Erin Tranfield (VIB Bioimaging Core, Ghent)
Welcome to The Microscopists, a bite sized bio podcast hosted by Peter O'Toole, sponsored
Peter O'Toole:Microscopists Today on the Microscopists, Erin Tranfield from BIB in Ghent gives us her advice on what it takes to become a great microscopist.
Erin Tranfield:Chemistry wasn't super exciting for me either. The irony is, I would say, to be a good microscopist, you need to understand the physics of your microscope, the chemistry of your sample prep, and the biology of your questions. So I haven't escaped those two fields yet.
Peter O'Toole:She shares her personal story of incredible determination.
Erin Tranfield:I went horseback riding with a few friends and I, it didn't go well. We'll put it that way. And I fell from the horse and crushed 3 areas of my spine. And as a consequence, I have a pretty serious spinal cord injury.
Peter O'Toole:And proves that you can excel despite enormous setbacks.
Erin Tranfield:It was partially challenging, but it was really fun to build a core facility from 0. And that's what I did in Portugal. I really brought together equipment and teams and people and did a lot of training.
Peter O'Toole:All in this episode of The Microscopist. Hi. Welcome to the My Crostophists. I'm Peter O'Toole. And today, I'm joined by Amy Tranfield from VIB in Ghent, which is a new new job for you just, Amy.
Erin Tranfield:Yeah. Today is Friday number 2, and the first full week number 1. So, yeah, it's been quite the change. Country number 5. I'm collecting them.
Peter O'Toole:Wow. Country number one minute. So this is country number 5 in your jobs. So
Erin Tranfield:Well, in my life, I count where I was born as well.
Peter O'Toole:Which is where? Canada. So you got Canada, US, Portugal.
Erin Tranfield:Germany, then Portugal.
Peter O'Toole:Yeah. And then Belgium. Belgium. 5. Do you know how it's going to be in trouble?
Peter O'Toole:I've got some questions around those 5 countries.
Erin Tranfield:Yeah. And you can also add Costa Rica and China in there if you want, but I was only in those for less than 6 months, so they don't count.
Peter O'Toole:That's quite a long time, though. How come they were so short?
Erin Tranfield:I was in Costa Rica in, I need to think about it. After undergrad, I was doing a volunteer program. So this was very cool. And in China, I was there as part of the International Space University, and I was teaching in Beijing in 2007.
Peter O'Toole:In China? Mhmm. That sounds rather cool.
Erin Tranfield:It was. We got to watch them build the bird's nest, just before the Olympics, so that was quite exciting.
Peter O'Toole:That that that does sound really cool. Now then, so there's there's 2 things actually. To all, she just started a job at the VIB in Ghent. And by coincidence, today, I think, is International Women's Day.
Erin Tranfield:It is. Yes.
Peter O'Toole:And you sent me this image today, which is of you. And if I open this up, it should pop up on my screen if my computer starts playing ball again.
Erin Tranfield:We'll see. Oh, this is Saskia and I. Yes.
Peter O'Toole:So I I like the fact that I get between both of you.
Erin Tranfield:Yeah. You are well positioned. Sais might not be happy with you as you're blocking their microscope, but that's okay.
Peter O'Toole:Come on. I'm better looking than their microscope. That's
Erin Tranfield:true. That's true.
Peter O'Toole:So so Saskia, was obviously leading the VIB core.
Erin Tranfield:And she has stepped up to deputy director of all technologies now, leaving this beautiful position for me to step into. I'm very lucky, but I have first the shoes of Chris Guerin and now the shoes of Saskia to fill. It's slightly intimidating. My imposter is having a fit.
Peter O'Toole:So so interesting. You say you meant you mentioned Chris as well. Actually, so actually, interesting, my time with VIB, my influence at VIB, maybe that's a good way to word it, goes way back to 2003 Whoo. Before Chris.
Erin Tranfield:Really?
Peter O'Toole:Before Chris. And the only the person looking after their confocals was Eve.
Erin Tranfield:Yes. And she's still here. She's a master. She's been babysitting me all week. That woman is a rock star.
Peter O'Toole:So and she came over on one of actually, she came over on my very first confocal microscopy course I ever ran.
Erin Tranfield:Wow. Well, I hope to come and visit one of yours in the future too as I'm trying to go from the world of electrons to photons and sound intelligent. So I have a journey.
Peter O'Toole:So I well, yeah. You have a journey in microscopy. You've had a journey on a personal scale as well.
Erin Tranfield:I collect them, apparently, like countries.
Peter O'Toole:So take I can tell you let's take you back. We just heard a bit about going to the China and the space side of things. When you were a child, going way back, what was the first job that you ever aspired towards?
Erin Tranfield:I think I wanted to be a veterinarian, and this is because I grew up on a farm. I am a farm girl from the West Coast of Canada or Western Province of Canada. And, I thought that was a great idea until, admittedly, we had this lovely vet come up, and she was quite short. And she had to get in and turn the calf because the calf was breached, And she stuck her hand way up, and her nose landed in a very unfortunate place, and then the cow pooed. And I was like, oh, maybe I don't want
Peter O'Toole:to be a child.
Erin Tranfield:Oh, so that was the end of my aspirations to be a vet. Then for a while I wanted to be a doctor, that stuck for even longer and I always swore I would be the 1st woman on the moon. So there was the space from the very beginning. But when you grow up with the milky way over your head and northern lights all throughout your life, you know, you can't help but love the stars above you.
Peter O'Toole:Wow. Now you just made me really envious.
Erin Tranfield:Yeah. You can come visit. It's a great location. My mom still has the farm, and it's, it's my hiding place. When I need to think, the best place is the farm.
Erin Tranfield:Your nearest neighbor is a 15 minute walk, so you have ultimate silence.
Peter O'Toole:So you have chose a very different career to your parents. How how do your parents feel about your career? How how how do they comprehend your career?
Erin Tranfield:I was really fortunate with my with my parents. So my mom, was the first person in her family to do a master's, I think. She ended up being the vice principal of a high school long before women were considered normal to be leaders, in the teaching profession, I would say. And she had the attitude and she always she would drive me nuts with this, but she would say to me you can't get what you don't apply for so you have to apply for everything. And I I realized how lucky that was because I think many women are intimidated to apply where I had my mom chasing me constantly.
Erin Tranfield:Apply and try and do and so they she really supported me. My dad was never quite sure what I did. He was a carpenter by trades, and then went on to become an instructor of carpentry at the local college. And so this whole business of medicine, he wasn't sure about. He wanted me to be a nurse so I could take care of him when he got old.
Erin Tranfield:And, actually, I did. I took care of him until he passed away. But, my mom was really the champion and she still is. If I if I write something, she edits it. She edited my PhD thesis, and she found the best mistake that a scientist could ever make, which was I wasn't imaging my results.
Erin Tranfield:I was imagining them. Two extra letters that means so much.
Peter O'Toole:Yeah. So that
Erin Tranfield:was that was a good typo she found for me.
Peter O'Toole:Well, I don't know if you ever noticed if you run someone's experiments that the u and the I are next to each other on a keyboard. So you just got a slight error and you ruin someone's experiments. Exactly. I've often offered to to to ruin people's experiments on their behalf completely by accident. Oops.
