J Ian Mason CV 1966-present

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I travelled to Scotland in October 1962 along with 5 fresher colleagues from Ermysted’s Grammar School (Skipton Yorkshire). One of them, Charlie Towler and now in New Zealand, was also in our Chemistry class. I completed Chemistry I, II and III very satisfactorily. However, my subsidiary subjects in Year 2 (Bacteriology I) and year 3 (Biochemistry I) were both the pre-honours course for their respective Honours Schools.  I was offered places in both these schools as well as Chemistry IV. I hadn’t really anticipated leaving Chemistry but, after much reflection (and angst), I selected to pursue the Biochemistry track, based largely in the centre of town at Teviot Place. After graduation I was offered a University of Edinburgh Faculty of Medicine Scholarship to pursue a PhD in Biochemistry in the laboratory of Professor George Boyd. The topic was ‘Sterol metabolism in the human placenta’, principally focussed on the characterisation of cholesterol side-chain cleavage enzyme, the initial step in steroid hormone formation. Little did I know that this would lead me into the then new world of cytochrome P450-dependent mono-oxygenases that would become a principal focus of the rest of my research and academic career. Graduating in 1970, I moved for post-doctoral to one of the early meccas of cytochrome P450 work, namely the laboratory of Dr Ron Estabrook at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School at Dallas in Texas. The three years there were extremely enjoyable and profitable both scientifically and socially, eventually becoming Assistant Professor of Biochemistry. However, I had the opportunity to return to Edinburgh in 1973 to re-join the group of Professor George Boyd that was now formally the MRC Group on Sterol Metabolism. I was accompanied back to Edinburgh by my wife Pamela (we married in 1968), two sons and a third born very soon after our return. While my return to Edinburgh was again enjoyable and reasonably successful, the middle seventies were plagued with rapid inflation, strikes, austerity, etc. For both career and financial prospects, I decided a move back to the USA was necessary and in late 1977 we moved to Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, where I became the head of a laboratory at the Worcester Foundation of Experimental Biology (where the contraceptive pill was developed in the 1960’s). I was now armed with a ‘green card’ and was able in 1980 to return to Dallas to a position in the recently new Cecil and Ida Green Center for Reproductive Sciences at UT Southwestern. This was the primary combined research postgraduate facility of the Departments of Obstetrics/Gynaecology and Biochemistry. My research team was extremely well supported for the next 15 years and the lab into the cloning and studying function and regulation not only of steroid hydroxylases but also various steroid dehydrogenases. In 1994, however, I was offered an appointment in Edinburgh Medical School to the Endowed Chair of Clinical Biochemistry. My wife (born in Aberdeen but brought up in Edinburgh) was excited at the prospect and I believed it would be a refreshing challenge.  Our sons had essentially flown the nest although our 16-year-old daughter was apprehensive of a move she had little control over. Fortunately we had retained our flat in Marchmont while in the USA (otherwise I doubt whether we could afforded to relocate!). I continued my research themes at the (old) Royal Infirmary labs, later moving to the Chancellor’s Building at Little France and eventually into the Queen’s Medical Research Institute and what is now the MRC Centre for Reproductive Health. Teaching became a more conspicuous part of my academic life. I was initially involved as the initial organiser of the MBChB Second Year Endocrinology course of the Vision 2000 Medical Curriculum, then becoming Director of the Year 1 MBChB programme (challenges there included adapting the trimester course to fit into the change to Semesterisation and moving the exam pass mark from 40% to 60%!). After 5 years in that position I then initiated a new BSc Medical Sciences Year 3 course in Clinical Biochemistry and Endocrinology. I finally also took on the role of Academic Misconduct Officer in the College of Medicine and Veterinary Sciences. What was sold to me as a quiet and occasional task, quite suddenly required significant input with plagiarism issues associated with rapidly increased use of internet content in the expansion of not only in-course work but also distance-learning taught postgraduate courses. Now I enjoy Emeritus Professor status at my Centre of Reproductive Health office, still contributing to activities I enjoy but avoiding any I found unpleasant!  Each of our children is married with two offspring. The 8 grandchildren range in age between 3 and 7. As our two eldest sons live in California, our third son at Henley-on-Thames and our daughter still in Edinburgh, we try our best to travel around to visit them all as frequently as possible.