Ingram was born in Birmingham in 1941, the son of a toolmaker and grandson of a gamekeeper. From an early age he had an interest in botany. After graduating from Yardley Grammar School, he apprenticed as a gardener, but soon decided to study botany at a university. He selected the University of Hull because it enabled him to read botany in combination with geology and psychology, other nascent interests of his. Starting in 1960 at Hull, Ingram studied under Noel Robertson. After receiving a BSc in botany in 1963, Ingram stayed on at Hull to complete a PhD in Plant Pathology. During his PhD he worked as Robertson's research student and studied the interaction of Phytophthora infestans with tissue cultures of potato.[3]
Career
After receiving his doctorate, moved to the University of Glasgow in 1966 to work with Percy Wragg Brian. In Glasgow he taught and carried out research in Botany, Plant Pathology and Biotechnology. During this time he extended his work on the interaction between pathogens and host tissue cultures, notably with Plasmodiophora brassicae, cause of clubroot of brassicas.[4]
In 1968, along with Brian, Ingram moved to the University of Cambridge. He first worked in the ARC Unit of Developmental Botany. In 1974 he was appointed as a lecturer in botany and became a fellow of Downing College. In 1988 he was elevated to reader in Plant Pathology at Cambridge. At Downing during this time he also served as Director of Studies in Biology, Dean, and Tutor for Graduate Students.
Between 1990 and 1998, Ingram was the Regius Keeper (director) of the Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh. He was concurrently honorary professor in Edinburgh and Glasgow Universities and RHS Professor of Horticulture while Regius Keeper.
He was then master of St Catharine's College, Cambridge, from 2000 to 2007. During this time he served as the Chair of the Colleges’ Committee and the Colleges’ representative on the Council of University Senate.