Peter O'Toole:So from from that, what so how did you fall into what was your first degree?
Erin Tranfield:I did an undergrad at the University of Victoria in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, on biology.
Peter O'Toole:Why biology?
Erin Tranfield:Because I hated physics. I could do it, but I hated it. And chemistry, I don't know. I I I just chemistry wasn't super exciting for me either. The irony is I would say to be a good microscopist, you need to understand the physics of your microscope, the chemistry of your sample prep, and the biology of your questions.
Erin Tranfield:So I haven't escaped those two fields yet, But biology just seemed like the right calling for me. And at that point, I was still chasing the idea of becoming a a medical doctor. So it was the it was the first step.
Peter O'Toole:So so when did that desire to chase being a medical doctor stop?
Erin Tranfield:I applied to the p MD PhD program at the University of British Columbia, and I was accepted into both, but not the combined program, and they made me pick. And when I had applied, I told my PhD supervisor or my at that point, he was actually my master supervisor that if I had to, I wasn't going to abandon my degree. So by necessity, I I stuck with the PhD. And in many in many ways, I'm glad I did because I wouldn't be where I am today. I never would have traveled.
Erin Tranfield:I wouldn't be on country 5. I wouldn't be married to a Swiss husband for sure. You know? The the world is very different. I call my my my PhD certificate, my international passport.
Erin Tranfield:It takes you around the world.
Peter O'Toole:So from Canada, from your degree, your PhD was covered within that, but then your postdoc. Where was your postdoc? And what was that?
Erin Tranfield:So stepping back, my PhD was looking at how air pollution affects the heart, and this is something that then was very rare. I I've I'm quite entertained actually right now because there's so many newspaper articles about how people are dying from air pollution. I'm going, yeah. Hi. 20 years ago, people.
Erin Tranfield:Good thing you've caught up now. But when I did my PhD, it was a very rare field. So I was was relatively unknown. In the middle of my PhD, I found out about the International Space University, and I asked my PhD supervisor if I could take 3 months off and go to France because that's where it was that summer and attends, the summer program, which was a 12 week program all about space. And the reason I wanted to do this was just because I'm a nerd, and I thought it would be super cool.
Erin Tranfield:And when I went to ISU and the the SSP, the the summer studies program, that was that's what it was called then. I found out that NASA was very interested in how dust of any kind affects the human body. So my research trajectory, what I was doing in my PhD was exactly what they wanted to do with lunar dust. Dust is a much more, exotic sample than air pollution, but the methodology is identical. So I went from doing my PhD at the University of British Columbia in Canada to doing my first postdoc at NASA Ames Research Center in California.
Erin Tranfield:And I spent 2 years there studying how lunar dust and actual lunar dust, not just the simulants, affects the lungs, the eyes, and the skin.
Peter O'Toole:So you you sent me some pictures of it and very envious pictures. None of them looking at dust.
Erin Tranfield:No. Sorry. Because, I mean, you're at NASA. You're doing some really cool stuff.
Peter O'Toole:Yes. So I take it this is a a simulator of some sort?
Erin Tranfield:Yeah. So at NASA Ames, they have one of the only vertical motion simulators, and this was one of the times I got to sit in it. And I actually got to fly it in the vertical motion setting. So this is where it moves in all directions. Yep.
Erin Tranfield:And it's just damn cool. There's no other words for it. So this this simulation was just a picture. I was just in the seat. I think this is the first time I saw it.
Erin Tranfield:When I did the simulation, I was landing on the lunar surface. And I can tell you the first time I crashed it so badly they had to reset the computer.
Peter O'Toole:They literally crashed the computer as well.
Erin Tranfield:I crashed it. Simulation. I crashed the whole thing. But the second time, I landed actually quite well, apparently. I think they were just being nice that they didn't have to restart the computer again.
Erin Tranfield:But
Peter O'Toole:And and, actually, I think my favorite picture is is 1, which is you. I presumably actually, is it the space shuttle?
Erin Tranfield:Yeah. It's the space shuttle. This was again, it was being prepared for launch.
Peter O'Toole:You mean? I wanna be there.
Erin Tranfield:Yeah. It was super cool. And we got to walk all around it. And if you if you go to the other side quickly you'll see that I don't have any jewelry on and if you know me you know that there's always something. Even the nose ring is gone there because you could not go anywhere near the space shuttle with any metal even if it's attached to you.
Erin Tranfield:So they made us strip everything. My PhD supervisor, doctor David Loftus, he had to tie his glasses on his head so they couldn't possibly fall off. It was very interesting to do a visit there and to see the shuttle.
Peter O'Toole:I'm intrigued. Why why is it so important to remove all metal?
Erin Tranfield:Because it could fall somewhere that's innocuous, that doesn't make a difference at that moment. But when you go into space, you're dealing with microgravity. Everything can float around, and it could end up somewhere that's quite dangerous. And so at least that was that's my interpretation of why you don't want it to to be there. So
Peter O'Toole:Okay. And and you also looked at some of the some of the robot landing or potential landing.
Erin Tranfield:Yeah. So this is the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and we were there. So this is, the cousin of spirit and opportunity, and they had a 3rd rover here, and you can see this is in their Mars, simulant room. This is with a special simulant that's supposed to mimic a Martian, soil. And anytime, spirit, or opportunity would get stuck, the teams would come to this room and try and practice getting them moving or or unstuck, deal with whatever problem they were.
Erin Tranfield:So what I love about this picture is you realize how big Spirit and Opportunity both were. They were actually quite large rovers, on the lunar surface. And we were working with Jet, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, because we were putting towards together a proposal for a small instrument that would go to the lunar surface and sample, lunar dust and bring it back so we could study it.
Peter O'Toole:So you'd be bringing so and that's then the microscopy of the dust itself. And would you then be using the dust for inhalation
Erin Tranfield:well, well, the challenge with the whole lunar environment is you have no weathering properties. You have no wind. You have no rain. You have a lot of micrometeorite bombardment. So as a consequence what you get is fracturing of the material that's on the lunar surface it becomes quite sharp quite jagged it never gets rounded So how this will impact the lungs is an interesting question.
Erin Tranfield:There's also something called called, nanophase iron which is iron to a zero charge And this is only found on earth in industry. Humans are not typically exposed to this kind of material. So there was also a question on how nanophase iron would affect health and if it could become dangerous when inhaled. The good news of all of the studies we did is that it seems as if it's not a dramatically toxic material, which is very good for lunar lunar exploration. The biggest challenge of lunar dust is actually that sharp, jagged texture that I talked about, because it tends to destroy the seals of space suits and spacecrafts and habitats.
Erin Tranfield:And that's why we were looking again to to resample lunar material was because the material that was brought back to earth, all of the containers leaked. So it was exposed to oxygen, which changed the surface chemistry, which made it so that it's not like the authentic dust. So you couldn't study it from a reactive oxygen species and toxicity standpoint.
Peter O'Toole:Yes. Yeah. You don't think of all these difficulties straight off. It's quite complex when you think about just getting samples back and then working with the samples. So you'd have to have your anaerobic chambers, I guess, to be operating within them, like, which of anaerobic bacteria Mhmm.
Peter O'Toole:Similar sort of chambers and and then get them into the microscope at that point. So microscopes, where, what, where, where, what was your first microscope? When did you fall in love with microscopy?
