Profile: a young chemist
How did you get interested in chemistry?
I have been interested in chemistry since the age of seven. I’m not sure who or what
influenced me in my desire to do chemistry at such an early age, since none of my friends or
family were interested in science, let alone chemistry. In 1988, I was 10, and there was alot
of attention being paid to the hole in the ozone layer and discussions of the greenhouse effect,
I began making my own environmentally friendly insect spray. I doubt it will be patented
anytime soon and its effectiveness was dubious to say the least but I loved mixing things.
Like all good young geeks I set up a lab in my garage at home. I had envisaged using the
bathroom, but Mum wouldn’t let me for fear of me blowing the house up. I started with three
chemistry sets, two microscopes and some glassware donated by my primary school that was
aware of my ambitions.
What opportunities/prospects existed when you commenced your studies?
I was fortunate to have good mentors at high school and university who allowed me to learn
outside “the box” of regular teaching. Intellectually, I have never been the most gifted
student but am unashamingly enthusiastic when it comes to things I am interested in and
enjoy. It may be in part due to my adolescent naivety but during high school in the early 90’s
there seemed to be great opportunities for careers in chemistry. Participating in programs like
the Siemens science summer school at the end of Year 9, the CSIRO student research scheme
in year 11 and CRA National Science Summer School in Year 12 promoted an era of exciting
science taking place in Australia. When I began my undergraduate studies at the University
of Sydney in 1996, however, reform of the research sector was well underway, and life in
science appeared a lot less certain. None the less, I was content to pursue a degree in
chemistry and see where it would take me.
When did you decide your career was in chemistry?
Even though I always saw myself in chemistry it was the experience of working with
Professor Brynn Hibbert at the University of New South Wales as part of the CSIRO student
research scheme that encouraged me to follow a career in chemistry, more specifically in
analytical chemistry. Brynn Hibbert was the first professor of Analytical chemistry in
Australia, heading the first specialist department of analytical chemistry in Australia. I was
further convinced of my career path when I participated in the “Year in Industry” program
administered by the School of Chemistry of the University of Sydney. This allowed me to
defer my third year undergraduate studies while being employed full-time at the National
Measurement Institute (or NMI), formerly the Australian Government Analytical
Laboratories). I conducted my work in the Australian Sports Drug Testing Laboratory (or
ASDTL), a division of the NMI. Anti-doping analysis performed by the laboratory is an
exciting area of science that incorporates aspects of chemistry, pharmacology and biology.
This experience was the best thing I could have done to focus my ambitions in chemistry as it
essentially provided a light at the end of the academic tunnel. During this time I decided that
my aim would be to conduct honours and postgraduate research in the field of doping control,
while working for the NMI.
Who inspired you to pursue chemistry research?
The mentorship I received from Allen Stenhouse (an expert in doping analysis), the
operations manager of the sports drug testing laboratory, during my year in industry led me to
move past the consideration of chemistry research and make it a reality. Allen gave me the
best opportunity to learn from the grass roots up, a philosophy I hope to carry on into a
research management career of my own. I strongly believe that you can only be as effective
as the understanding you have of the most basic laboratory operations. Following the
departure of Allen at the completion of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games anti-doping
program I have been under the stewardship of the laboratory director, Dr Ray Kazlauskas and
research manager, Dr Graham Trout. Ray and Graham have both been an incredibly positive
influence in my fledgling chemistry career, giving me opportunities most honours and Ph.D
students could only dream of. I sometimes think I must be dreaming when I consider the
level of technology that I am responsible for in a field as novel and important to Australia as
doping control.
Why did you choose research on steroids?
During my time with the Olympic Research Team in the lead-up to the Sydney 2000 Olympic
Games, Ray and I discussed at length the questions that face doping control laboratories
concerning the metabolism of endogenous (i.e. naturally occurring) steroids such as
testosterone. I was surprised at the time that this knowledge was not already established, and
thought it an exciting prospect to contribute to this field with some genuinely new
