AN INTERVIEW WITH DR GENEVIEVE STAPLETON

Abstract

    Dr Genevieve Stapleton is a senior lecturer at the University of Glasgow and is Year One Director for the MBChB course. With a career that spans across the world, we were interested to hear what drove her to move to these places. Transitioning from a career in academia to lecturing when she joined the medical school in 2010, we caught up with the well-known face to find out how she got there?

1) From your biography, I see your studies and employment have spanned all across the globe, would you mind telling us about the different places you have worked and what drew you there?

    You’re right! I’ve been so fortunate to have worked in some amazing places across the world. Magnificent Melbourne, Superb San Francisco, Sensational Seattle, Exquisite Edinburgh, then I saved the best – Glamorous Glasgow – to last! I’d like to say that it was all very carefully planned, but actually if an opportunity presented itself, I went for it! Some degrees, and medicine is one of them, can be your passport to the world. So if you are able to, use it! Go see the world! Taking opportunities to learn from and understand different cultures is a great privilege. Glasgow will always be here for you when you decide to come back.

2) Before joining the medical school in 2010, I see you had a career in academia. Could you briefly outline the types of research you contributed to and any implications this has on clinical practice/your progression to director of MBChB1?

    My research interests have mostly concerned intracellular signalling and how just one little addition of a phosphate group on one particular molecule can change the entire fate or response of the cell! Crazy! The cell is utterly fascinating. But I didn’t start there. My first research job was as a technician in Melbourne working on Schistosomiasis. In contrast, when in Seattle I was working on meiotic maturation of oocytes in starfish (this was great because twice a year we had to go to the beautiful Pacific Northwest and collect the starfish!) But my love is cancer (the research not the disease itself). However I left that all 

behind to move into medical education, and I have found this to be equally fascinating and rewarding. I continue to do research, but this time, in medical education while still sharing the wonders of the cell (and who doesn’t love the cell cycle?) and the basic processes underpinning cancer with students and maybe future oncologists.

3) Any tips for students who are new to Glasgow Medical School and do you have any tips for getting through first year?

    How long have you got… Here are my top two! Tip one: Make some friends who are also studying medicine, even just one. It can be a bit tough at times so a friend who understands and shares the highs and the not-so-highs is invaluable. MedChir and other student societies can really help with this. Tip two: get to know the staff a bit more. Medical school is not like high school. We’re all in this together, so come to drop-in, say hello, bring baking. We love getting to know you all and we are here to help in any way we can.

4) Having been elected honorary president of MedChir for 25/26, you clearly have strong ties with the society and enjoy MedChir revue. What is your favourite Medchir memory?

    Honestly, it was such an honour to be asked. Thank you so much. That in itself is a memory I will treasure for a long time. However, some other favourites….. any performance by the netball girls or Tragic Mike at the Medchir Revue, actually the Medchir Revue in general – what a great night!, and some memories of very ‘vigorous’ ceilidh dancing with rugby players! Enough said.

5) Got any favourite eateries or bars/pubs in the Glasgow?

Too many: Crabshakk for great seafood, Ka Pao for the set menu (and no it is not too much food), GaGa (great food and atmosphere), and Sylvan (food is amazing and they make a pretty good cocktail too).

References:

1.University of Glasgow - Schools - School of Medicine, Dentistry & Nursing [Internet]. Gla.ac.uk. 2026 [cited 2026 Mar 9]. Available from: https://www.gla.ac.uk/schools/medicine/

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