readings/RollingStone(189)37.pdf ] while onboard a ferry boat to my favorite island [Block Island, Rhode Island]. I felt like someone was describing the Holy Grail of life sciences to me, and it changed everything. Not only the idea that one could decipher the genetic code and work out what protein it spelled, but also the possibility of moving genetic material from one organism to another in order to study its function [transfection]. The ramifications were, and are, endless, and I was smitten.
Did you have a career in mind when you were considering your which area to pursue?
I was quite naïve on how to convert my desire to study biochemistry and somehow be involved in the molecular biology revolution. There was almost no ‘career counselling’ in high schools or in my small college. Perhaps the larger universities had more resources, certainly in the form of alumni to whom students might reach out.
At the time, one either took a job in a chemical company [e.g. Dupont], or a pharmaceutical company [e.g. Pfizer, Lilly, etc.], or a clinical testing lab, or one stayed in academic science, and found work in a research laboratory. The United States has a gigantic and very diverse system of universities, scientific institutes, and specialized facilities [e.g. Argonne National labs which is funded by the Department of Defense, Jackson Laboratories which is a repository for animal models, NASA, etc.].
After receiving my Bachelor’s degree from Mt. Holyoke, I interviewed for laboratory technician positions at Yale University, Rockefeller University, and Pfizer Pharmaceuticals. I was offered all these jobs, but it made me realize that I wanted a bit more autonomy than being a pair of hands. Fortunately, most postgraduate work in the sciences is, at least, partially funded, so I chose to take a fellowship at the University of Maine in biochemistry at no cost to me. I graduated with a Masters degree, and went to work for an early version of a biotech company called Marine Colloids Inc. on the beautiful coast of Maine. I was the only female scientist in the entire company. While this was a bit lonely, I liked most of the people I worked with, made friends, enjoyed sailing my boat, and learned to repel off the sea cliffs of Mount Desert Island.
Then, I met an English graduate student from the RPMS/Hammersmith Hospital, and graduate of Shiplake College [my OV connection], and moved to London so that he could finish his doctorate on protein analysis of differences between muscle tissue from boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy and normal individuals.
In London, I worked at the Institute of Neurology on a wonderful project creating a cDNA library from nerve cells of chickens. I understood very well many ways in which this library of clones could be used. Unfortunately, this was a rather misogynistic environment, and bits of my project were handed over to the ‘lads’. This was not an unusual situation for women scientists to have their projects or results given to male colleagues receiving no acknowledgement for their contributions, but unacceptable nonetheless.
We soon moved to Toronto where we worked at the Hospital for Sick Children in the Department of Medical Genetics. Arthur had now shifted from protein biochemistry to the molecular biology of Duchenne muscular dystrophy. The goal of his postdoctoral fellowship was to clone the gene for DMD, at which he succeeded. I worked in a laboratory that did prenatal diagnosis of alpha1-antitrypsin deficiency. The technique was somewhat crude, but surprisingly accurate. I enjoyed working on a project where I felt my results had a direct impact on patients.
I moved across the corridor to another laboratory that worked on cloning the gene for X-linked retinitis pigmentosa, a genetic form of blindness. This group was all women, and mostly we worked together very well. I loved this project, and I loved working on eye disease. I felt it was a system that was compact, and biologically discrete.
During this time, I had our first child, and Arthur’s fellowship was ending. He found a tenure-track position [the holy grail of academic jobs] as an Assistant Professor at the Ohio State University [OSU].
We had our second child 2 years later and I began my doctoral program in Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology. This was bad timing as post-graduate degrees tend to be much longer and more involved than in the UK. After 2 years of coursework, I took up a project on cloning a segment of the Type 2 Sodium Channel from nerves in the human brain. This material was then used in the form of cDNA to see if it could elicit an immunological response in mice, and produce symptoms resembling Multiple Sclerosis. In the brain of a person with MS, the sheath that wraps around some nerves is called myelin, is eroded and stripped away as part of the disease process causing a slowing of conduction of those nerves. The answer is that it worked!
Unfortunately for me, the next phase would have involved a much larger time commitment than I was able to muster. Therefore, after finishing my PhD I retired from laboratory science, and became full time Mom [see Q 1 at the bottom of the page].
Is there an area of science that you wish you had pursued?
Yes! I wish I had switched from pure sciences and research to a more clinical career. I would like to have been a genetic counsellor. I am a fairly direct person, and research often requires an indirect approach to a problem. I also like blending several disciplines. Genetic counselling brings genetics, reproductive health, counselling/guidance, and medicine together. Ultimately, it is up to the parent to decide their course of action in light of their test results, often a very difficult decision to make.
What skills outside of academic do you need to be successful in the scientific world?
Characteristics, as opposed to specific skills that scientists typically possess - a desire to problem solve, an ability to work both independently and as a team member. Each scientist stands on the shoulders of many, many earlier relentless inquiring minds. Science is truly a team sport! There is enormous pressure to be the first to publish a result which leads, at times, to and atmosphere of corrosive competition, secrecy and paranoia which do more to slow down the pace of discovery. It is also a highly immersive pursuit that can become all-consuming, and make balancing other interests and relationships difficult. That is why an intrinsic love for your field of work, and a vision of not only the goal, but the minutiae of how to achieve that goal is paramount. Good training is essential, and also fairly rare. As in any career, development of the elements for success takes time, commitment, and discipline.
What do you see as the big future trends for science?
More and more gene discovery is done by high-throughput automated techniques in ‘core facilities’. The pace of this work is rapid; the next steps – understanding the underlying action of the gene, and the protein it encodes, perhaps with a view to using the gene for development of drug therapies is a far longer, more arduous and a very expensive part of the process.
