Personal statement

My main areas of research involve high resolution mass spectrometry and chromatography applied to metabolomics, bionanalysis and natural products research. There has been a strong focus on metabolomics in the last eight years and I won a bid to host the Metabolomics Society conference in Glasgow where I was local chair and organiser in 2013. Current metabolomics collaborations are as follows: parasite biology (Graham Coombs and Mike Barrett GU), drosophila biology (Julian Dow GU), cancer cell biology (Nigel and Sue Pyne and Hing Leung, Beatson), clinical screening for disease (Hing Leung prostate cancer, Brian Walker and Ruth Andrew, University of Edinburgh, metabolic syndrome), steroids in models of pulmonary hypertension, Mandy MacLean, GU), profiling of mammalian milks (Malcolm Kennedy, GU). I am currently about to establish projects on metabolomics of the microbiome in irritable bowel syndrome and on the impact of exercise on the metabolome. I have other non-collaborative projects on fundamental mechanisms in hydrophilic interaction chromatography and oxidation mechanisms of fatty acids. I am also supervising a BBSRC CASE award project with UCB Celltech on deamidation of monoclonal antibodies. In the area of natural products I am investigating the biological properties of bee venom (with Mark Dufton, Carol Clements and Louise Young)and the activity of propolis against sleeping sickness and leishmaniasis. I am currently primary supervisor of 16 PhD students. I have published 205 full papers and reviews, 80 in the last six years, and have an H factor of 34. I have published two textbooks one of which is the leading undergraduate textbook in the field of pharmaceutical analysis. My teaching currently focuses on the MSc course in Pharmaceutical Analysis although I have taught a wide range of topics within the MPharm curriculum.