Emerita Professor Mary Garson

Primary research interest

Organic Chemistry - chemistry and bioactivity of natural products

Additional profile page 

RSC 175 Faces of Chemistry profile page

About me

After graduating with a PhD from the University of Cambridge in 1977, I was an Overseas Research Fellow of the Royal Society in Rome, Italy (1977-1978), a Research Fellow at New Hall, Cambridge (1978-1981) and a Queen Elizabeth II Research Fellow at James Cook University of North Queensland (1983-1985). I have worked in the UK pharmaceutical industry (Smith Kline Beecham) and previously held a lecturing position at The University of Wollongong (1986-1990). I joined The University of Queensland in 1990, and was appointed to a professorship in 2006. I was Deputy Head of School 2005-2009 and retired in 2020.

I have held leadership positions within the Royal Australian Chemical Institute as the first female President of the Queensland branch (1996-1997), and as Chair of the International Relations Committee (1996-2004).  My contributions within the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC), the global body representing chemistry, have included membership of Division III (organic and biomolecular) since 2006, and as the first female President of that Division. I am currently an elected Member of the IUPAC Bureau, and have responsibility for global planning of the celebrations for the centenary of IUPAC in 2019. The marine flatworm Maritigrella marygarsonae is named in my honour.

Research focus and collaborations

My research explores the chemistry and natural bioactivity of secondary metabolites from both the marine and terrestrial environment. A key area of interest are the biosynthetic processes by which terpene metabolites are formed in marine sponges, and particularly in the role of inorganic cyanide and thiocyanate in the generation of the isocyano and isothiocyanato motif found in a number of these metabolites. We have also explored the chemistry and chemical ecology of bioactive 3 alkylpiperidine metabolites from marine sponges, and the chemistry of nudibranchs, notably those from the genera Phyllidiella and Chromodoris, that associate with sponges. A recent interest has been the structure elucidation of metabolites from marine fungi and bacteria. Research into the chemistry of medicinal plants is carried out in collaboration with chemists from South East Asia.

Structure, synthesis and biological activity of Australian marine natural products

(Joint program with Professor Martin Banwell, ANU)

This program has explored the chemistry of 3-alkylpiperidines from Haliclona spp. and the in situ ecological effects of these alkaloids. A recent interest has been resolving the structures and stereochemistry of a group of anti-malarial cyclic peroxides from the sponge Plakinistrella sp, a study which has provided considerable insight into the mechanism of biosynthesis of these metabolites.

The chemistry of medicinal plants from South-East Asia

(Joint program with Dr Rudiyansyah, Tangjungpura University, Pontianak, West Kalimantan)

This program has investigated complex lignan and triterpene metabolites from the economically-important genus Durio. Additionally, we have completed a detailed phytochemical study on four species from the genus Fagraea in collaboration with staff from Airlangga University in East Java.

The chemistry of marine molluscs

(Joint project with Dr Karen Cheney, School of Biological sciences, UQ, and with Dr Margherita Gavagnin, Dr Ernesto Mollo, and Dr Guido Cimino, Istituto Chimica Biomoleculare, Consiglio Nazionale di Ricerche, Italy)

This joint project studies the chemistry and chemical ecology of nudibranchs and opistobranch molluscs from South East Queensland, and includes biogeographical comparisons with the chemistry of molluscs collected from the Indo-Pacific and from the Mediterranean.

Image	Description
	The marine flatworm maritigrella marygarsonae was first collected by Professor Garson during a field trip to Heron Island Research Station
	Bioactive 3-alkylpiperidines provide marine sponges such as haliclonaSPPp with a competititve advantage in their natural environment by preventing larvae of competitors from settling on the sponge surface; (a)Haliclona sp. 621 from Heron Island
	3D-structure and naturally-occuring enantiomeric form of Haliclonacyclamine A

Funded projects

• The Australia and Pacific Science Foundation Grant with Karen Cheney and Justin Marshall
• 2014 - 2017 "Understanding colour and chemical diversity in marine molluscs". Total value of grant; $46,539
• ARC Discovery grants with Professor Martin Banwell, Research School of Chemistry, ANU
• 2011 - 2014 ARC Discovery Project Grant (with Australian National University), "Synthesis and biological evaluation of Australian sponge metabolites". Total value of grant; $720,000.
• 2007 - 2009 ARC Discovery Project Grant (with Australian National University), "Total synthesis and biological evaluation of Australian sponge metabolites". Total value of grant; $554,736.
• 2004 - 2006 ARC Discovery Project Grant (with Australian National University). "Synthetic molecular and biological studies on novel marine metabolites isolated from Great Barrier Reef sponges". Total value of grant: $600,000.

