Meeting the Changing Needs of the Structural Science Community
An Interview with Suzanna Ward, the New Executive Director of the CCDC
We spoke to Suzanna Ward, our new Executive Director, to discuss her renewed vision for the CCDC, the opportunities for and challenges faced by the structural science community, and how together we can continue to advance chemistry and crystallography for the public benefit.
A Renewed Vision for the CCDC
You Clearly Love Working at the CCDC. What Attracted You to Take the Helm?
I was attracted to the Executive Director role because I’m passionate about the CCDC’s purpose. I feel privileged to have seen and heard first-hand how what we do is relied on by researchers and educators worldwide and how our data, software, and science have helped make a real difference to their scientific endeavours. Enabling researchers to derive new insights from the data to make new medicines and materials, and the support we give educators and early career scientists has been incredibly inspiring for me at the CCDC.
I wouldn’t have taken on this role without the support of the community and the people who work here. We’re fortunate to have an engaged and supportive community that contributes its data, science, time, and passion to help the Centre succeed. I also get the opportunity to lead a talented and committed team at the CCDC.
After nearly two decades at the CCDC, I’ve developed a broad understanding of how we work, built meaningful external connections, and gained a deep insight into our impact across research and education. I felt it was the right time to take the next step and guide the organization in its next chapter.
Please Talk Through Your Renewed Vision for the CCDC
I believe the CCDC’s vision must be grounded in our charitable purpose and what makes us special. It should inspire us to harness our unique expertise across data, science, and software to provide things we are best placed to deliver.
Our renewed vision for the CCDC is “To be the catalyst for solving real-world scientific challenges by connecting structural chemistry data, people, and scientific tools”.
While it aligns with our previous vision, “To inspire structural science and build a better world”, it brings a sharper focus on our unique strengths and the tangible role we play in enabling that better world. I also hope our founder, Dr Olga Kennard, would approve since it builds on the original vision for the Centre that the collective use of data would lead to new insights and knowledge.
Opportunities and Challenges
What Are the Opportunities for the CCDC to Make a Difference and Add Value?
There are four areas where I think we can continue to make a real difference: data, community, scientific tools, and sustainability.
- For data, we will continue to provide trusted, curated structural chemistry data that is extended, linked, and FAIR. We will strive to provide the foundation to support future innovations not only in chemistry and structural science but across disciplines and in the more rapidly changing data-driven fields like AI/ML.
- Our community has always been central to what we do. We will remain committed to being a research data hub that connects academia, industry, and educators. We will remain guided by our community and responsive to its needs.
- Our scientific tools will continue to make a difference by being accessible, built on trusted science and data, and designed to solve real-world problems. If we do that well, scientists around the world will continue to rely on us to help them generate insights, understand scientific risks, and accelerate their research.
- We need to prioritize our sustainability. This year we are celebrating 60 years of the Cambridge Structural Database, and I want to make sure I lead the CCDC into the next 60 years and beyond! We must ensure that we are a resilient organization, with the people, partnerships, and financial strength to sustain and grow our scientific impact, as a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing chemistry and crystallography for the public benefit.
What Do You See as the Challenges to These Opportunities?
Our success will depend on how we turn some of the challenges we face into opportunities.
For us, a key one is balancing openness with sustainability. As a self-funded non-profit organization, we must ensure that we can continue to provide our community with access to our data and tools while also generating the revenue we need to sustain the Cambridge Structural Database and invest in our future.
We also face rising expectations from our users, particularly around seamless integration, programmatic access, and AI/ML readiness.
To remain relevant, we must invest in modernizing our core infrastructure so users can continue to search, analyse, and derive insights from our data in new, intuitive, and powerful ways.
How Can the CCDC Overcome the Challenges?
The CCDC can overcome these challenges by continuing to champion the community we serve and by staying grounded in our mission. We’ve built strong external relationships and a trusted reputation over the last 60 years.
To thrive, we must continue to grow as a collaborative research data hub, connecting academia, industry, and the next generation of scientists.
We must also remain actively engaged in global data-sharing and open science initiatives. Working with our users, partners, and peers to shape the future of structural chemistry together.
We’ll continue to reinvest in the core part of what we do and why we exist, focusing on modernizing the systems that underpin our data delivery and scientific tools. These investments will help us meet the evolving needs of our users and ensure we remain a vital part of the research ecosystem.
A Message to the Structural Science Community
What Is Your One Message to the Structural Science Community?
Keep collaborating with us, challenging us, and sharing your ideas.
I truly believe that by working together, we can shape the future of structural science and ensure it remains impactful, inclusive, and relevant for years to come.
Where Do You See the CCDC in Three Years Time?
From a structural science point of view, I see the CCDC continuing to be a trusted resource, valued for the quality of our data, our commitment to science, and our willingness to listen and evolve. Our role in supporting researchers, educators, and early-career scientists will also remain strong and central to our existence.
From a customer point a view, I would like us to be seen as responsive to user needs, collaborative, and user-focused. Working with users across academia and industry to support scientific discoveries and help them innovate faster and more efficiently.
From a potential customer or partner’s point of view, our reputation as a provider of trusted, curated data and scientifically validated tools will be clear. I hope we will be seen as an organization that listens to our users, understands their needs, and delivers meaningful value, and be part of an ecosystem that potential partners and customers would be excited to be part of.
Overall, in three years, I hope the CCDC has continued to evolve to meet the changing needs of our users while remaining at the heart of the structural chemistry community and a trusted resource for researchers in both academia and industry worldwide.