Erin Tranfield:I love microscopy. I think microscopy and space exploration are not that different. It's just that one looks out to the big and one looks down to the small, but the concept of exploring is identical. So, if I couldn't go out, then I can go little. I'm not it's perfect.
Erin Tranfield:My first microscope. I have no idea. I'm really terrible. I did my PhD using I think it by that point, it was owned by FEI, a Technei 12 when they were first first released.
Peter O'Toole:Yeah.
Erin Tranfield:Brand new, hot off the press, you know, really early models. We used to have an old Philips in the mic in the lab, but it had died. All electron microscopes in this case. I do remember when the first confocal was installed in the lab, but only approved people were allowed near it, and I was not one of them. So I don't even know what to fuck it was.
Peter O'Toole:Good grief. And yeah. So we are the 1st team that I responsible for was actually a tech guy.
Erin Tranfield:Very nice.
Peter O'Toole:I say and we we had it up until just and and then it actually got flooded from the inside, but don't go there because that's quite a difficult job to work out how that happens. But it did. But, we thank you for helping me confirm that. Oh, it
Erin Tranfield:causes me pain to see these lovely instruments damaged or even retired. They're they're amazing.
Peter O'Toole:Yeah. But it happens.
Erin Tranfield:It does.
Peter O'Toole:It does happen. So from NASA and your postdoc and all that space side of things, what happened next?
Erin Tranfield:So I was really fortunate in that, I mean, I missed microscopes. I wasn't doing a ton of microscopy at NASA. I was doing all kinds of cool stuff, but not microscopy. And one of the ladies who worked with me at NASA Ames, Sigrid Ghani, she had done her postdoc at EMBL high in m at EMBL in Heidelberg, and she said, you know, you should look at this. And I thought, okay.
Erin Tranfield:And then I looked online, and they had a position posted for someone to do electron microscopy, at EMBL Heidelberg studying the, 3 d architecture of the miotic spindle, and I thought, oh, that sounds cool. I know EM. And so I applied, and I applied to the laboratory of Claude Anthony. Unfortunately, Claude lost my application, which was quite funny and was a precursor of many adventures with Claude in the future. Sigrid eventually emailed him and said, oi Claude, you should check out this application because the posting never went down, so they hadn't filled it.
Erin Tranfield:And very urgently, I was invited to come to EMBL to do an to have an interview and it went very well. And then I made the move across the ocean. That was a daunting move. I had 2 suitcases and I packed up all my stuff and I thought, good grief, what have I done? And here we go.
Erin Tranfield:And I flew across the ocean and landed in Germany, thought, oh my.
Peter O'Toole:So you were by yourself? Still you're still single at that point?
Erin Tranfield:Completely. Yeah.
Peter O'Toole:So you've done Canada, US, now to Germany. How how daunting was it coming into from Canada, US, and if you there will be cultural differences, but maybe isn't as massive as coming into a European culture.
Erin Tranfield:I came as a North American with all of the silly things that you think of, you know, the biases. We I didn't understand the nuances of Europe. I didn't understand that, you know, Belgium and and the Netherlands can be closer than 2 provinces in Canada and yet there can be a cultural world between the 2. This didn't make sense to me because Canada from east to west, there's some things. We make fun of the Newfoundlanders on the West Coast because they say funny things, but generally we have the same culture, the same attitude, so there were so many little differences I didn't expect.
Erin Tranfield:I was younger and more foolish or more more brave maybe then, and it was easier. Now as I get older, this this transition from Portugal to Belgium hasn't been an easy one. It's, you know, you get settled as you get older. You get happy with where you are. It's not as easy to pack up and start again.
Erin Tranfield:But
Peter O'Toole:Okay. Well, you've only you've only been there 2 weeks over in Belgium. What what have you found most challenging so far then?
Erin Tranfield:It's a really good question. I am we're struggling at this point to find an apartment, or a place to rent. I think that that's quite normal in the post COVID housing market anywhere in the world, but it's it's a lot harder to find apartments and places, like, to call home. And this has the added challenge. We'll come to this at some point, but now with my injury and my disability, you know, I looked at a house today that had what I call the death stairs, these spiral staircases that there's no way I can function with stairs like this with my injury.
Erin Tranfield:So I think finding a house will be the biggest challenge for us here. The the team is fantastic and incredibly welcoming. The lab is amazing in terms of technology, so I have little complaints. Yes. Today, they all are.
Erin Tranfield:Today, you can see I same green shirt. This is a Yes. So you're saying pink shirt.
Peter O'Toole:Your team. So those listening, this is this is the team that Erin has inherited?
Erin Tranfield:Yes. And I am so fortunate to work with such an amazing group of professionals and experts. I I don't wanna be their boss because they are they're they they're phenomenal. I'm just happy to be their colleague in their in their midst.
Peter O'Toole:So so
Erin Tranfield:we did this today for International Women's Day and, yes, the men are in the picture because I think it's important to recognize that men are also part of pushing women forward. So we did both. The girls only picture and then the whole team.
Peter O'Toole:Is that everyone on the team?
Erin Tranfield:That's everyone. We are a group of 10 now. This is because the core used to be bigger, but there's been a new a new core created recently, for spatial imaging. And so several of the old members had left the core because they're taking on the spatial challenge.
Peter O'Toole:Which is why I'm looking for Evelyn and can't find
Erin Tranfield:a new And she runs the spatial core. That's why. You haven't lost her. She's still with us.
Peter O'Toole:Was thinking I'm gonna have to ask after what's happened to Evelyn. Yeah. Evelyn. Why? Why split the call?
Peter O'Toole:Why did they I've got I called her special.
Erin Tranfield:Well, we're gonna we're gonna collaborate and work together, of course. But I think it's just to sort of compartmentalize tasks and roles and help users understand who to talk to and where to go. So
Peter O'Toole:Yeah.
Erin Tranfield:We'll see, Pete. We'll see.
Peter O'Toole:I'll wait till I talk to Saskia.
Erin Tranfield:Yeah. Talk to Saskia.
Peter O'Toole:Though, so you mentioned, your accident and your disabilities now that you're getting stronger, I would say, still. So, obviously, for the audience, many may not know the backstory to this.
Erin Tranfield:So So what happened? Yeah. In 2017, I went for what was supposed to be a restful weekend adventure. I went horseback riding with a few friends, and I, it didn't go well. We'll put it that way.
Erin Tranfield:And I fell from the horse and crushed 3 areas of my spine. And as a consequence, I have a pretty serious spinal cord injury. When I had the accident, the the doctors told me I would not walk again. I I walk. I call it turtling.
Erin Tranfield:It's maybe appropriate. I have green on today, because I'm quite slow, but I still get around, and I'm still able to cause quite a bit of mischief. So I manage.
Peter O'Toole:And so so as you said, I missed this was a very serious this was you know, you've you've said it quite differently. You know? So it's happened, and yet, you know, you sent a picture and there's you with you can't even see anyone because a number of cables tube coming out of you were were were were were your huge number. So, actually, I wouldn't know that was you. I I believe that mesh It
Erin Tranfield:is me.
Peter O'Toole:Heavily. And and I I think you can never be in good X-ray, can you?
