Current Position: Head of Research & Development
Drug Control Centre, Department of Forensic Science and Drug
Monitoring, King’s College London.
Qualifications:
1989: PhD - Detection of doping with synthetic and natural androgens in sport;
field of biochemistry within the University of London. - Subsequently awarded the
prestigious ‘Susan Tucker Prize’ for Outstanding Research by Young Non-medical
Graduates - St Thomas’s Health District, London – this was a competition where
papers and theses were invited throughout the District).
1979: BSc (CNAA) Upper Second Class - Polytechnic of Central London
(Modular Degree in Life Sciences)
Current Strategy
To Continue Establishing a Centre of Excellence in Analytical Toxicology
Professional Appointments
2009-
Programme Leader of a new MSc in Analytical Toxicology at KCL.
2006 -
Awarded Visiting Chair - Middlesex University.
2006 -
Vice-chairman of the Steering Committee - Mass Spectrometry
Facility, School of Biomedical & Health Sciences.
2002 – 10
Head of the Analytical Sciences Research Sub-group in Pharmacy,
which became part of the Pharmaceutical Sciences Division – member
of the Pharmaceutical Science Division Executive Committee.
2005 – 10
Postgraduate Research Co-ordinator for the Pharmaceutical Science
Division, KCL.
2000 - 5
Co-founder of the Mass Spectrometry Facility in FWB, KCL (opened
2002); Founder Member and Scientific Secretary (2000-5) of the Mass
Spectrometry Committee, School of Health and Life Sciences, KCL.
1999
External examiner (three consecutive years) for Intercalated Medical
Science Degree at St Bartholomew’s Medical School, University of
London.
1993
Head of Research & Development of the Drug Control Centre, KCL
Awarded University Teaching Status
Certified as Radiation Protection Supervisor, DCC, KCL.
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1990
Appointed Postdoctoral Researcher - Drug Control Centre (IOC
Accredited Laboratory), Dept of Pharmacy, King’s College London.
1988-1990
Dept of Health Immunoassay Validation Unit, Dept of Chemical
Pathology, St Thomas’ Hospital, London.
1980-1987
Research Assistant to Professor Raymond Brooks, OBE. Dept of
Chemical Pathology, St Thomas’ Hospital Medical School, London.
Teaching and Other Duties:
Programme Leader, MSc Analytical Toxicology, KCL.
Lecture at undergraduate and post-graduate level (MPharm, MSc Analytical
Toxicology, MSc Pharmaceutical Analysis, MSc Forensic Science). Various
responsibilities within the Drug Control Centre, including for analysis of samples of a
clinical and forensic nature, senior managerial issues, and also Deputy Quality
Assurance Manager (1990-2010).
I have taught externally, including at Oxford University (Department of Physiology;
Taught MSc in Science and Medicine of Athletic Performance), Kingston University,
Middlesex University, as well as a guest lecturer on past courses involving the
Association of Clinical Biochemists.
Current Membership of Societies/Groups:
LTG (London Toxicology Group); Association of Clinical Biochemists; Society for
Endocrinology
Awarded Grants
2010
BBSRC Case Studentship with Industrial Partner – 4 years Investigating
the Incorporation and Distribution of Metabolites of Drugs in Hair for
Forensic Toxicology; Principal Applicant; £90 K (studentship will
commence in 2011)
2010
Partnership for Clean Competition (USA Body) – 1 year - Detection of
UDP-Glucuronosyltransferase B17 inter-individual variations in
Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells: implications for testosterone
catabolism and anti-doping analysis; Principal Applicant; $147 K
(commenced Feb 2011)
2010
World Anti-Doping Agency. Subject-based Profiling for the Detection
of Testosterone Administration in Sport – 1 year - Investigating the
Value of Serum Analysis; Principal Applicant; $100 K (study will
commence in 2011)
2010
Home Office –Specific, rapid detection of drugs from oral fluid using
ambient mass spectrometry (99 K to NPL, Mass Spec Analytical Ltd, &
KCL, of which £15 K apportioned to KCL – Kicman & Parkin).
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2007-10
World Anti-Doping Agency. Confirmation of Administration of Natural
Androgens by Carbon Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry; Simplifying the
Analytical Procedure and Increasing the Evidential Power; Principal
Applicant; $200 K
2005-8
US Anti-doping Agency - Norethisterone preparations; contribution to
adverse findings in sport - Principal Applicant $400 K
2005-8
EPSRC Think Crime - Development of Novel High Sensitivity and
Specific Methods to Provide Reliable Forensic Evidence of Drug
Administration in Vulnerable Groups. - £300 K (led the application)
2001
BBSRC LC-MS/MS to investigate the metabolism of bioactive
compounds in vivo and in vitro – £90 K (co-applicant)
Highlights
2011 Preparing a Special Issue in Drug Testing and Analysis on ‘New Psychoactive
Substances.’ Dr Les King and I are the guest editors.
Co-organiser of the Meeting ‘Modern methods of drugs analysis in biological
materials: Analysis of drugs for the Olympic Games 2012’ to be held at the
Royal Pharmaceutical Society in October.
2010 Elected onto the Executive of the LTG (London Toxicology Group)
2009
Associate Editor of the launched Journal ‘Drug Testing and Analysis’
Programme Leader of a new MSc in Analytical Toxicology, KCL
Major Contributor to the Government Advisory Committee on Misuse of
Drugs (ACMD) enquiry into Anabolic Steroids (Report Issued 2010)
One of my final year PhD students, Sophie Turfus attended The International
Association of Forensic Toxicologists (TIAFT) meeting, where she was
awarded their '2009 Young Scientist Award for Best Published Paper'.
