Born and bred in Bonny Scotland, that ragged region north of England in the UK, I was raised the son of a coalminer in one of the few remaining fishing communities on the east coast in the Kingdom of Fife. The middle of three brothers, I grew up remarkably well balanced with chips on both shoulders and from an early age, rejecting pressures from peers and parents to follow an honest tradesman’s profession I chose rather to pursue my fascinations with ‘how does that work?’ My early attempts to reassemble the television and my grandfather’s watch quickly taught me that it was easier to take apart than to put together again and despite those early experiences and reprisals from the owners I nevertheless felt encouraged to pursue a career in the discovery of the unknown. I realised from these early days I wanted to be a Scientist.

My dedications and hard work at secondary school led me toward my first degree in Biochemistry and Chemical Pathology at Glasgow where my interests narrowed and my fascination of DNA and genetics flourished. An MSc research post at St. Andrews University studying classical genetics followed a few years later with a second MSc at Dundee in Biotechnology, it became clear that my interest favoured the medical aspects of the Biological Sciences and in particular the up and coming ‘Dolly the sheep’ biotechnology of Molecular Biology. Securing a research position as Clinical Scientist at St. George’s Hospital Medical School in London, I successfully pioneered a new Molecular Pathology laboratory in the hospital developing novel ultra-sensitive genetic techniques for the diagnosis of lymphomas and leukaemia. Some years later I duplicated a similar capability in another hospital in the South of England and soon after, my new molecular diagnostic tests were finding more and more applications in other hospital departments. In the latter years I worked closely with colorectal and breast surgeons in an attempt at early diagnosis of metastatic cancers, an aspect of my work I enjoyed immensely. Regrettably, my love for my research was continually thwarted by financial constraints and the burdens of finding funding is soul destroying so with reluctance I hung up my white coat and decided to see the world.

Accepting a post as a Product Specialist for a Genetic Imaging Company was an exciting move. My job was to teach researchers and doctors how to analysis computer generated images of chromosomal abnormalities and this position allowed me to continue my pet interest but even more exciting than this, I was paid to travel. With clients worldwide, I travelled to many countries particularly in the Middle and Far East. I found meeting new people from different cultures exciting and with brief opportunities to view local sights and taste the native foods, it was a wonderful experience.

My quest to seek out the unknown has plagued me all my life and I knew from an early age if I were given Pandora’s Box and challenged with such a temptation, I would be unable to resist and like my grandfather’s watch, I’d have to look and deal with the consequences later! My curiosities are of a more general nature these latter years and I’ve turned my focus to broader horizons. I have become more interested in history and people and their cultures and it should come as little surprise I now find myself in a beautiful country like China. Such wonders to behold; the people, the places, the traditions and cultures and enough history and intrigue to satiate even the greediest palate. So, with my mind made up, my bridges burned behind me, I embarked on my next adventure; a life in China. In all my worldly travels, I have never felt so comfortable with my surroundings and welcomed as warmly as has been my experiences to date. An obvious challenge is the language which I find fascinating and exciting to learn but it became obvious to me from the start that I were to avail myself of any historical secrets and to integrate into the culture then I must learn to read and write Chinese. Towards this end, I labour faithfully with my Chinese lesson daily.

And in the Life of Brian, is there time for fun? Yes, always. My Philosophy is ‘Work hard, play hard’. Work is very important but if you can’t enjoy life then ‘What’s the point?’ As a Scotsman I’m often asked ‘Do I like football?’ Afraid not! It’s my proud boast I’ve never watched a game of football in my life –truly! The idea of twenty-two grown men running around a field kicking a bag of wind is preposterous to me, nearly as much as hitting a little ball into a far away hole with a stick, another traditional sport in Scotland. Perhaps a consequence of my nerdy days at school when I dreaded PE and the other boys would never give me a kick of the ball! I have however always been active and in my own way ‘sporty’. I have trained with weights since I was a boy and kept fit as a way of life for health and for enjoyment. But pumping iron can be a solitary and monotonous occupation so in an attempt to be a bit more sociable I turned to the martial arts. Wado Ryu is a Japanese form of karate which I took seriously for a many years. I enjoyed the fitness and the discipline and in my younger days fought in competition with varying degrees of success, but twisted joints, torn ligaments and dislocated fingers and toes take its toll so I took my final bow from the dojo and left. Archery, bows’n’arrows has persisted with me all of my life, a sport I’m hoping very much to continue with in China. From making my own bows as a child and miraculously surviving even more inquisitive absurdities such as ‘I wonder how high this arrow can go?’, then cowering with fear as the arrow shot out of sight then finally dropped feet from where I was standing. Oh dear! In due course I joined local clubs and was taught discipline and safety and as a consequence I spent many years shooting in solo completion or representing my Club and even winning the title of ‘Master Bowman’. China of course boasts many world champion archers and it is my hope to meet some of them.

My hopes and aspirations for the future? I have always felt at home in an academic environment and already I feel very comfortable here at our wonderful University. My previous long years in Universities and other academic institutions have given me considerable experience in teaching and it is my hope to have the opportunity to continue passing on my knowledge and experiences to my students. I’m delighted to be here.