information. Since it was established by my colleague, Dr Jill Rogerson, in the laboratory,
the technique of Gas Chromatography-Combustion-Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry (or GCC-IRMS) has provided a special interest to me. It is a very specialised technique used by
relatively few laboratories, but its concept is truly amazing. The potential of the information
obtained from GC-C-IRMS analysis to answer questions of steroid origin has yet to be fully
exploited by doping control laboratories. So this is where I would like to make my mark on
the field.
Who have you mostly collaborated with in your research?
The research program I have established is a collaboration between the National Measurement
Institute and the University of Sydney. Within the program there exists a major collaboration
with Dr Robert Weatherby and Dr Sonya Marshall of the School of Excercise Science and
Sports Management at Southern Cross University in Lismore, who administer and provide
ethically approved steroid administration studies. Then there are smaller collaborations such
as steroid molecular recognition studies performed by Professor David Handlesman of the
ANZAC Institute. I am fortunate that within the NMI there exists a cooperative atmosphere
between departments such as the one that I enjoy with Dr Stephen Davies and Dr Greg
Tarrant of the certified reference materials group.
What areas of chemistry are you currently researching?
The current focus of endogenous steroid research aims to determine effective screening
markers of specific endogenous steroid abuse. Every sample analysed by the laboratory is
screened for the presence of anabolic steroids using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry
(GC-MS). The mere detection of steroids that occur naturally in the body obviously cannot
constitute a doping violation, so the presence of marker steroids altered following illegal
administrations is critical to identify samples as “suspicious” and therefore begin the process
of confirmation by GC-C-IRMS. Further, the metabolic component of the research requires a
greater understanding of the fundamental changes in stable carbon isotopes that occur during
pharmacological alteration. On the applied analytical side, there is the requirement for
metrological concepts to be implemented into GC-C-IRMS analysis. These largely comprise
the issues of measurement uncertainty and traceability that will serve to maintain the
defensibility of the GC-C-IRMS technique in the medico-legal domain of doping control.
Tell us about your achievements in chemistry
Anti-doping science is a very dynamic field. Each day, athletes who seek to gain an unfair
advantage and put their health at risk look to move the goalposts and out manoeuvre our
advances with new analytical methods. This always reminds us of the challenge we face, a
challenge we are more than willing to accept. I have been able to build on my early work
with the laboratory in my year in industry, validating new methods of steroid analysis. Often,
however, the advances are slow and painstaking but this makes it all the more worthwhile
when every so often I’ve cracked something genuinely new such as the identification of a new
steroid marker. One major project involving improvements in the analysis of steroid sulfate
metabolites that I began in 1998, was finally completed in 2004 with a new ion-paired
extraction method being validated. This will hopefully provide new information for steroid
detection and build on methods that were developed for the Olympic Research Program.
How has your career progressed to date?
In a rather unique way since I have in the past, and continue to pursue academic qualifications
with an industry based perspective that I am interested in. I believe this approach has helped
me to develop the necessary scientific skills to perform the work that needs to be done today
and the research that I want to do in the future. The people skills I have gained are also very
important to work effectively in a team orientated and friendly workplace environment.
What is most enjoyable about your profession?
More than anything, I enjoy working with dedicated people who like to make a difference in
science. We certainly have that at the NMI and particularly the ASDTL research team. It’s a
privilege to work alongside them. Using state of the art instruments each worth several
hundred thousand dollars is also pretty exciting.
What do you like least about your job?
There isn’t much I don’t like except sometimes the smell of urine can make me wish I worked
in the fresh air!
What skills do you use in your research?
The skills I use are wide and varied. They range from maintaining constructive interactions
with colleagues to technical knowledge of chemical techniques and instrumentation.
Probably the most important is the ability to think of ideas, plan methods, perform
investigations, analyse data and present information in an analytical manner.
The tasks in a typical day include:

