I have nearly 50 years of experience in pharmacology and related biosciences. My career started in the pharmaceutical industry when I joined Beecham Pharmaceuticals, initially in cardiovascular research then, after graduating from North-East London Polytechnic with a BSc (Hons) degree in Applied Biology, progressing into CNS research. I entered academia full-time to study for a PhD, following which I returned to industry to focus on antidepressant/anxiolytic drug research resulting in the successful development of venlafaxine (SNRI, Efexor®). On completion of this project, I returned to academia, to set up my own research lab.

I joined the British Pharmacological Society (BPS) in 1980 and was a member of the Expert Group advising the BPS on the UG core curriculum (2016). I joined the Institute of Biology (now the Royal Society of Biology, RSB) in 1984 and been an active member of the British Association for Psychopharmacology and the American Association for Neuroscience since 1985 and 1994, respectively.

I have always believed in high-quality education in pharmacology and the related biosciences, and since 1995 I have developed my role as a lecturer in pharmacology rising to Senior Lecturer in 2012. I have served on numerous committees at Departmental, Faculty and Institutional levels at the University of Bath, especially those focused on the development and delivery of enhanced and integrated curricula to meet the educational and employment needs of undergraduate (UG) and postgraduate (PG) students. 

I have a special interest in teaching robust experimental design, coupled with data handling and statistical analysis, and have developed a strong program of study (including lectures, workshops, exercises and performance assessment) to deliver this vitally important subject area to UG and PG students. Since 2007 I have delivered my series of workshops to PG students studying Neuropharmacology or Toxicology (MSc level) at the Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Galway, where I was appointed Adjunct Lecturer in 2012.  My work to promote excellence in experimental design and subsequent data analysis culminated in the publication of my textbook (Experimental Design and Statistical Analysis for Pharmacology and the Biomedical Science, Wiley, 2022), which has now sold about 400 copies world-wide, and running a series of successful Statistics and Experimental Design Training Workshops for the BPS.  In 2023 I was appointed to deliver (on-line) my program of training in Experimental Design and Statistical Analysis to support a cohort of international PhD students.

The success of my textbook and program of study led to the creation of my consultancy company, Experides Ltd (Reg No. 14512564), to promote high quality training for UG, PG and early career researchers in pharmacology and the biomedical sciences.  As a consequence I am currently involved in discussions,

• to deliver on-line training of statistics to clinical pharmacology trainees on a national level,
• with senior editorial staff of scientific journals to provide advice to their peer reviewers on robust experimental design and appropriate statistical analysis to improve the quality of published material,
• to deliver training of statistical analysis on-line and in person to the UK and European pharmaceutical industry.

In November 2023 I was honoured and delighted to be elected to Fellowship of the BPS.