Kim Nasmyth, Whitley chair of biochemistry, University of Oxford, UK

In 1988, Kim Nasmyth moved from Cambridge, UK, to the recently established Research Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP) in Vienna, Austria. He knew almost no German, and had few connections in the close-knit Austrian research network. But his enthusiasm for mountaineering and skiing — and the fortuitous proximity of an old climbing partner — helped him to adapt.

During the 1990s, Vienna moved from the scientific periphery to the heart of a flourishing central European life-sciences community. And Nasmyth quickly rose through the ranks to be one of its leaders, becoming director of the IMP in 1997 (see CV).

Climbing and skiing in the Austrian Alps has been a satisfying counterweight to Nasmyth's triple role as scientist, institute director and research manager. But Nasmyth now feels ready for a change. In early 2006, he will take over the Whitley chair of biochemistry at the University of Oxford, UK.

The move will mark a return to a completely academic environment for Nasmyth. Although the IMP is a basic-research institution, it is funded by German drug firm Boehringer Ingelheim. Nasmyth hasn't regretted his marriage to an industrial partner. The dowry was generous — professionalism, clearly defined hierarchies and minimal bureaucracy for raising cash. “There have been many advantages,” says Nasmyth. “But research outside universities tends to be extremely focused, which is not always the best thing.”

Nasmyth will take over the Whitley chair from Edwin Southern. He knows he has big boots to fill — but he feels well prepared. The IMP served as a springboard for a number of successful scientific careers, and he hopes to repeat this success in Oxford.

At the IMP, Nasmyth helped to nurture scientific talent. “The trick is to hire them in a steady trickle, and not too many people too quickly,” he says. At Oxford, he will take the same approach, and will generate an environment where peer pressure, not funding pressure, is the driving force towards excellence. “Expectations must always be high,” he says. “But I'm keen that young researchers are still capable of taking pleasure in other people's success.”

Neither the IMP nor Austria will be easy to leave, says Nasmyth. “I'll definitely miss the mountains,” he says. But he has already prepared for his absence — he has bought a farmhouse in southern Austria as a holiday base for future climbs.