Hilary Lappin-Scott has been elected as an ISME Fellow in recognition of her outstanding and sustained contributions to the Society and the field of microbial ecology. To celebrate this well-deserved honour, we spoke with Hilary about the pivotal moments in her career, the mentors who inspired her, and the lessons she has learned through decades of scientific leadership and service.
What has been the most pivotal moment in your career, and why?
I didn’t think that a broken-down plane would bring about the pivotal moment in my career. I was on my way, alone, to the ISME4 meeting in Ljubljana. It was my first ISME meeting, and I was presenting a poster and didn’t know anyone else who was going. When I got to Heathrow, I was told that the plane was broken and needed a part flying in to fix it, so it would be a while. All the passengers were invited into a lounge to wait (it was a long time ago!). The seats were all taken except one, so I joined an older couple at a table, and we got chatting.
He was obviously going to the same meeting as me, as apparently were most of the other passengers. He explained he was a professor at Calgary University and within 30 mins had offered me a job there! I was really in need of a postdoctoral post, so this was really important for me. It was, of course, Bill Costerton, and working with him in the very early days of biofilms changed everything for me. He had such faith in us all that it helped grow my confidence. I watched the way he ran his group and would make quite big leaps in his scientific thinking. I also really noticed a huge difference between attitudes from UK labs and North American ones. He gave me every opportunity to flourish and supported all that I did.
We ended up collaborating for decades and, including other things, we published the first textbook on biofilms and organised many biofilm conferences. All from a chance encounter in an airport! He easily had the greatest influence on my career and ways of working, too.
Which of your contributions are you most proud of, and why?
The work contributions that I am most proud of are without doubt 1. my former students, 2. being elected President of ISME, FEMS, and the UK Microbiology Society, and 3. chairing the UK Research Excellence Framework (REF) panel for my subject area.
The standout is all of the achievements of my former students, MSc and PhD. It is wonderful to have them in the lab, watch them learn, grow, and flourish. I stay in touch with many of them and am thrilled with what they have achieved over the years. It gives me immense pride and satisfaction. It’s the best thing, in my opinion, about being a scientist. We’ve also had a lot of fun times along the way!
I also feel incredibly honoured to go from being a young postdoctoral researcher, sitting at the back of the ISME4 meeting, watching the opening ceremony, to being the elected President and being on stage myself giving the opening address! It gives me such a buzz thinking about that, and I try to encourage young scientists to get involved and show them what is possible for them too.
What is a common misconception about building a career in science?
In my opinion, the most common misconception is that it is only for people of privilege, that a career in science is not for us all. For example, I was the first in my family to take such a route and go to university, so I had no one to point out what to do, open doors, and facilitate things for me.
More concerning is the misconception that you need to have a big career plan, all mapped out for yourself! I do sometimes hear people who have everything planned, from BSc to PhD to Professor and beyond, with dates against each too! I do find this concerning, as it can lead to disappointment. I think it’s great to be ambitious and have dreams; I fully support that. But sometimes things are not in our control, and we have to take a different path from the one we thought we wanted. And that can lead to all sorts of great adventures and a fulfilling time, too.
How do you balance research, leadership responsibilities, and personal life?
Just a couple of thoughts on this. I feel I have to be honest and say that I don’t think I balance all of these very well! I think that research and leadership can certainly go hand in hand, but also, it does need people (all of us at some stage in our career?) to come forward and take on some of the leadership tasks, for example, volunteering for roles in academic societies. In many ways, I think that this is all part of our roles as scientists, to support others as we were supported.
Hilary Margaret Lappin-Scott OBE FLS FLSW PFHEA FAAM FRSB is a British microbiologist internationally recognised for her pioneering research on microbial biofilms. Throughout her distinguished career, she has made significant contributions to microbial ecology, higher education, and scientific leadership. Hilary served as President of the International Society for Microbial Ecology (ISME) from 2006 to 2010, completing two consecutive terms. In 2009, she was elected the second woman in the 70-year history of the Society for General Microbiology (now the Microbiology Society) to serve as President, a position she held until 2012.
Beyond her scientific achievements, Hilary has held several senior leadership roles in higher education, including serving as Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Strategic Development and External Relations at Swansea University from 2015 to 2019. In recognition of her outstanding services to microbiology and higher education, she was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2018 New Year Honours. From 2019 to 2023, Hilary served as President of the Federation of European Microbiological Societies (FEMS), continuing her longstanding commitment to advancing microbiology through international collaboration and scientific leadership.
The ISME Fellows Program honors members who have made outstanding and sustained contributions in service to the Society and to the broader advancement of microbial ecology. The program recognizes individuals whose volunteerism, leadership, and engagement have significantly strengthened ISME’s mission, visibility, and community impact.