Angus Brown - The Struggles of Balancing Work and Family Life in Academia

The Struggles of Balancing Work and Family Life continues with Angus Brown, who reflects on a long and varied academic career spanning the UK and the US. In this interview, Angus shares his journey from undergraduate study in physiology to postdoctoral research in Seattle and eventually settling into a permanent academic role in Nottingham.

Angus offers a candid perspective on career mobility, academic culture, and how priorities shift over time. His reflections highlight the value of stability, sustainable working practices, and placing family life at the centre of long-term career decisions.

"Flexible working arrangements and access to affordable childcare can make a significant difference in allowing parents - especially mothers - to remain engaged and productive in academia."

Before we get into the more specific questions, please can you share your academic journey.

I did my undergraduate degree in Physiology at Dundee from 1983 to 1987. At the time, neuroscience as we know it today hadn’t really taken off in the UK. After that, I completed my PhD in Manchester between 1987 and 1990. From there, I went to Seattle for a postdoc from 1991 to 1993. That was, without a doubt, the best thing I’ve ever done - the most fun I’ve had in science! Honestly, it gave me a whole new perspective on academic standards, which were frankly much higher than what I’d experienced in the UK. And yes, you can quote me on that in bold!

I was only supposed to be in Seattle for two years working with Wayne and Peter, but I enjoyed it so much I asked if I could stay another year. They simply said, “Yes.” That might not sound like much, but there were visa issues and bureaucratic hurdles - in the UK, people would’ve given me a list of reasons why it was too difficult. In the US, they just made it happen. That culture of "let's get it done" made a huge impression on me. After those three years, I returned to Dundee but didn’t enjoy it much, so I went back to Seattle, this time working with Bruce Ransom - a leading figure in glial research. I had actually been introduced to glial biology early on as an undergrad through the textbook From Neuron to Brain by Kuffler, which made a lasting impression. My visa for that role was only supposed to last a year, but I ended up staying for six! I worked on a very challenging technique involving potassium-sensitive electrodes. It took time to master, but once I did, Bruce kept me on because those skills were hard to come by.

Now, about my personal life which is, admittedly, a bit complicated. While working with Wayne in Seattle, a postcard addressed to me was misdelivered to the Neurology Department. A Scottish secretary there tracked me down to deliver it and that led to us becoming friends. Through her, I got to know the department and its people. One of the undergraduate student workers there was Marcy. She and I got to know each other over time and tea breaks in the staff room became a regular thing. Even though I spent a total of ten years in the US, I always knew I wouldn’t settle long-term. Around the age of 35, I started thinking more seriously about getting a job. Starting a family wasn’t really on my radar at the time - it just wasn’t part of the plan. I left Seattle and Marcy stayed behind. Most people would assume that would have been the end of it (long-distance and all that), but we made it work. I returned to the UK in 2002. We continued our relationship and agreed that we’d live wherever I got a permanent job. We got married in 2005, and Marcy moved over on a spousal visa. At that point, I was on a five-year fixed-term academic contract, which was set to end in 2007.

Then, in what can only be described as one of those “behind-the-scenes” moments in academia, my career took another unexpected turn. My old professor from Dundee, who had taken a job in Derby, had a vacancy in his lab and said, “Just apply. The topic doesn’t matter.” The interview for that position was scheduled for the same day my daughter Lila was born, so I called from the hospital to explain that I wouldn’t be attending. His response? “That’s the important thing today, not the interview.” It turns out there were things happening behind the scenes I wasn’t aware of, and shortly after, I got a call offering me a permanent job - no application, no formal interview. 

Around the same time, Kevin Fone from the University of Nottingham asked me to attend an exam board and from there I actually ended up staying in Nottingham. I’ve been here ever since. There was no master plan. Our twin boys were born in 2009. I don’t really make long-term plans; I tend to go with my gut.

When I reflect on it, Seattle was academically far superior to anywhere I’ve worked in the UK, but Nottingham offered a better quality of life. That was one of the reasons I left the US: the expectation to work constantly. It felt like you could never really stop, and in the back of my mind, I knew that if I stayed, I’d end up working all the time just to keep up. There was also this sense that if you didn’t become a professor by 40, you were falling behind - all very pressure-driven. In the UK (at least back then) the academic environment was a bit more forgiving. You could “muddle through” to some extent. That’s harder now, but back then it was still possible. In America, it was all about productivity. In Britain, there was still some room to breathe.

What motivated you to pursue an academic career, and did your motivation change after becoming a parent? 

"Once I became a parent, I made a conscious decision to work 9 to 5 and keep my weekends free."

My parents - especially my mum - really wanted me to study medicine. I thought I hadn’t got in, but it turned out I had. Still, I chose to do Physiology instead, and I’m glad I did. I really enjoyed it. One of the big turning points for me was a lecturer named Jim Elliot. He had worked in Cambridge in Hodgkin’s department, and he used to talk about seeing him daily. This was around 1984 or ’85, and Jim introduced us to the Hodgkin-Huxley work in a way that really brought it to life.

Around the same time, Bertil Hille’s book on ion channels had just come out. Jim was so passionate about it that he’d photocopy massive chunks of it and hand them out to us. We all found it incredibly difficult, but also fascinating. That book, honestly, is probably the reason I’m still in science today. I remember thinking, how can one person understand all this? The level of detail in ion channel research, the modelling, the complexity - it just grabbed me. I became obsessed with it and got really good at ion channels during my undergrad years, probably at the expense of everything else!

