Page 28 - Periodic ISSUE 8

F rom the PCL
to Pyongyang
Oxford Chemistry alumnus Professor Ian NHS Clinical Biochemistry laboratories in the 1970s
Wells (Worcester 1965) describes his employed both chemists and biochemists and almost
extraordinary career. all the assays were developed in-house. My early
work was setting up and running assays, mainly
I really enjoyed my chemistry studies at Oxford using spectrophotometry, and included getting a
(1965-69) - although I was most comfortable with new continuous flow analyser to work properly! This
physical chemistry, better at analysis than synthesis involved teaching myself Wang Basic to re-write the
and much preferred spending time at a laboratory computer programme used to convert the analog
bench to studying for exams! My tutor and mentor output into results and led to my first conference
was Dr John Danby, and I especially recall one tutorial paper.
when he demonstrated how to decode a puzzle In 1980 I moved from Epsom to the Guildford
using a perspex rod.* My ‘part two’ was in his PCL Hospitals and laboratory computing gradually took
mass spectrometry research group working on a new over most of my time. I was also able to study on
monopole radio-frequency mass spectrometer which day release for a PhD in the medical applications of
had been built by the technical staff in the basement. Artificial Intelligence (AI) at the local University of
This was a wonderful introduction to problem solving Surrey where I was its first ever computer science
and ‘getting things to work’ which I have been able to student. As analysers became smarter and were
draw on ever since. able to calculate their own results my focus changed
to interfacing (not as easy as it sounds in those
After graduating I started my career as an industrial
chemist in electrochemistry and photochemistry. In days!), networking and developing clinical laboratory
1976 I joined the NHS as a clinical scientist - my wife information systems using advanced software tools.
Helen had made a similar move the previous year I was fortunate to be a pioneer in this new field and
into NHS administration - as we both wanted to take was able to publish a number of papers and lecture at
relevant skills overseas to a needy country at some conferences in the UK, Europe and the US.
point in the future. In the mid-1990s I moved to the Medical Physics
department to lead a medical computing section
Getting a continuous flow analyser to work properly.
developing clinical databases and setting up
large scale cluster computing and storage
systems for digital images. I was also invited
back to the University of Surrey as a part-
time lecturer in Artificial Intelligence where
I was able to draw on both my PhD research
and my experience in medical decision making.
I was subsequently appointed a Visiting
Professor in 2005 and then an Emeritus
Professor in 2014.
My wife and I both retired at the end of 2011
after working for almost 70 years between us
in the NHS and, as the gap year had not been
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Periodic The Magazine of the Department of Chemistry
Ian and his wife Helen walking on the Antarctic mainland Ian and Helen at Pyongyang Friendship Hospital.
in February 2013.
invented when we graduated, we decided to take a We worked at PUST for six years until we retired
‘senior version’ and indulge our passion for travelling (again!) in 2018, and later that year three PUST
to remote places. Our goal was ‘pole to pole’ and we graduate students came to study at the University of
duly crossed both 80ºN, reaching Moffen Island which Surrey for six months. Shortly before they returned
is ‘the end of the earth’ for Europe and Asia, and 68ºS home they spent a memorable day in Oxford which
after negotiating Drake’s Passage and walking on the included a tour of the new Chemistry Teaching
Antarctic mainland. In addition to polar bears and Laboratories - they later said this was one of the
penguins the third ‘P’ for the year was Pyongyang, highlights of their time here. The DPRK authorities
the capital of DPR (North) Korea, where I had been are keen for more graduate and research students
invited to give a series of lectures on AI at the English- to spend time in the UK and we are hoping that
speaking Pyongyang University of Science and some may indeed find suitable placements at Oxford
Technology (PUST). Chemistry.
Despite the practical challenges, we did not hesitate Looking back over the years I never strayed
when we were invited to join the long term staff at too far from chemistry, although my work as a
clinical scientist moved from performing assays to
PUST and to use our skills to help the people of this
needy but hauntingly beautiful and friendly country. devising systems for the storage, distribution and
Initially we were both lecturing, and then in 2015 interpretation of the results. One of my responsibilities
we were invited to become directors of the new at PUST was setting up a small clinical laboratory on
medical school being established on the PUST campus. the campus - so my career actually came full circle
This was a wonderful opportunity to put our NHS and ended, where it began, with practical bench
experience to good use, visit local hospitals and attend chemistry!
weekly UN Development Programme meetings. Professor Ian Wells
Ian lecturing to third year science undergraduates at PUST.
* I still use this example in my AI lectures - so
here is your challenge: what is the problem
and the solution? The clues are in the text
and you need to use capital letters and
colours for the problem.
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The Magazine of the Department of Chemistry Periodic