How To Become A Forensic Pharmacologist

Transcription

1 CURRICULUM VITAE Name: Dr.Paul Geoffrey Skett Date of Birth: 15th July 1952 Place of Birth: Liverpool, U.K. Nationality: British Marital Status: Married; two children (Emma,36 and Fiona,28). Qualifications B.Sc.(Hons) Biochemistry, University of Liverpool, July 1973 Ph.D. Medical Chemistry, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, October 1977 Certificate in Criminal Law Cardiff University September 2010 Present Post and Date of Appointment: Honorary Senior Lecturer in Pharmacology, University of Glasgow August 2010 Forensic Pharmacologist, GEWS Address: 46A, Carlton Place, GLASGOW G5 9TW. Tel. No: ; fax: Mobile: Previous Appointments: Reader in Pharmacology, University of Glasgow August 2002 Senior Lecturer in Pharmacology, University of Glasgow: 1st October 1988 (subsequently transferred to Institute of Biomedical and Life Sciences, 1994) Lecturer in Pharmacology, University of Glasgow: Lecturer in Medical Chemistry, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Ciba-Geigy Fellow, Karolinska Institute: DESCRIPTION OF UNIVERSITY POSITION: Administrative Responsibilities Divisional Responsibilities (to August 2008): Organiser of Open Day and Visits Liaison Officer ( ) Degree Group Co-ordinator ( ) Head of Teaching (2003-4) Deputy Head of Division (2004-8) this involved overall responsibility for the learning and teaching activities in the Division. Specific activities ongoing include design and implementation of a new common Level-3 course for Anatomy, Biomedical Sciences, Human Biology, Neuroscience, Pharmacology and Physiology degrees and a new Level-3 Physiology & Sports Science course, management of Staff Activity Profiles for all aspects of learning, teaching and assessment for academic staff and disciplinary 1

2 matters involving students. Subsequently transferred to Undergraduate School in August 2008 following conversion of divisions into research entities. Faculty Responsibilities Computer Assisted Learning Support Group, Convener ( ) Student Recruitment Committee, Convener ( ) now member of Student Recruitment & Retention Advisory Group ( ) this involved management of the Faculty s Student Recruitment policy and other outreach activities including interaction with local schools and with the Glasgow Science Centre. IT Committee ( ) Undergraduate Education Committee ( ) Faculties of Science - Science Taught Programmes Committee ( ) GUTS Partnership Scheme co-ordinator ( ) this involved administration and direction of the GUTS Scheme (over 50 one-to-one links between Principal Teachers of Biology in local schools and research scientists at FBLS), design and implementation of school visits and interactive projects (see Funding below), management of the Nuffield Bursary Scheme for IBLS, management of Work Experience placements in IBLS, management of school Higher and Advanced Higher project assistance in IBLS. Adviser of Studies ( ) one-stop contact for close to 100 students in the Faculty with regard to their academic curriculum and overall welfare (accommodation, finance, health etc.). Head, Degree Group C within Undergraduate School from August Oversee management and development of programmes for over half of the students within the Faculty across the area of biomedical sciences (including Pharmacology). University Responsibilities: Senate ( ) Faculty of Medicine (elected member) ( ) Wider Access Officer (2003-4) Senate Assessor for Teaching & Learning Service ( ) Senate Assessor for Discipline ( ) deal with all aspects of student discipline Academic Standards Committee ( ) committee scrutinises and approves all new programmes of study and oversees resources and academic regulations for teaching at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. External Examinerships: M.Sc. (Pharmacology), University of Aberdeen ( ) B.Sc. (Pharmacology) University of Sunderland ( ) B.Sc. (Biomedical Sciences), University of Manchester (2002-7) 2

