{"id":22047,"date":"2024-11-07T09:57:00","date_gmt":"2024-11-07T01:57:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/friends\/?p=22047"},"modified":"2025-07-17T13:27:38","modified_gmt":"2025-07-17T05:27:38","slug":"head-researcher-makes-a-difference-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.curtin.edu.au\/friends\/head-researcher-makes-a-difference-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Head researcher makes a difference"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Curtin\u2019s Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research, Lindy Fitzgerald.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Author | Carmelle Wilkinson<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

From a young age, Lindy Fitzgerald had it instilled in her the importance of doing something that matters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Curtin\u2019s Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research and John Curtin Distinguished Professor, said while her parents didn\u2019t have the opportunity of a higher education, they were her biggest advocates and always encouraged her to make a difference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy mum\u2019s mother passed away when she was just 21 from cancer, and mum was left to take care of her younger siblings,\u2019\u2019 Lindy said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cMum would often tell me, if you want to make a difference in life Lindy, find a cure for cancer.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Lindy said while this idea embedded itself in her, it wasn\u2019t until a few years later that she discovered her passion for research \u2013 in particular neuroscience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLike all young girls with a sweet tooth, all I wanted to do was own a lolly store when I grew up,\u2019\u2019 she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen I turned 10 and started to play the violin, that changed to wanting to become a professional whistler.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m not even sure if that\u2019s a thing, and when I told my dad, he just looked at me and said I don\u2019t think there are many jobs out there for that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lindy continued to play the violin throughout high school and participated in amateur orchestras, before her attention turned to science.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cI enjoyed science as a subject at school and decided if I was going to find a cure for cancer, I needed to study medicine and become a doctor,\u2019\u2019 she said.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSo, I studied really hard in Year 12, and unfortunately missed out on getting into medicine by just 1.3 marks.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the time, Lindy said she was unaware of alternative routes to get into university, or what she needed to study to get her where she needed to go, so assumed that dream was over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It wasn\u2019t until she was studying for her Bachelor of Science degree, that Lindy realised her majors in biochemistry and microbiology could lead to a career in medical research.<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"lindy<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Lindy was always fascinated with research<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019ve always loved the journey of discovery,\u2019\u2019 she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou know that feeling when you really get something? and you understand how all the different facets interconnect to get a unified understanding of something?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cEven after all these years, I get a buzz when I look at a piece of data and realise it ties into something we discovered six months or even three years ago.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI still get goosebumps every time pieces of the puzzle come together.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As head of research at Curtin, Lindy is responsible for overseeing all elements of research within the university, such as guiding projects, ensuring grant success, collaborating with industry partners and ultimately helping research teams meet their goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Steering the university towards academic excellence and innovation is a big task, but for Lindy it\u2019s her greatest joy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat I find most fascinating about my role, is every day is different and the portfolio is so diverse,\u2019\u2019 she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 \u201cI\u2019m constantly learning about new and exciting things that people are doing to make a difference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cAs a researcher, you have a sphere of influence that is confined to that particular area of endeavour, but that has expanded exponentially with all of these different research fields that I can potentially facilitate and help along their path.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Lindy\u2019s previous roles at Curtin include Associate Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research, Dean of Research for the Faculty of Health Science and Deputy Director for Curtin\u2019s Health Innovation Research Institute<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lindy is also currently CEO of Connectivity Traumatic Brain Injury Australia<\/a>, a role she has held part-time for the past four years and John Curtin Distinguished Professor at Curtin University, affiliated with the Perron Institute<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Following graduation, Lindy worked in several assistant and associate research positions, before taking a break to raise her sons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAfter I had my sons, I took eight years off paid work,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cWhile I wanted to return to my career in science, I never thought I\u2019d be able to after such a long time.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

During her hiatus from work, Lindy dabbled in many creative interests, such as painting and photography to keep herself busy \u2013 she even wrote a book.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not very good at all,\u2019\u2019 she laughed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI also took an active role in raising our boys, enrolling them into playgroups and found myself the president of the playgroup.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thanks to a supportive husband and incredible mentoring by Emerita Professor Sarah Dunlop and Professor Lyn Beazley AO FTSE, Lindy didn\u2019t only return to work, she discovered her prowess and place as a natural leader.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cMy husband was very supportive. He and I shared the school runs and household responsibilities which not only made the transition to part time work and then full-time possible, it also helped with the mental load,\u2019\u2019 she said.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThanks to Sarah and Lyn, I had the freedom to learn neuroscience on the job and I always say from that moment on, my career really took off.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now a senior leader in her field, Lindy has cultured the art of leading with purpose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"lindy<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Lindy at Curtin\u2019s recent Alumni Sundowner in Singapore.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTrue active listening and the ability to self-reflect are important skills for good leadership,\u2019\u2019 she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s also important to adapt to situations and to not get too close to an issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u201cI always take a step back and think, okay, how does this look? And how do we progress and move forward from here from a whole university perspective?\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Lindy said it was also important to establish boundaries to ensure a sustainable work\/life balance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI put boundaries around my time,\u2019\u2019 she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI don\u2019t have email alerts on my phone, and if I want to check my emails on the weekend, I need to make an active decision to open Outlook.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lindy said among her greatest career highlights, was knowing she is helping her team make tomorrow better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI love our teams can do attitude,\u2019\u2019 she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey are always prepared to think about ways we can adjust how we work and what we do so that we can pivot and make things better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn my role I have the wonderful opportunity to work with lots of people across Curtin, who overwhelmingly, like me, just want to make a difference.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

___<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n \n\n

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