The young scientists’ competitors were eligible up to the age of 40.
2008
2008-10 First Head of new Special Interest Group in Clinical and Forensic
Mass Spectrometry, British Mass Spectrometry Society (including organising
and chairing sessions at BMSS Annual Meetings (York, Cambridge, Cardiff)
2007/8
Organizing Committee Member for the Second International Conference on
Gonadotropins and their Receptors
2004
An investigation in women on the metabolic conversion of ingested
androstenedione to testosterone was specifically referred to in a US White
Paper on ‘Health Effects of Androstenedione’. The FDA issued a warning
letter to companies involved in the marketing of dietary supplements
containing this prohormone.
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2003
Publication in Analytical Chemistry (also patent application) contributed to
the knowledge of on-target capture for MALDI-TOF MS, using a metabolite
of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) as the model compound.
2002
Discovery that metabolites of MDMA (‘ecstasy’) are pharmacologically active
in stimulating arginine vasopressin (AVP). This discovery, which was a
follow-up to the 1998 investigation, gave a fresh insight into the cause of
water intoxication associated with the drug.
1999
Scientific Secretary of the UK Sports Council’s Review Group enquiring into
the ‘Nandrolone Problem in sport’. Two reports (Jan 2000 and Feb 2003; latter
also published in Int J Sports Med-2003;24:620-6). These publications were
very well received within the international sporting community and by the
press.
1998
Discovery that MDMA ("ecstasy") induces arginine vasopressin secretion, a
hormone that ensures conservation of water by the body. The stimulation of its
release in response to MDMA ingestion, with excessive fluid intake, seems to
be a major factor in the cause of hyponatraemia (low plasma sodium). This
was a collaborative study with Professor Mary Forsling of KCL and Professor
John Henry of Imperial College London.
1997
First pilot study to propose possible markers to detect growth hormone
administration by sports competitors.
1996
Co-organiser of the Scientific Colloquium at the XVI International Congress
of Clinical Chemistry - Arranged for Proceedings to be published in Clinical
Chemistry (1997). Also, chaired a key session on the day.
1995
Development of an evidentially robust test for the detection of doping with 5αdihydrotestosterone.
1994
Introduction of a decision limits and quality-control material for detecting
hCG misuse in sports.
1993
Co-organiser of the Scientific Meeting of the 4th Permanent World Conference
on Anti-doping in Sport in London & co-editor of the Proceedings of that
Meeting.
Collaborative study with Dr Helge Oftebro of Norway, reporting a dynamic
endocrine test (ketoconazole) to differentiate between biological outliers and
testosterone use by athletes.
1989
Awarded the ‘Susan Tucker’ prize for Outstanding Research by Young Nonmedical Graduates within St Thomas’ Hospital, London.
1987
IOC ban human chorionic gonadotropin administration in sport based on my
work with Prof. Raymond Brooks (subsequently leading to the banned class of
protein hormones in sport in 1989).
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Highlighted External Lectures
Spring, 2011 – Invited to present at the British Toxicology Society and the British
Endocrine Societies Annual Meeting.
London Biological Mass Spectrometry Discussion Group, Dec 2010, Old Drugs and
Metabolites, New Tricks.
Association for Clinical Biochemistry 2010 – Gentlemen’s Day - Anabolic steroids in
the gym (with emphasis on Testosterone).
British Pharmacological Society Annual Conference, 2008, Tocris Lecture –
Anabolic Drugs in the Gym.
Inaugural Scientific Meeting, Middlesex University - Protein Mass Spectrometry - the
new ‘omics’. London, September 2005.
International Conference on Gonadotropins and Receptors at the University of
Georgia, USA; April 2005 - Introduction to Mass Spectrometry of Gonadotropins. (in
addition, co-organiser and chair of the Mass Spectrometry Workshop).
ACB Southern Meeting - Hormones - use or abuse? In Honour of the Retirement of
Dr Mike Wheeler. Androgens in sport - analytical and endocrine aspects.
London Toxicology Group Meeting at the Linnaen Society: May 2005 - Pump It Up Protein Hormones, Doping and Detection; June 2004 - The Balco Affair; Victor
Conte Offers to Sing; June 2003 - ‘Supplementary’ Findings to Anabolic Steroids.
Oral communication at the 6th European Congress of Endocrinology- Lyon 2003.
‘Androstenedione, a dietary supplement with health risks: supraphysiological
concentrations of testosterone following oral administration to young women’.
Plenary lecture for the Bayer Immunodiagnostics User Group Meeting. Cambridge,
1999.
Lecture to Association of Clinical Pathologists. Brighton, 1999.
Invited Speaker - Berzelius Symposium on Doping Agents - A Threat Against Sports
and Public Health, Stockholm, 1995.
Presented novel data regarding for the Detection of Dihydrotestosterone
Administration Scientific Meeting of the 4th Permanent World Conference on Antidoping in Sport, London, 1993.
I have given several lectures under the auspices of the ACB and the RSC.
I have also assisted the Council of Europe Working Party investigating Drug Abuse in
Sport in the 1990s, especially with my work with gonadotropins, including making
two formal presentations (Paris – Ketoconazole Test; Strasbourg – hCG),
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