Proteomics has emerged as a hybrid between protein biochemistry and molecular genetics to ferret out how proteins behave in their natural environment. This will continue to play a increasingly large role as more genes are discovered.
Customized medical therapies for cancers using the CAR-T and Cas-9 CRISPR systems have shown excellent results for some cancers that have been resistant to existing chemotherapies. I expect individualized treatments for many more cancers on the horizon as well as new techniques for delivering these therapies.
RNA technologies are exploding in many areas research and therapeutics. The most recent development of RNA vaccines for COVID will open the door to many more uses of RNA in therapeutic settings.
Gene therapy for single gene diseases such as the Zolgensma drug for Spinal Muscular Atrophy is one of a very few gene therapies that has been approved by the American Food and Drug Administration for treatment of patients. There will be many more gene therapy drugs in the future. There is a great need for better therapies for autoimmune diseases which are not single gene disorders, and have proved much more difficult to find effective treatments.
Harnessing organisms to assist in managing environmental disasters, such as oil spills, will need to be expanded for other uses such as renewable energy production.
Techniques to develop efficient, energy-saving farming techniques for expanding populations, especially in environmentally and economically disadvantaged parts of the world is in great need.
Are there areas of science that concern you?
Bioethics is not a new field, but is something we are exposed to daily in the media, in our communities, schools, and homes. Genetically engineered humans and other animals, organs for transplant produced in laboratories, genetic screening and selection of offspring, gender modification, potential uses of gene editing are some of the realities that society is having to decide how these should be implemented, or under what conditions they should be employed. It is an uncomfortable thought to realise that gene therapy given to an infant who otherwise would die, also keeps their defective genes in the pool of the expanding population giving rise to an expanding population of infants who will need this therapy in successive generations. Do we choose to treat catastrophic genetic diseases, or allow those genes to self-select and maintain a balance in the gene pool? I encourage students to think about this, and discuss it with their teachers and their peers. This is your world.
Why is science so important to society?
* It is important to note that as a researcher, you are always pushing the boundaries of what is known. You are contributing something never done before in order to reach a greater level of understanding. That alone is a very compelling reason to pursue a scientific job or career.
Research and experimentation turn the crank that moves all societies into the next generation of knowledge, ideas, expectations, and quality of life.
Who are the scientists that inspire you or have shaped your thinking over the years?
Leonardo daVinci – he did not actually invent most of what he drew and recorded, but he researched many areas of engineering and human biology, improved upon existing designs and enhanced our understanding in many areas. His artful, detailed documentation is unparalleled.
Marie Curie – discovery of radioactive isotopes, radium and polonium, and made contributions to early cancer treatments. She also created a mobile X-ray machine used on the battlefields in WWI. She did not believe that something could not be done.
Barbara McClintock – [1983] Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine – worked on the cytogenetics of maize chromosomes. She proposed the notion of genetic recombination by crossing-over during meiosis, a way for genetic information to be moved around. When asked why she didn’t study genetics of humans or animals she said in effect that she wasn’t welcome in those fields.
The men and women in the laboratory of Professor Lap Chee Tsui (cloning of the cystic fibrosis gene, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Canada).
If there’s one piece of advice that you could give your younger self or an aspiring scientist about a career in science, what would it be?
“Every journey begins with a single step” Lao Tzu
The key is taking the step. Regardless of what you choose, it will lead somewhere, and almost certainly to places you had not intended – that’s the fun and adventure, I promise. That first step is often based on wishful thinking, naivete, admiration of a person or an idea. It is the second and third steps that require insight, perhaps some planning, or maybe a leap of faith, but always a belief in yourself.
Never lose your humanity no matter how alluring, disruptive or lucrative a pursuit. There is always a bigger picture, and sometimes it is as small as spending time with family, helping someone who can’t help themselves, or sharing your experiences and resources with someone just starting their journey. “Pay it forward.”
Which field of science do you work in?
After 25 years in scientific research primarily in biochemistry and molecular biology of the nervous system, I have undertaken a number of other roles – substitute teaching, curriculum developer creating a Science Club for primary school students to do hands on experiments [highly successful], and more recently, I have become a high school STEM mentor, and work specifically with the robotics club. STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. For the past 20 years in the US, there has been a concerted effort by federal and local government agencies to fund and promote education, skill development and job training these fields. It is no secret that there is a lack of skilled young people to fill the rapidly growing needs in all fields of science and technology. This impacts all STEM disciplines such as medicine, public health, IT, all branches of engineering including the development of alternative, renewable energy sources, and sound environmental practices.
Post script: I have always been an outdoor person which made long hours in laboratories at times painful. I am also a naturalist with a strong belief that a healthy environment should be at the centre of any vision for a good life on our Blue Planet. I have taken a course in plant genetics, and I have had the luxury of experiencing different environments first hand – deep water marine environments, estuaries -both fresh and salt water, intertidal zones, coral reefs, forests of various descriptions, alpine meadows, the exquisite Okavango delta, and semi-arid habitats. I cannot overstate the remarkable capacity for plants- the largest and most diverse class of living organisms – to participate in mutualism, symbiosis, and communication while adapting to all environments [with the exception of Antarctica] and being [mostly] rooted to one spot. In addition to all of that, plants supply food for animals, other plants, shelter, and the CO2/O2 balance that is the basis of life on Earth. Field work can be some of the most satisfying work in all of science whether you are an enthusiastic gardener, or a professional marine biologist. Never underestimate the power and endless wonder of the Plant Kingdom.
A massive thank you to Susan Burghes for taking the time to give us a such a thoughtful and thought-provoking interview.
If you are an Old Viking and would be interested in sharing how you turned your passion into a career, please contact [email protected]