Erin Tranfield:No. But that's
Peter O'Toole:expertise. Here you are.
Erin Tranfield:So you can see the they've done a fusion around l one. This is the first of the 3 vertebrae I crushed. Thank goodness. I I don't have neurological damage at that level because I probably would not be walking.
Peter O'Toole:That's so difficult to your spine?
Erin Tranfield:Yeah. That's my spine and that
Peter O'Toole:screams that all got You all. That is nuts. Yeah. Credit to the surgeons actually managed to do this.
Erin Tranfield:Oh, my surgeon is a rock star. Doctor Naud, I I, he's this amazing human being. I felt so very fortunate to have met him on the day of my injury. And to this day, he's, he almost becomes a friend. Really quite an amazing soul.
Erin Tranfield:And so he put that fixation in, and it's still in there. I call it my art installation piece just to try and put a positive spin on this whole mess. But yeah. So, you know, at times, if I want to be cheeky, I can tell users, don't fight with me. I have a spine of steel, and there we go.
Peter O'Toole:So is this the only bridging you have, or do you have other bridgings elsewhere?
Erin Tranfield:No. It's the only bridging. The other damage is in the sacrum, the lower, like, the tailbone area, and the lower parts of the spine in there. They didn't put in a bridge, so they made me lay flat for 10 days to try and get some of the bones to fuse. And that was exciting because I had to learn how to eat flat.
Erin Tranfield:And in Portuguese hospitals, they bring you things like a whole entire fish. How do you dissect a fish or eat a fish when you're flat on your back and you're just kind of peering over the over the tray at your meal? But, yeah, I had to lay flat for 10 days and then I spent in total about 6 weeks in the hospital, and then I spent, 4 straight months in the rehabilitation center where they taught me how to walk. And I recognize how lucky I was because I was one of the few people who rolled into that rehabilitation center in a wheelchair and it ultimately walked out badly, admittedly. I didn't walk very well when I left, but I was walking.
Erin Tranfield:So
Peter O'Toole:I I'm actually saying, yeah, we we've got a joint friend, which is Chris Garing, who who's
Erin Tranfield:Suffering a challenge himself.
Peter O'Toole:He has a challenge himself at the moment. And, actually so so you were sending emails via me to read out to Chris, and so I I learned even more about your time. And the fact that you're you're living proof that, you know, you can get lucky, but to remain determined to to make sure that luck comes to fruition, to speed up that recovery. And and Chris is is is getting there. Yeah.
Peter O'Toole:We will back Chris afterwards and stuff. But I think that's really motivational for Chris to keep that in mind. So some of the words you were saying to him were very motivational to him. I I should probably go back and reread those because I think his short term memory then wasn't so great. So you may forget bits.
Peter O'Toole:But we do keep saying, don't forget this, don't forget that within it.
Erin Tranfield:But it's really important. It was one of the challenges I had was to because as you can imagine, with all the things I've done in all the countries I've been to and traveled, I'm not used to sitting still and suddenly here I was at the mercy of every, you know, the medical system around me and a body that didn't work. And so you first have to really accept the situation you're in. There's no point in fighting it, but there is a point of fighting to get better. And so, you know, following the instructions, doing the physio, showing up every morning even when you don't want to.
Erin Tranfield:So to this day, which is more than so it's 2017 coming up to 7 years since my injury, I still do physio almost every single day. It was one of the key things with moving here. How do I move as little stuff as possible and yet still have in place a mechanism that I can do enough physio that I don't go backwards?
Peter O'Toole:Was it in those early days? Was there ever a moment where you thought you you wouldn't walk again? You were told you wouldn't. Did you accept that at any point or start thinking they're right? Well, I'm gonna try.
Peter O'Toole:What
Erin Tranfield:So this comes back to the lovely doctor Naud, my surgeon. He said to me he said to me, I see potential in you. You have the right signs. It's possible. Fight for it.
Erin Tranfield:It was essentially the message he gave me, and I I really did. I I thought, okay. He sees something I don't. And same with several of the nurses, they said, you know, you have the right attitude. You have the right mental approach.
Erin Tranfield:Fight for what you can get back, and you'll be fine. And I remember thinking, I don't know how that's gonna happen. I remember it being a huge deal when I could lay in bed and just pull up my legs so that my knees were like a v. Before that they would just slide back down because I had no control over my legs. And I remember my mom and my husband, Eva, we were there.
Erin Tranfield:We were all celebrating that I could tense my knees. Oh, big deal. But you gotta celebrate each little step. And, yeah, I guess I guess I never I never I never listened to the negative comments because they would just pull you down. I just fought for what I wanted and then accepted what I couldn't overcome some days.
Erin Tranfield:I say this very courageously. Don't think I don't have little temper tantrums sometimes when everything goes wrong because it does, and then I'm grumpy. But
Peter O'Toole:I've, during that time of the recovery, I I I sort of having this keening test at the moment. How many plateaus did you get to? And when you hit those plateaus, did the seeds of doubt think, actually, that's as far as I'm gonna get? Did that ever occur to you?
Erin Tranfield:Yes. I don't know how many plateaus I had. One thing that was very good about the physiotherapists I worked with is they were constantly changing the exercises. And And it's just like when I used to train to hike or to run or to do half marathons. Just when you get to a point where you're stable, you change your whole routine and it's hard again, and then you you kinda get past that plateau where you shift in a different direction.
Erin Tranfield:So they helped me do this. I think because I've done so many sports before my accident, I was a runner and a hiker, and, I was never sitting still. I was never fast. I was never good. I would never win a race, but I was never on the couch.
Erin Tranfield:That attitude, I think, also really helps because they would tell me, okay. Do do 10 weights, and I do 20, just because I was used to you're not gonna get better if you just sit there waiting for someone to fix you. You have to do the hard work.
Peter O'Toole:I love that competitive edge to it as well. Yeah. Yeah.
Erin Tranfield:But it was against myself. It wasn't against anyone else. It was just push the envelope.
Peter O'Toole:Yeah. But also, yeah, train harder Mhmm. And work hard as it did did you feel for your career?
Erin Tranfield:The accident definitely impacted my career initially. I couldn't travel. It's still very hard at times to go to conferences. There's days like you oh, you didn't see me. When we did the Gordon conference for volume EM, 11 hours on a flight to, the West Coast of the US.
Erin Tranfield:I could barely stand up by the time I got there. And then to do the whole Gordon conference, I couldn't sit. I could not sit. I could not really lay down. It was horrible.
Erin Tranfield:So this definitely affects my work, but I I think by being open about the situation and transparent, most people are extremely understanding. And the the microscopy community has proven a 100 times over how incredibly supportive they were. I mean, when I had the accident, I received so many flowers from colleagues. I had to ask people to stop sending them because the nurses were annoyed I had so many flowers in my room. I mean, what an amazing problem to have.
Erin Tranfield:So it just goes to show that I think we are we are very fortunate with who we work with, that they they rally and they support us in amazing ways.
Peter O'Toole:So, yeah, it was interesting. You sent one picture on show.
Erin Tranfield:With me in a wheelchair at the microscope. Yeah.
Peter O'Toole:Yeah. And how how? So this is actually a slightly different question there. How how accessible were the micros the microscopes themselves, microscopy labs? Were they already pretty accessible?