Achievements and awards

• Member, Order of Australia for services to education, particularly to organic chemistry, and as a champion for women in science, 2019.
• Australasian section Lecturer, The Royal Society of Chemistry, 2018
• Excellence in Leadership award, The University of Queensland, 2018
• Elected member, Bureau of International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC), for  2018-2019
• Member of award-winning first year chemistry teaching team- Australian Awards for University Teaching award for Programs that Enhance Learning (Innovation and Flexibility in Curricula, Learning and Teaching category) (2017); winner of University of Queensland award for Programs that Enhance Learning (2016)
• Inaugural recipient, Margaret Sheil Women in Chemistry Leadership Award of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute, 2017
• Division III (organic and biomolecular), International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC), for 2014-2015; Past President 2016-2017; Secretary 2008-2011; Titular member 2006-2017
• Named as one of the "175 Faces of Diversity" by the Royal Society of Chemistry (UK) in 2014
• Received a Distinguished Woman in Chemistry or Chemical Engineering Award by IUPAC in 2013
• Awarded the 2012 Leighton Memorial Medal  for distinguished service to the Royal Australian Chemical Institute
• Member, International Editorial Advisory Board, Phytochemistry
• Member, International Editorial Advisory Board, Journal of Natural Products
• Chair of Board, Australian Science Innovations, 2004-2005
• Chair of Board, Australian Science Olympiads, 2002-2004
• Member, Australian delegation to the World Conference on Science (UNESCO), Budapest, 1999
• Executive Secretary, World Chemistry Congress, held in Brisbane in 2001
• Chair, International Relations Committee of RACI, 1996-2004
• Member, National Committee for Chemistry, 1995-2004
• President, Queensland branch and Member of Full Council of RACI, 1996-1997

Reflections on my teaching and research

In this COVID-dominated university world,I have to say that I do not miss teaching at all, as currently I hear many stories of how challenging it is to teach using multiple modalities here at UQ. My last year of teaching (2020) was controlled by Zoom sessions, but this online format was very suitable for my last set of problem-based classes on NMR spectroscopy. using an electronic whiteboard, I could easily work with the students on solving NMR datasets.

Over 30 years of teaching, technology has shifted from  talk and chalk (hampered by chalk dust under my contact lenses on more than one occasion) to hand-written transparencies on an overhead projector to Powerpoint and finally to Zoom.  During that time, I have taught science students, medical and pharmacy students, and even the very last generation of engineering students to take CHEM1010. In total I may have taught chemistry to more than ten thousand undergraduates.

During my time at UQ, I undertook 25 research-based expeditions to Heron Island Research Station, and two expeditions to Lizard island Research Station. In recent years, my research diving activities have been based on the Sunshine Coast, with field work at the Gneerings Reef and at Mudjimba Island. In all I completed over 300 research-related dives while an active UQ staff member. I am honoured that the marine flatworm Maritigrella marygarsonae is named after me; I was the first person to collect this new species of flatworm.

Activity since retiring

I have been writing manuscripts and supervising HDR students.
I am an elected Member of the Bureau of IUPAC (International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry) until the end of 2021. Until July, this involved a significant contribution to proposals for restructuring the governance of IUPAC. In August 2021, I nominated for election to become Vice-President for the 2022-2023 biennium, automatically assuming the Presidency for 2024-2025; however I lost the election to the President of the Israeli Chemical Society by one vote - 69 votes to 70 votes, and so will consider nominating again in two years time. Until then, I am the chair of the IUPAC Committee for Ethics, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

Featured publications

• White, Andrew M., Dao, Kathy, Vrubliauskas, Darius, Könst, Zef A., Pierens, Gregory K., Mándi, Attila, Andrews, Katherine T., Skinner-Adams, Tina S., Clarke, Mary E., Narbutas, Patrick T., Sim, Desmond C.-M., Cheney, Karen L., Kurtán, Tibor, Garson, Mary J. and Vanderwal, Christopher D. (2017) Catalyst-Controlled Stereoselective Synthesis Secures the Structure of the Antimalarial Isocyanoterpene Pustulosaisonitrile-1. Journal of Organic Chemistry, 82 24: 13313-13323. doi:10.1021/acs.joc.7b02421
• Forster, Louise C., Pierens, Gregory K., White, Andrew M., Cheney, Karen L., Dewapriya, Pradeep, Capon, Robert J. and Garson, Mary J. (2017) Cytotoxic spiroepoxide lactone and its putative biosynthetic precursor from Goniobranchus Splendidus. ACS Omega, 2 6: 2672-2677. doi:10.1021/acsomega.7b00641
• Mollo, E., Garson, M. J., Polese, G., Amodeo, P. and Ghiselin, M. T. (2017) Taste and smell in aquatic and terrestrial environments. Natural Product Reports, 34 5: 496-513. doi:10.1039/c7np00008a
• Forster, Louise C., Winters, Anne E., Cheney, Karen L., Dewapriya, Pradeep, Capon, Robert J. and Garson, Mary J. (2017) Spongian-16-one Diterpenes and their Anatomical Distribution in the Australian Nudibranch Goniobranchus collingwoodi. Journal of Natural Products, 80 3: 670-675. doi:10.1021/acs.jnatprod.6b00936
• Giordano, Giuseppe, Carbone, Marianna, Ciavatta, Maria Letizia, Silvano, Eleonora, Gavagnin, Margherita, Garson, Mary J., Cheney, Karen L., Mudianta, I Wayan, Russo, Giovanni Fulvio, Villani, Guido, Magliozzi, Laura, Polese, Gianluca, Zidorn, Christian, Cutignano, Adele, Fontana, Angelo, Ghiselin, Michael T. and Mollo, Ernesto (2017) Volatile secondary metabolites as aposematic olfactory signals and defensive weapons in aquatic environments. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 114 13: 3451-3456. doi:10.1073/pnas.1614655114