Name: Ian Bates
Job: Director of education, School of Pharmacy, University of London
- What is the trait you admire most in other people?
Tolerance and respect for others.
- What is the trait you dislike most in other people?
Greed and indifference.
- What is the trait you most dislike in yourself?
Indecisiveness (probably, although I'm not altogether sure).
- What is your most marked characteristic?
An inexplicable loyalty towards supporting Nottingham Forest Football Club.
- Who is your favourite hero or heroine of fiction?
Captain Ahab - a doomed character battling against insurmountable odds. Very similar to giving a second-year pharmacokinetics lecture.
- Who is your real-life hero or heroine?
I have deep-seated admiration for those who have fought oppression or brought about social change through self-sacrifice and determination, particularly revolutionary figures.
- Who is your favourite author?
Too many to mention! I love reading and would like to think that I have eclectic tastes. If I were to name one or two then maybe Patrick O'Brian or Peter Ackroyd. O'Brian's series of historical naval novels set during the Napoleonic wars is masterful.
- What characteristic do you value most in a friend?
An unquestioning attitude when it comes to buying me a drink.
- What or who is the biggest love of your life?
Bach's Mass in B minor played at dangerously high sound levels.
- What is your greatest indulgence?
Leisurely dinners in dimly lit restaurants that have at least one Michelin star.
- If you could go back in time, what career or occupation would you choose?
The same. I still cannot think of a more satisfying career. Chemistry, drugs, science and curing patients - what could be a better combination?
- What natural gift would you most like to possess?
I am very envious of musicians and artists.
- What is your motto?
In my personal life it would be "Treat others as you would like to be treated yourself".
When it comes to teaching then "Less is more ..." Never talk too much when teaching!