Erin Tranfield:Microscope was good because you were meant to sit there at a wheelchair or at a chair. It doesn't matter if it rolls or not. Actually, most of our chairs roll anyway, but in a different way. Processing benches, too high. Changing the filament on the gun would be a challenge for me because I wouldn't be able to open it.
Erin Tranfield:Oil pump changes, all of these things would probably be a challenge. So I would need someone to help me more with the technical stuff. In Portugal, because we were such a small lab, I really did a lot of the basic maintenance on equipment and and that I went back to doing that, but I had to figure out ways of doing it, that was safe. Because as you can imagine, I can't lift quite as much as I did, and I can't move in quite the way I did. And I still I I lost both calf muscles, so I can't go on my toes, which is really irritating when you're trying to get to the top of the microscope or you're trying to
Peter O'Toole:go say. How do you do the filaments and get the I
Erin Tranfield:know giants. Pete, there's advantages of being almost, oh, a meter 90 tall. So, you know or for the North American listeners, 6 3, 6 4. So I'm so tall that I could still open the gun without going on my toes. I can still take out the screws at the top of the FEI microscope without having to climb on the desk.
Erin Tranfield:But, yeah, it's, it's a challenge. I'd say the things that were less accessible are, you know, the the conferences are sort of accessible, but not in a super friendly way. They're they actually work for people in wheelchairs, but they're harder, I think, for people like me who are slow walkers, who don't wanna walk kilometers from one end of the conference center to the other and back again to get my coat at the reception and, you know, these kinds of things I had to figure out how to manage my energy.
Peter O'Toole:Yep. And so so actually think of the conferences. What is your favorite conference?
Erin Tranfield:I know what you want me to tell you. This is a loaded question.
Peter O'Toole:No. Stop.
Erin Tranfield:MMC is a very good conference, Pete. I do enjoy it.
Peter O'Toole:Very good.
Erin Tranfield:Very good. Yes.
Peter O'Toole:But what's your favorite conference?
Erin Tranfield:It's a great question. I don't know. I really enjoy an extremely small EM meeting in Germany called Panos. It's really just the society members getting together and it's great because it's all about community, it's all about idea sharing and it's a one day meeting. That's a great meeting.
Erin Tranfield:The Dreilander meeting or MC meeting that is often between Austria, Germany, and Switzerland, this also is a very good meeting. Yeah. I I don't know. To be very honest, I love conferences. You're not gonna get a favorite out of me because, really, being together with a bunch of other microscopy people is just a joy.
Peter O'Toole:So on that note, other microscopy people, part of your new job actually isn't just running the electron microscopy side, but also the light microscopy side.
Erin Tranfield:Yes.
Peter O'Toole:That so it's a whole new world.
Erin Tranfield:Exactly. I need to learn photons. Oh, dear.
Peter O'Toole:So how daunting is that?
Erin Tranfield:Well, I have a secret weapon, which is my husband who's a light microscopist. And so he can translate for me when I'm too embarrassed to ask anyone else, and this is a very nice luxury to have. It was more daunting actually before I arrived. Now that I'm here and I realize the level of expertise that is already within the VIB core, it's much less intimidating. Amanda and Ef, they're phenomenal, and they're extremely welcoming and forgiving when I make really dumb suggestions.
Erin Tranfield:I think I'm going to be surrounded by amazing supporters, and I'm I'm looking forward to actually breaking into the light microscopy world a bit. I'll be at Elmi, this year. So, you know, I'll get to see the other side.
Peter O'Toole:That's why you don't have a favorite conference yet.
Erin Tranfield:I haven't been
Peter O'Toole:to it. You see? That that's why.
Erin Tranfield:It could be. It could be. Yeah.
Peter O'Toole:This will be interesting for you actually because I I I went through a similar I I had the LM but not the EM to start with, and I went into the EM. But I had no shame. I had a, again, excellent team. Meg Stark back then, and Kevin Hodgkinson joined after, and I could ask any dumb question. And I think that actually empowered them a bit more to realize it was a more mutual relationship, and it wasn't on the boss.
Peter O'Toole:You know? It was, you know, I I I relied on their expertise. And I I still I still rely on on their expertise. And even my light microscopies in some areas have expertise beyond my expertise in certain areas. Not many, but certain areas.
Peter O'Toole:And I'll lean on them, which is good. So and you have to get on our confocal course because that'll teach you loads about the generals of light microscopy as well. So you have to get on our course.
Erin Tranfield:I would love to. It would be a pleasure.
Peter O'Toole:Come on. Gotta get get September. Look how far it's
Erin Tranfield:When is it in September?
Peter O'Toole:Oh, I
Erin Tranfield:You're gonna have to tell me because I I haven't I think.
Peter O'Toole:2nd full week of September, I think, this coming year. But it's every every March, April, and September. So it's around Easter. It's not in Easter weeks either side of it and one of the first two weeks in September every year.
Erin Tranfield:I asked because I also have my other adventure, which is to do the coaching, and I always am part of the Gerby course, for core facility management, and that's also in September. So September often becomes a busy month. Nah. We also do really cool management courses. Okay.
Erin Tranfield:I can help. I can help.
Peter O'Toole:No. That actually, that's yes. Thank you. That's useful. Who's been your inspirations?
Erin Tranfield:Who has been my inspirations? You're, you know, you're always inspired by your colleagues and your peers. I think I always learn from the people I worked with at EMBL, like Rachel Melwig. She was always phenomenal, to learn from. My PhD supervisor, of course, doctor David Walker.
Erin Tranfield:Inspirations. I have many broader ones too, you know, interesting people in the public and in the community who I think are doing really cool things. So, I don't know. I think I absorb from everywhere. I'm a little bit of a sponge, to be very honest in this.
Erin Tranfield:I always think that we are a reflection or a so we as individuals are a combination of all the interesting people we've met and taken the time to understand. And so I try and absorb wherever I can to hear and to listen, from other people.
Peter O'Toole:So I'm gonna I I've I've got a few other areas I want to explore. I'm gonna ask some quick fire questions. Okay.
Erin Tranfield:I'm gonna disappoint you with these because I think I know they're all gonna be fun, and I'm not.
Peter O'Toole:Are you an early bird or night owl?
Erin Tranfield:Yeah. Probably more a night owl.
Peter O'Toole:Did that change after the accident?
Erin Tranfield:Yes. So I used to do much better in the morning, but because of my injury, I don't sleep very well. So mornings are a struggle. I am I I tend to wake up, I would say, between 5 to 8 times a night, which is really disruptive to sleep. So mornings are like it it's it's not easy.
Peter O'Toole:Okay. PC or Mac?
Erin Tranfield:Oh, Mac. That one's easy.
Peter O'Toole:Oh, okay. McDonald's or Burger King?
Erin Tranfield:Neither. Rubbish.
Peter O'Toole:So if you had a fast fast food choice, what would it be?
Erin Tranfield:I don't do fast food. I don't really like quick stuff. What I loved in Portugal was they would have fast food, which was a roasted chicken and rice, and I would and and a salad, and I'm like, perfect. There, we're talking.
Peter O'Toole:K. So are you a cook or someone who prefers to be cooked for?