Write literature reviews on previous research in doping control.

Plan future experiments to improve methods of detecting illegal doping.

Carry out previously planned experiments using state of the art techniques.

Review experimental results and perform statistical analysis on them.

Ensure that experimental results adhere to QA protocols.

Present results and discuss their implications to doping control at research meetings.
What are some alternative jobs that you would be qualified for?

Police forensic analysis.

Pharmaceutical research.

Drug policy and education.

Patent law.
What are some of the advantages to working in this field?

Fantastic job satisfaction.

New challenges everyday.

Collaboration with world leaders in scientific disciplines.

Use of cutting edge technology.
What are some of the disadvantages to working in this field?
The only disadvantage of working in this field is the pessimism directed at us in doping
control by those who believe that the cheats will always win. They say that we are too far
behind and that for each dollar we spend researching new methods they will spend a thousand
trying to circumvent our new tests. Personally, I find these attitudes defeatist and contrary to
the belief that science will provide new knowledge no matter what the odds. The optimism
that doping control scientist’s hold is analogous to that shared by the law enforcement
community in the fight against drugs, and medical researchers in their fight against cancer. I
believe that the only alternative to positive and constructive scientific research is to admit
defeat and quite literally let the bad guys win. In my mind this is not an option, so we should
let the science show that in time and with a lot of effort these battles can be won.
How has your work contributed to science?
Current research in doping control is concerned with investigating the natural levels of
endogenous (i.e. naturally occurring) compounds and how they and their metabolites change
following illegal administrations. In addition to improving the science of doping control, these
studies may provide new information that will contribute to more effective use of medicine
such as hormone replacement therapies. The improvements in specialised techniques used in
doping control such as Mass Spectrometry may also be applied to other areas of analytical
chemistry such as food and environment analysis. These fields are important for monitoring
contaminant levels for health and trade purposes.
I believe that the scientific aspect attached to the broader issue of drugs in sport has, along
with other areas of forensic science, raised the level of public interest in science. From my
experience presenting at scientific conferences the reception I have received from people has
been inspiring, and at times overwhelming. People, whether they are young or old, scientists
or non-scientists, are genuinely interested in how doping control is taking the fight to the
cheats. I find this pleasing, particularly from the non-scientists, since this work has broadened
people’s view of science from the nerdy old guy with glasses and white coat stereotype to the
image of science playing a critical role in everyday life. In terms of education I believe the
scientific community can exploit the novelty that young people have with forensic science.
The popularity of CSI and Discovery Channel on television can be used in a positive way to
foster the next generation of scientists who will be the ones to further the fight on drugs and
find cures for cancer.
How has your work benefited society?
Sport is ingrained in Australian and many other cultures. Either in an active or passive form it
is a favourite recreational activity. While sport has many emotional ties, today it also
represents big business. Promotion of products through sports marketing and sponsorship
continues to rise at an extraordinary rate. The difference between gold and silver for an athlete
competing at the Olympic Games can mean several millions of dollars and widely acclaimed
fame. Unfortunately however, the ambition driving athletes to be the best has also driven
some to use performance-enhancing and potentially harmful substances to give them “the
edge”. The use of drugs in sport is a public health issue that if avoided would threaten the
lives of athletes throughout the world and indirectly support the illegal use of drugs by people.
The function of doping control therefore is to protect the health, legal and ethical rights of
athletes, and in doing so serves society in a positive way.
What contemporary scientists from history do you admire and for what reasons?
I had the privilege to meet Sir Gustav Nossal in 1995 when I attended the National Youth
Science Forum in Canberra. He is an amazing person who’s immunology research has saved
so many lives from disease such as polio in the last 30 years. I was very happy to see him
awarded the honour of being named Australian of the Year in 2000. Closer to the area of
doping control, the pioneer of this field was the late Manfred Donike (1933-1995). His
committed fight against doping began in 1967 with his first published work “Detection of
doping agents using chromatography methods”. He demanded that the sport federations
control their athletes and so Manfred Donike’s analytical campaign had begun. Donike was
responsible for the synthesis of MSTFA in 1969 – MSTFA being the most widely used
derivatising agent in analytical chemistry. In 1972, he co-developed the use of the nitrogen
phosphorus detector (NPD) with Hewlett-Packard for the detection of stimulant drugs. I
would have loved to have met him, he was said to be truly inspirational for aspiring antidoping scientists like myself.
What scientific problem would you most like to solve and why?
I know no-one unaffected, at least indirectly by acquaintance, by the scourge that different
forms of cancer place on humanity. The complex life-science applications of proteomics and
genetics may, at present, be outside the area of my expertise, however, I would like to provide
those with the expertise, the tools they require to win the fight against cancer. Recently I
have been privy to some of the amazing work being carried out in the areas of medical
research and have been inspired to assist in the management of such projects in the future.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?
In 5 years time I hope to have completed my Ph.D and contributed knowledge to the area of
doping control through publication and presentation of my research. If the opportunity arose
to conduct postdoctoral research overseas I would consider it. I would also consider applying
the skills I have gained in science to an even more applied area such as forensic law.