If you google me… you’ll get a lot of results related to my research. And if you know my husband’s surname, you’ll also get links to my hobbies – music and, in the past, wheelchair tennis. I play the transverse flute and piccolo in a concert band. I’d wanted to join since I was twelve, just like my sister. At the time, I played the saxophone: they already had enough transverse flute players, so I was handed a sax they happened to have lying around. When I went to study in Utrecht, I switched to the flute. It’s easier to slip into your bag when you’re catching the train.
"At first I didn't know if I'd survive. I'm mostly just glad and grateful to be alive"
I’m a grateful person. I am! When I was 32, 26 years ago, I was diagnosed with cancer. The treatment damaged my spinal cord, and I’ve used a wheelchair since. It was a difficult transition; it took me quite some time to accept it. But I’ve never been angry about it. At first I didn’t even know if I’d survive, which put things into perspective. I’m mostly just glad and grateful to be alive. And it helped that I already had a partner and a career I could continue. I no longer work in the lab [where you spend a lot of time on your feet], but I still do research. I can honestly say that I’m a happy person.
People should listen to… the Fifth Symphony by Alfred Reed, an American composer who composed a lot of concert band music. The melodies are beautifully interwoven. I listened to it a lot during my illness; it comforted me and made me feel calm.
My friends appreciate… that I’m caring and always there for them. And that I’m honest. Friendships can withstand a bit of friction every now and then. The same applies the other way around – I appreciate it when people hold up a mirror to me.
I’m addicted to… reading. I read everything I can get my hands on – medical thrillers, biographies, you name it. My most recent read was All the Blue in the Sky, about a young man who is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and sets off on a campervan trip. It beautifully describes how he eventually comes to terms with his fate. Not romanticised, but realistic. If I was ever in a situation like that, I hope I’d deal with it in the same way, but I’m not sure I could. Unlike the main character, I have a partner and a lot of family and friends. I couldn’t just leave them behind. They’re very important to me.
"I wasn't a girly girl - I liked football, cars and building huts"
What would you change about yourself? My habit of working right up to deadlines. And my habit of going “I can fit something else in” if there’s even the smallest gap in my schedule. My husband is the same, so we’ve agreed that if one of us is asked to take something on, the answer is, “I’ll get back to you tomorrow.” If we don’t keep each other to that, we say “yes” far too quickly.
As a child, I was… very curious, active, energetic and a bit shy. I wasn’t a girly girl – I liked football, cars and building huts. That toughness was there even then. I’d walk home covered in mud, and the workmen in the village would ask if my mother would be cross to see me like that. I had a good relationship with her, but with interests like mine, I was more of a daddy’s girl.
Do you ever pray? Occasionally. For me, prayer is a moment to reflect on my life and express my gratitude. I was raised Catholic, and I feel drawn to Mary – her warm, caring and forgiving nature. I like to light a candle in the Lady Chapel when I go into a church.
"A friend told me she appreciates that I'm there for her. I find it quite hard to accept compliments"
The last compliment I received. Apart from “You’re a quirky one”? A friend recently told me she appreciates that I’m there for her. I actually find it quite hard to accept compliments; I tend to downplay them. I don’t know why. Maybe I’ve subconsciously picked up a self-effacing attitude from my parents.
Would you rather be rich or famous? If I had to choose one, I’d rather be rich, but I don’t really want that either. I wouldn’t even know what to do with the money. We’re already in a position where we can afford everything we want. I feel rich in my relationships with other people – that’s what matters to me.
I can’t stand… dishonesty. It literally makes me break out in red blotches. The Board of Examiners Medicine very occasionally has to deal with students who have committed fraud. I have a great deal of sympathy for the pressure students are under, and how that can lead them astray. But don’t deny it – just admit it and take responsibility for your actions. Your work will still be declared invalid, but we may be able to help you.
I’m fascinated by… how children develop. Because of my illness, we unfortunately were unable to have children, but I have a lot of nieces and nephews, and some of them now have young children of their own. I love seeing how open and unguarded they are. They remind you to look at the world with wonder.