As for whether parenthood changed my motivation: no, my drive for science remained the same. What did change was how I approached work-life balance. Once I became a parent, I made a conscious decision to work 9 to 5 and keep my weekends free. My family is more important than my job. I’ve seen how all-consuming academia can be, and I know many colleagues whose personal lives have suffered because of it. I didn’t want to go down that path. At the end of the day, what’s one more paper? I was fortunate in that I started my family later in life; my daughter Lyla was born when I was 42, and my twin boys at 44. By that time, I had already established my career and reputation in the field, which definitely made it easier to set boundaries. If I had still been on short-term contracts, I would’ve started a family regardless and just navigated things as they arrived.

What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced in balancing academic demands with family responsibilities?

To be honest, I wouldn’t say I’ve faced many major challenges in balancing the two. The one thing that stands out is when I started lecturing in 2008 - my daughter Lyla was just one year old at the time. Like many parents of young children, I quickly discovered that nursery is a breeding ground for every possible bug. She’d bring them home, and I’d inevitably catch them. I remember having a sore throat almost continuously for about four months. In fact, I think I was unwell on and off for about five years straight! Thankfully, my immune system seems to have come out stronger on the other side.

In your experience, have you observed any biases or assumptions directed toward women in academia - particularly those who are mothers or considering starting a family? How have you responded to this? 

At the University of Nottingham, I’ve been fortunate to work in a very supportive and female-friendly environment. Around half of our academic staff are women, and the majority of our students are female on the Neuroscience degree. It’s a very different landscape from when I was a student, where most of the cohort (and certainly most of the lecturers) were male.

That said, I do think there are still subtle assumptions that persist across academia more broadly. One of the most common is the expectation that a woman’s productivity will inevitably decline if she becomes pregnant or takes on family responsibilities. That perception can influence how people are assessed or what opportunities they’re offered, even if unintentionally. I haven’t been in the position to experience this firsthand though. 

From your perspective, how do issues like maternity leave, childcare availability, or flexible working arrangements impact women in academia?

I can only really speak from personal experience, and from the perspective of a father. When my children were born, formal paternity leave policies either didn’t exist or were very limited. When my daughter was born, I simply didn’t come into work for two weeks (completely informally) and I only took three days off when my twin boys arrived.

I was lucky that my wife’s parents were able to step in and help, which allowed me to return to work quite quickly. I recognise that not everyone has that kind of support network, and the lack of structured leave and childcare options can create real barriers - particularly for women, who often take on the majority of early caregiving responsibilities.

Flexible working arrangements and access to affordable childcare can make a significant difference in allowing parents - especially mothers - to remain engaged and productive in academia. 

Are there specific strategies or habits that have helped you maintain a balance between your academic work and family life?

It wasn’t a conscious decision at the time, but over the years I naturally moved away from doing experiments myself. These days, the hands-on work is carried out by my PhD students. I’ve been very lucky to have had excellent students in the lab, and their contributions have made it possible for me to focus on supervision, writing, and maintaining a good work-life balance. I wouldn’t describe myself as particularly ambitious in the traditional sense - I don’t chase every grant or publication. I enjoy science for its own sake and try to keep things sustainable and enjoyable. That mindset helps keep work in perspective.

If there’s one "secret," which others might not agree with, it’s this: hire the right person. I think I’m quite good at spotting talent. Rather than running a large lab with 10 people and hoping one of them turns out well, I prefer to work closely with one or two individuals I really trust. When you have someone who’s motivated, curious, and genuinely interested in the subject, everything else tends to follow. It’s their enthusiasm that drives the research forward - and that makes it easier to maintain a healthy balance without sacrificing quality.

Choose the right student and create an environment where they can flourish; that, in my experience, is key to maintaining balance and building a productive lab. One of the real strengths of being at Nottingham is that it produces excellent undergraduate students, so I’ve rarely had to look beyond our own department to find the right people.

Looking back, would you do anything differently?

"Raising children...is a full-time job in itself. If you try to do that while also working full-time, you often end up doing both jobs less well..."

No, I wouldn’t do anything differently. Raising children, especially more than one, is a full-time job in itself. If you try to do that while also working full-time, you often end up doing both jobs less well, because they inevitably take time and energy from one another.

We’ve seen it with many of our friends. Often, the mother returned to work out of financial necessity, but not always out of choice, and it was hard. Some worked part-time and still faced unhelpful comments or judgement from colleagues for doing so. And, of course, there are the unpredictable challenges, like when your child is ill - what then?

We were fortunate to be in a position where we could make choices that worked for our family, and I think that made a big difference to everyone’s wellbeing. So no, I wouldn’t change the path we took. Also, you never quite know how easy it will be to start a family; nature might not be on your side, and that’s another factor you can’t control.

What advice would you give to young women entering academia who are also considering starting a family? And what do you think male colleagues or partners can play in supporting them?

I would definitely encourage young women to enter academia - it’s a much more supportive and inclusive environment now than it used to be. Personally, I enjoy working with women and have noticed that students really appreciate the balance and perspective female academics bring. If you think about it, we’ve even had three female prime ministers in the UK, which shows how much progress has been made.

My advice around starting a family is simple: don’t overthink it. There’s no “perfect” time to start one - do it when it feels right for you. Life rarely follows a perfect plan, and waiting for the “ideal” moment can mean missed opportunities.

Thank you to Angus for sharing his reflections on building a career in academia while prioritising family life. His perspective highlights the importance of sustainability, flexibility, and personal values in shaping a fulfilling academic path.

Keep an eye out for the next edition of the series, coming out at the start of next month.

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This interview was conducted by Neave Smith and edited by Rebecca Pope, with graphics produced by Shauna Angell. If you enjoyed this article, be the first to be notified about new posts by signing up to become a WiNUK member (top right of this page)! Interested in writing for WiNUK yourself? Contact us through the blog page and the editors will be in touch.