I obtained a BSc in Biochemistry from the University of Glasgow and received a DPhil from the University of Oxford for analysing the protein sequence, glycosylation and membrane attachment of the rat Thy-1 antigen. This was under the supervision of Alan Williams (initially the MRC Immunochemistry Unit and later in the MRC Cellular Immunology Unit).
As a post-doc at Harvard with Jack Strominger I studied Penicillin binding proteins, and ran the protein sequencing facility. On returning to the UK I spent two years at the Cancer Research Campaign Lab at Nottingham University with Robert Baldwin, investigating cancer cell-surface antigens.
In 1984 I moved to Dundee to work with Philip Cohen. Early research was on the Kinases involved in glycogen metabolism and insulin signalling pathways when we only used protein sequencing on nanomole quantities of peptides for phospho-site identification.
From 2000-2010 I worked with Nick Morrice and together we ran the Mass Spectrometry facility. I became Mass Spectrometry Facilities Manager in 2010 working in the lab of Matthias Trost. These days the main focus of my work is still on phosphorylation site analysis.