Erin Tranfield:Oh, I love to cook. I wouldn't say no to being cooked for, but I I really enjoy MacGyvering in the kitchen. It's really just like playing in the lab, except at the end, you hopefully get to eat it if it's gone well.
Peter O'Toole:And loaded question. Have you ever cooked a full Christmas dinner?
Erin Tranfield:Yes. I did this year.
Peter O'Toole:For the first time?
Erin Tranfield:For the first time. And you know that because you read the email to Chris. That was cheeky.
Peter O'Toole:I know it's cheeky. I've seen pictures.
Erin Tranfield:I know. Pictures.
Peter O'Toole:I have. Tea or coffee?
Erin Tranfield:I like both, but I usually thrive on coffee.
Peter O'Toole:Okay. Beer or wine?
Erin Tranfield:I just moved to Belgium, so that's also a loaded question. From Portugal. I actually do like both. And for a while, I wondered if I should become a sommelier. And for a while, I had threatened to run away and plant grapes all over our farm in Canada when I was threatening to quit science.
Erin Tranfield:So I guess I would have to pick more wine if I pick the 2, but I do love a very good beer. I will not suffer in Belgium.
Peter O'Toole:No. No. You definitely no. No. Because you don't even get hangovers on some of the bell the the finest Belgian beers.
Peter O'Toole:They are awesome. Red or white wine?
Erin Tranfield:I drink more white now, but that's because my my injury doesn't I I don't do well with tannins and red wine anymore. So
Peter O'Toole:Okay. Chocolate or cheese?
Erin Tranfield:I'm Swiss by marriage. That's not a fair question, Pete.
Peter O'Toole:It is. Good. You got you are. Come on. They're famous for the corn.
Peter O'Toole:You gotta do Swiss cheese or Swiss chocolate. Come on. I know you're in Belgium.
Erin Tranfield:I know I'm in Belgium. Oh, yeah. So if I had to give up one, I can't. I couldn't do it. I don't think.
Erin Tranfield:I love both. I I used to say I would run to justify my cheese, chocolate, and wine habits. So there you go.
Peter O'Toole:What what would you say is your favorite food? If if you if you if you were taken out, you know, you're an invited speaker, they take you out for dinner, what would you be hoping will be put in front of you?
Erin Tranfield:You're gonna hate this answer, but I would actually hope for something local because I would love to eat food from the place I'm in to learn more about the specialty or the, you know, the different meals of the place. If I was home in Canada, so we don't really have specialty food because I'm not gonna count poutine. I'm on the other side of the country. I would do sushi or probably Indian food.
Peter O'Toole:Okay. Is there anything you don't like to eat?
Erin Tranfield:Mushrooms. My god. I hate mushrooms.
Peter O'Toole:Like mushrooms also? All kinds?
Erin Tranfield:Yeah. Pretty much. I I have this saying that, I don't eat anything that grows in I'm not allowed to say that word because we're not allowed to swear in this podcast, but you can extrapolate. So no mushrooms. Thank you
Peter O'Toole:very much. Okay. And you you say you like cooking. What would you say is your signature dish?
Erin Tranfield:I'm known for making a lot of soups. I I think it's just you take fresh vegetables in season and make, you know, really nice pumpkin soup or after Christmas, I turned the turkey into a turkey soup or in Portugal, we used to get this, they called it the ugly fruit box or ugly vegetable box. And this was really fun because mysteries vegetables would show up, and I'd have to figure out what to do with them. And when all else failed, soup. I could hide them.
Erin Tranfield:TV or book? Oh, book. Okay.
Peter O'Toole:And are you reading anything for the Maddens?
Erin Tranfield:I'm reading a few books for the career coaching I do, about, leadership, and personality. And I have a stack. If there's a prize for book hoarder, that might I might win this book. So I have many books that I will read someday. I'm not sure when that will happen.
Peter O'Toole:But Okay. Do you have a favorite film?
Erin Tranfield:No. I don't really watch TV that much.
Peter O'Toole:Oh, wow. So if I ask you what your favorite you've got no favorite film. No favorite Christmas film?
Erin Tranfield:For Christmas, I would probably pick Scrooge only because my mom and I used to always watch Scrooge on Christmas morning after we opened all of our presents. So it's more of a family tradition.
Peter O'Toole:Yeah. That yeah. But that's as good a reason as any, isn't it? That's what Christmas movies are about. They're about memories quite often.
Peter O'Toole:Star Trek or Star Wars?
Erin Tranfield:Star Wars.
Peter O'Toole:I see. And then you say you don't watch films. They're all films.
Erin Tranfield:That's okay. Okay. That's true. But I don't know if it's a favorite. I wouldn't put down I wouldn't not go outside to stay inside and watch star wars.
Erin Tranfield:I mean, I've watched Lord of the Rings. Love these books. Movies are very good too. But if I had to choose, I'd go outside any day of the week.
Peter O'Toole:So next quick fire, Canada or US? Canada. Mhmm. Okay. US or Portugal?
Erin Tranfield:Portugal.
Peter O'Toole:Portugal or Belgium?
Erin Tranfield:Don't know. I haven't been here long enough. But so far, the beer is pretty good here, so I'm happy.
Peter O'Toole:Okay. So Belgium or Canada?
Erin Tranfield:I don't know. It's a good question. Home is Canada, so I always have to default. But Belgium's treating me well, so let's see. You know, I'll have to come back in a year and ask.
Peter O'Toole:That was very diplomatic.
Erin Tranfield:I'm Canadian. What can I say, Pete?
Peter O'Toole:And, Jack, what's your favorite color?
Erin Tranfield:Purple.
Peter O'Toole:Really? And you work in black and white images?
Erin Tranfield:That's true. But that's why we need color around us. You know? I mean, I picked green because I know green looks nice against black and white behind me. It's all strategy.
Peter O'Toole:Favorite EM technique?
Erin Tranfield:I think clem because you get to put all of them together. I know. I'm cheating. But
Peter O'Toole:No. No. So you got your clem, your collated light, electron microscopy. You can do that technique. Are you hosting the volume EM meeting?
Erin Tranfield:Yes.
Peter O'Toole:And put CLEM's your favorite technique. You're gonna be so popular when they find that ad.
Erin Tranfield:Don't tell them. Air this afterwards. Okay? And, actually, we're doing Clam in volume EM. So it's Yeah.
Peter O'Toole:Of course. You can do 3 d.
Erin Tranfield:Yeah. It's okay.
Peter O'Toole:Actually, why is the meeting called now?
Erin Tranfield:It's the 3 d volume EMI. Actually, you know what? I don't think I know the name off the top of my head. Oh, I'm gonna get fired.
Peter O'Toole:Roger, Robbie. I I remember the very first one of those. That that was daunting because there were some big names around that table. Yeah. Very big names.
Peter O'Toole:So Howard Hess was there. Jeff Lickman was there. Mark Hellisman was there. Tom Derick, I think, was there. Jennifer
Erin Tranfield:Was there. Yeah. I think I was at the first one. I the month? Yeah.
Peter O'Toole:Was there? Oh, that was cool. That was I don't know how many years ago that was.
