Sue mentions John Gurdon in her paper. Sir John Gurdon won the Nobel Prize in Biology in 2012. A schoolmaster did indeed scoff at the notion Gurdon could become a scientist based on his poor showing in his Biology class.
Sue paraphrases French neurologist Duchenne de Boulogne and mentions a smile is named after him. The Duchenne smile is one that uses the muscles around the eyes as well as the mouth. It is considered a genuine smile expressing true pleasure.