3 M.B.B.S. Level-1, University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne (2003-7) B.Sc.(Pharmacology) University of Leeds (2006-) External examiner for Ph.D. theses over the last 10 years at Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Dundee, Strathclyde, Glasgow Caledonian, Surrey, Manchester, London and Liverpool Universities and the University of Central Lancashire. External examiner for doctoral degrees at the University of Utrecht (1993) and Vrije Universiteit Brussel (1994). Other Responsibilities: Education sub-committee of the British Pharmacological Society (2000-7) - Chair from January this has involved development of Careers in Pharmacology CD-ROM and website (can be viewed at - Vice-Chair of Education & Training Committee (2007-) Education Committee of Biosciences Federation (2003-8) involved in organisation of Careers Conferences (see ) Teaching Responsibilities Course Organiser for Drug Metabolism & Pharmacokinetics (1995- ) Course Organiser for Drugs & Disease course ( ) Course Co-ordinator Pharmacology Honours ( ) Deputy Course Co-ordinator Pharmacology-3H ( ) Deputy Course Coordinator Forensic Biosciences ( ) I taught extensively in the following courses: Faculty of Biomedical & Life Sciences: Pharmacology-3H (common Level-3 course) Pharmacology-4H Drugs & Disease Physiological Systems-2 Exercise Science-2 Forensic Biosciences-2 Feedback on FBLS courses from students is by way of student questionnaires. I am always given an excellent feedback from students on all aspects of learning, teaching and assessment. In the Level-2 Drugs & Disease module I am regularly given top rating and have received a note each year to indicate that I am one of the top rated teachers in Level-2. Faculty of Physical Sciences Chemistry & Medicinal Chemistry-4H Medical Faculty: 3

4 M.B.Ch.B.-1 and 2 B.D.S.-2 BN-1 & 2 Feedback in the MBChB course is by way of student questionnaires. I am a Facilitator in MB2 and run a number of Plenaries and Fixed Resource Sessions in MB1 and MB2. My rating as a Facilitator is always excellent. There has been some negative feedback on the plenaries and FRS s over the years (mainly due to the nature of the subject) and these criticisms have been taken on board and modifications made each year. Research Activities and Legal Work I have been an active research scientist since 1973 specialising in the control of liver function including drug and steroid metabolism, development of a standard method for isolating hepatocytes (work for European Commission) and diabetes mellitus. I have been involved in developing novel treatments for diabetes mellitus mainly from plant sources and have a patent for such issued in my name. I ceased laboratory work in 2000 to concentrate on the educational side and the forensic work noted below. I have over 100 publications (a full list can be supplied on request). Since 1991 I have run a company specialising in researching and writing forensic pharmacology reports for solicitors in both criminal and civil cases. This is now my full-time occupation. A large part of this work is drink-driving cases where I am asked to verify the consistency of evidence in defences involving post-incident drinking or no intention to drive. I am often asked to attend court to speak to my reports. I have been researching these defences and the nature of the law surrounding drunk driving particularly as regards the accuracy of the correlation between blood, breath and urine alcohol concentrations as enshrined in the Road Traffic Act More recently this work has expanded to take in drug-driving and I have been active in researching alternatives to the flawed Field Impairment Test (FIT) to detect drugged drivers. Other expanding areas include the influence of drugs on the commission of crime and, in particular, the defence of automatism involving drug use. Again, a fertile area of research, linking drug use to memory, which I am heavily involved in at present. I have been appointed to the National Crime Agency (NCA) s database of experts and the NHS Litigation Authority list of experts to assist the Police in criminal cases and NHS defence solicitors in medical negligence cases respectively. I have written over 1500 court reports and given evidence in court approximately 100 times. I have written reports for both Crown and defence in criminal cases and litigant and defendant in civil cases and acted as a single joint expert. 4

5 Membership of Societies British Pharmacological Society Fellow Royal Society of Forensic Scientists Biochemical Society Higher Education Academy Fellow UK Register of Expert Witnesses Law Society of Scotland Register of Expert Witnesses Awards European Academic Software Award (1996) Drug Metabolism courseware. 5