Erin Tranfield:This is and I I was gonna tell you this is it's more than 10, I think, that they've editions of this conference. So
Peter O'Toole:Which which is just amazing. So of all those techniques, I the next question I have for you, cryo EM or cryo EM. How cross are you that the cryo the structural biologists nicked the word cryo EM when you can do cryo EM with an SEM? And that cryo EM is all about structural biology rather than cryo EM when it comes to freezing our samples and using it in an EM.
Erin Tranfield:I don't really like the title cryo EM because where every time I type it, it autocorrects cryEM, and I think that that's sort of indicative of how much of a pain that technique is. I'm I find it it's got it's a beautiful technique, and it has its time and place. But sometimes it's a fight. So they can have cry or cryo EM if they want. We'll give we'll find new fancy titles.
Peter O'Toole:And and I I actually said cryo EM side of things is maybe not yeah. Actually, do they have that at VIB again?
Erin Tranfield:Give us a month, and the answer will be yes.
Peter O'Toole:Never. Mhmm. Okay. I'd imagine the plant biologists on the other side of the floor would be.
Erin Tranfield:Yeah. And I so I I'm really looking forward to exploring the portfolio of what kind of microscopy is done and bringing in some new stuff. We did a ton of plant microscopy in Portugal, and I think maybe we can, help serve the community here a bit better. Once the PIs know what we can do, maybe. So I I am it's gonna be a fun couple years where we're exploring new territories.
Peter O'Toole:And do you think you'll miss your team in Portugal?
Erin Tranfield:Oh, I don't think. I know. I I I mean, they were great. One of the ladies, Anna, I worked with her for 10 years. You don't work with someone for 10 years without wanting, you know, without building a relationship and a friendship.
Erin Tranfield:I was the boss, and she was part of the lab, admittedly. So it was a you know, this this challenge of leadership at times, but she was she's an exceptional human being, and it's a privilege that she's actually taken over to head the facility after I left. So I know the facility is in very good hands, but still, yeah, I miss them daily. They're a great group.
Peter O'Toole:Yeah. And did that when you were choosing to leave, did that actually make the choice harder knowing that your team couldn't go with you?
Erin Tranfield:Exactly. Hugely hard. And that I don't know what the future is there because the institute where I was is closing or now merging with another institute. The future is very unknown, and it felt very much like I was abandoning them to the unknown. It wasn't easy.
Erin Tranfield:Definitely not. Still wasn't. And the the the months of saying goodbye, of winding down were a challenge as well, but I hope I can only hope it was a good decision for many.
Peter O'Toole:I I you won't regret going to Belgium. That that's for sure. The opportunity's there. It's a it's a nice absolute location. You've got some of the best techniques and the team.
Erin Tranfield:It's great.
Peter O'Toole:Great and lovely.
Erin Tranfield:Yes. You know, they don't I would and extremely confident. Yeah. It's a nice combination that the the people I work with are extremely welcoming and friendly, but also very good at their jobs. They're not just great people.
Erin Tranfield:They're also great scientists, and I think that's really important.
Peter O'Toole:Yeah. A a couple of times you already alluded to the future, and you don't know what the future's gonna bring. What what are your future goals?
Erin Tranfield:I really love being in a core facility. I really like supporting science and research, and I'd like to really catalyze the the core here to do more of this and to do more as much as we possibly can for the community here that needs it. So, is it just VIB or can we support, you know, other scientists in the area even industry? How can we help in all ways? I really think Accor's role is to catalyze the research around them in in any possible way.
Erin Tranfield:So that's my professional goal. It's also to really help find excellent roles for the members of my team. You know, they're they're really good professionals. They deserve to be recognized and they also deserve to be seen on an international stage. So how can I promote them as individuals?
Erin Tranfield:We're gonna go as a little pack to Elmi, and I'm looking forward to this. So, you know, it's not just the heads. We're gonna go as a a team. I'm really looking forward to the future collaboration with Leuven, as well because the 2 cores have been a bit separate, and we're gonna really bring this together. So another gentleman who you should interview, Pete, Pablo is going to join the corps in Leuven in May as the new head and he's phenomenal.
Erin Tranfield:So we're gonna have a great time working towards this.
Peter O'Toole:Now where was Pablo before? I know Pablo. Stockholm. Thank you.
Erin Tranfield:No. I just lied to you. Copenhagen. Sorry
Peter O'Toole:about that. Yeah. Because he's out of the Copenhagen group. No. No.
Peter O'Toole:No. I know Pablo already. So
Erin Tranfield:He should we should put him on your list. He's great.
Peter O'Toole:How many of you coming to Almy?
Erin Tranfield:I think 5. 2 from no. 6. 3 from Ghent and 3 from Leuven.
Peter O'Toole:Cool. So that would really help that it's you must make sure you have some time. Do you know what? A really good thing I've done with my team in the past is have free drinks.
Erin Tranfield:Oh, yes.
Peter O'Toole:And just bring them together, maybe invite 1 or 2 guests to join us Mhmm. And have a drink, and then join everyone else. So you just get the team together because once you're in a big event, everything
Erin Tranfield:It's a jungle.
Peter O'Toole:You know what it's like, and you're you're gonna be in high demand. People are going actually, this is interesting. Elmi's a very different community to your normal community. There'll be a few electron microscopy there, but not so many. You know, usually, you'll go to a conference and everyone will know you.
Erin Tranfield:Yeah. Because of my seminars.
Peter O'Toole:It's gonna be fun. It's gonna be different for you. It's gonna be, you know have you thought about what that's gonna be like where actually, suddenly, you'll know a few people, but not tons of people?
Erin Tranfield:I know. But it's it's really cool, actually. I can all ask all the dumb questions I want, and no one will know who I am.
Peter O'Toole:It's perfect.
Erin Tranfield:Well, don't tell them. Okay, Peach?
Peter O'Toole:They they were super I mean, just like the EM community, they're super welcoming. So it's a great meeting to to come and network with people in itself. Most fun time in your career? You know, you've had some challenging times, but and maybe they are also difficult. Challenging and difficult can be 2 different things, but what about the most fun time in your career?
Erin Tranfield:I think it was very it it was partially challenging, but it was really fun to build a core of the community, and I was building. I was constantly building in the 10 years I was in Portugal, and that was a lot of fun. It was it was part of the reason it was hard to say goodbye. It was my baby. But it was it was it was good.
Erin Tranfield:It was cool.
Peter O'Toole:I I, you know, I I I go getter maybe not the right term. You know? So if you don't ask, you don't get. You don't get anywhere. If you don't go for you know, you don't get what you don't apply for, I think was your phrase earlier on.
Peter O'Toole:And, interestingly, I don't think you stopped at building your own core. You also helped then on the national network in the international, starting to politics or funding nationally if I'm right.
Erin Tranfield:Yep. And this was interesting. You know, we've really pushed the envelope of what could be done in Portugal. I would have loved to have done more. Portugal has a deficit of investment in science and so this is the real challenge there.
Erin Tranfield:The scientists in Portugal do really amazing things without much. They have this fabulous saying of making eggs without an omelet, and unfortunately, the Portuguese are good at this. They they do amazing science with very few resources. But we still managed to get a cryo EM installed. The one and only one, is installed in the north of Portugal.
Erin Tranfield:That was a 6 year fight, at all levels.
