Mary Deadman
Meet Mary Deadman, our special featured member who recently retired after an incredible 44 years of dedicated service to the University, most recently as Laboratory Manager for the Holländer Group. Over the course of her career, Mary has been a cornerstone of the Department of Paediatrics and the IDRM's research community — supporting countless projects, mentoring colleagues, and fostering a spirit of collaboration and excellence. Here, Mary looks back on her journey, sharing reflections, achievements, and fond memories as we celebrate her contributions and wish her every happiness in her next chapter.
What first brought you to the Department of Paediatrics all those years ago?
My first wonderful PI and Head of Department (HoD), Joel Mandlestam in the Microbiology Unit was retiring, I saw the advert for a job working on human genetic disorders in the Department of Paediatrics and thought it looked really interesting. I had already met the HoD, Prof Richard Moxon, and a friend had moved to work with him, so I knew it was a happy department. After three years my then PI got a Chair in London, so Richard asked me if I wanted to join his team, as my degree and Masters were in microbiology, and I respected Richard, it was a no brainer.
What are some of the projects or achievements you’re most proud of?
I’m really proud of the work I did on LPS in Richards’ lab with a great team. I’m also really happy that I helped Georg Holländer set up his new lab in the WIMM and the successful move to the IDRM, achieved with the help of the team at the time and Ed Moar and Luke Evans in the IDRM. I’m also proud of the work I did during our successful departmental Bronze and Silver Athena SWAN applications.
Are there any mentors, teammates, or friendships that had a big impact on you?
Yes, all my PI’s have been fantastic mentors and I feel very lucky to have worked with them over the years. I have also had some amazing colleagues over the years, from all over the world. They taught me a lot about research but also about working well in teams. A few colleagues have been seriously ill, and a couple of true friends died, the way all those colleagues coped with their illnesses was inspirational to everyone around them. The way they came in to work and didn’t complain showed me that you should not worry about the small things, instead you should aim to make the most of what you have and enjoy the time you can spend with the good people who surround us. A lot of my colleagues became very good friends and I’m hoping to catch up with some of them once again when I retire.
What lessons or values have guided you throughout your career?
If you have a problem ask for help, not matter what the problem is there will be someone who can help. Everyone plays a part in the success of a team no matter their role, so respect everyone for their contributions, be kind, be helpful, be cooperative, be welcoming, embrace other cultures and go the extra mile when you can. Ignore the negatives and try to see the positives. We spend a lot of time at work so enjoying it is so important.
Do you have a favourite memory from work events or team gatherings?
Over the years there have been many events and parties, the charity quizzes in the WIMM were always wonderful events and the last Paediatrics Summer party at Wolfson College with the ceilidh was excellent.
Do you have any big plans, hobbies, or adventures lined up?
Yes, my garden has been completely neglected this year, so I want to get it back under control. I love genealogy, knitting, sewing, baking and I do other creative hobbies, so I’ll have more time for those. My husband is retiring too so we’ll be able to spend more time with our family and my siblings. We also intend to travel, we’ll catch up with old friends and see new places and cultures.