Peter O'Toole:That's a structural
Erin Tranfield:Yes. I know. Even though I mock cryo EM, I negotiated the microscope. So, you know, I I may say cheeky things, but I will always help.
Peter O'Toole:So that there's some fun times.
Erin Tranfield:Mhmm. Definitely fun times.
Peter O'Toole:Any regrets in your case?
Erin Tranfield:No. And well, I wouldn't go horseback riding on September 23, 2017 if I could, redo that day. But, otherwise, you know, even though this accident was a nightmare, even that, I think I'm a better version of me. I'm a kinder human, a more aware person, and I hope to say even a better leader because I understand struggle at a whole different level. So no no regrets.
Peter O'Toole:This is a bizarre question. Do you think it's helped your career in a long way?
Erin Tranfield:I think people respected me before I had my accident, but when they saw how I managed my accident and how I refused to give up, they see me in a different light. They see me not just as a microscopist, but as someone who is really stubborn in probably a positive way. So some could say yes. I think the thing that probably gave me the most notoriety was the tech EM seminars that I started where now these seminars are quite famous and many many EM people come. And for that reason, I'm fairly well known in the community, and those were just an accident as well.
Peter O'Toole:But you, again, you created the opportunity. You created the initiative, and you've pushed it forward on that side. So the so you've influenced by having your own core, developing your core. You're then influenced more nationally on getting funding, being the core OEM. You then start to those meeting, which again gives more impact in bringing communities together and everything else.
Erin Tranfield:And then I won a fancy prize for it, which was really nice.
Peter O'Toole:So what was the prize?
Erin Tranfield:It was the, RMS award for electron microscopy, and it was fantastic. It was such an honor to win this award, and what a privilege. I know you were part of this process, so thank you very much.
Peter O'Toole:That's I I I I'm for fortunate to be present the World Wide Scotland Society. But you know what? They this is this is people who nominate Mhmm. From outside and and come in. So this is nominations that come in.
Peter O'Toole:So I I I think that shows if you're nominated, it's a real credit from the community that someone's, you know, taken time, lifting it up, put the case, put it forward, as judged against others, and awarded. So really big congratulations.
Erin Tranfield:Thank you very much. That meant a lot to me. And, you know, these sorry. That that award also meant a lot because I think a lot of the recognition I had received was for things I had done after my accident. And somehow this validated to me that even though I now have a disability and I'm a turtle, I can still do really good stuff and it's seen and, I would say, respected and appreciated by the community, and that meant a lot.
Peter O'Toole:Yeah. Because this was for your community, your EM expertise. It wasn't anything to do with your inquiries and and going through. But, you know, I've heard you talk. I I I missed the MMC talk because I I couldn't attend the MMC talk, for reasons I'll go into later.
Peter O'Toole:But I had so many people say how inspiring it was after my team some of my team were in that meeting. They were talking, oh my god. That was so inspiring. It was possibly one of the most memorable talks at MMC for a long, long time.
Erin Tranfield:Oh, I didn't know that. Thank you.
Peter O'Toole:I know. And and so again I
Erin Tranfield:was very proud because I don't think I cried. Very often when I talk about my accident, I cry at some point, and I thought, oh gosh. Don't cry in front of 200 people. But I managed to hold it together.
Peter O'Toole:But but I I I think close to 400 actually in getting that. Oh. Yeah.
Erin Tranfield:Wow. Okay.
Peter O'Toole:They do not. Big at that point. But you say that, but, again, one of the flip sides is you've been able to use that to inspire other people and to influence other people.
Erin Tranfield:That's a gift in a way. And I think that that's just attitude. I refuse to let this get in my way. I'm gonna make I'm gonna find the silver lining. So if I can make other people's journeys easier, let's do it.
Peter O'Toole:But, again, positive attitude to adver well, what what many would see diversity and maybe feel very down and negative and negative spiral. You you've taken the opposite approach, which is which itself is inspirational. Through all this, the one thing I haven't asked you, and this may now have changed. You know, you talked about running. You talked about hiking, before the accident.
Peter O'Toole:There's still lots of stresses. You're gonna have lots of stresses at work. You've got lots of strong characters, strong lots of academics. You're gonna have to get the Luvs and Ghent relationship with Pablo working well and everything. You've got you're gonna have to deal with Gert up at the top, you know, and, oh, wow.
Peter O'Toole:He's no. No. He's great.
Erin Tranfield:But He's great.
Peter O'Toole:You you're gonna have all these prob you're gonna have problems going forward. What hobbies do you now have that you you know, you're not running now. No. I know you have gone for hikes, small hikes, but it's difficult. So what are your hobbies to relieve the stresses at the end of the day?
Erin Tranfield:So if there's a contest who dies with the most craft supplies, I'm already a strong contender in this contest. I do a lot, and this is why I don't watch TV. TV is not the hobby. I'm doing something. So I love to garden.
Erin Tranfield:During the pandemic, I started gardening like crazy. And at some point I had about a 100 kilograms of tomatoes because I was quite successful in my gardening. So then I learned how to do canning and I do a lot of cooking. I like baking. I do I wouldn't call it a hobby, but I still find the release and the relaxation of physio, so, you know, doing sports, lifting weights.
Erin Tranfield:Yesterday, I was doing my leg exercises, and I have to admit it was something like one exercise, small nap, another exercise. So it was a very long physio session because I kept just kinda chilling out listening to music in the middle. I enjoy wine tasting and going out and exploring food at restaurants, traveling, photography. I will try again and get out my big camera. It's heavy, so I'm not sure how I can do with my balance, but that's one of the things I'd like try and start again here in Belgium.
Peter O'Toole:Okay.
Erin Tranfield:I don't sit still, Pete.
Peter O'Toole:No. Not me. No. As I'm twitching. Everybody's like, oh, yeah.
Peter O'Toole:Yeah. Always. Erin, we are up to the hour. So
Erin Tranfield:It doesn't take long, does it?
Peter O'Toole:No. And thank you very much for joining me today. Thank you for being an inspiration to Benny. Thank you for your influence in the market. I wish you the very best of luck, and Ghent has some of the best microscopy resources globally.
Peter O'Toole:That that facility is to be envied. And you've walked into a amazing resource. Mhmm. And they now have an inspirational leader
Erin Tranfield:Oh, thank you.
Peter O'Toole:Following in the footsteps, to really, again, take it forward. You know? Every leader has to take it forward, and I'm sure you'll succeed in that. And I think the team will love having you around. Everyone who's listened, watched, there's lots of people we refer to in it, but, yeah, go back.
Peter O'Toole:Look at the back catalog. Don't forget to subscribe to the channel itself. I have to say that, whichever one would this is probably worth looking at a couple of the photos. If you've been listening, go look at the YouTube and have a look at some of the NASA pictures, which are awesome. But, Erind, I I cannot wait to see you soon.
Peter O'Toole:I'm sorry I cannot be at the next meeting, but you'll be at Elmi. So we'll catch up at Elmi, and we'll be catching up a lot anyway.
Erin Tranfield:Sounds fabulous. Thank you so much, Pete. Pleasure.
Intro/Outro:Thank you for listening to The Microscopists, a Bite Size Bio podcast sponsored by Zeiss Microscopy. To view all audio and video recordings from this series, please visit bitesizebio.comforward/thedashmicroscopists.
