About CSci

Submitted by dario on Tue, 03/15/2011 - 12:44
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Name: 
Jolyon P. Mitchell
Featured Profile: 
No
At A Glance
Licensed Body: 
RSC
Region: 
International
Location: 
Canada
First Degree: 
BSc (Hons) Chemistry
Job: 
Scientific Director
Age: 
59
Home: 
London, Ontario
Works For: 
Trudell Medical International
Qualifications: 
BSc, PhD
Pet Hates: 
None that I know of
Burning Ambition: 
Travel to as many tropical islands in the Pacific as possible
Superpower: 
To have absolute wisdom and at the same time be compassionate to others crossing my pathway in life
Big Picture
When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? 
A geologist, astronomer or meteorologist
Who or what inspired you to become a scientist? 
My chemistry teacher at high school
What do you love about your job and being a “scientist”? 
The ability to think deeply on an important topic and come up with discoveries that are new and possibly life-changing
What would you change? 
Not a lot – My education in the UK was first rate and taught me to think for myself – I am therefore largely self-educated in my topic of practice, which is medical aerosol science
Education
What qualifications did you take at school? 
A mixture of science and art subjects at GCE ‘O’-level, all science at ‘A’-level
Why did you choose your first degree subject? 
In Chemistry – I chose it because I was fascinated by chemical change of all types.
Do you have a Masters or PhD? If not, was it difficult to demonstrate Masters-level equivalence in order to achieve CSci? 
Yes
Job
How do you describe your job when you meet people at a party? 
As a scientific researcher
What is ‘cutting-edge’ about your work? 
New testing methods for inhaled drugs that are simpler but at the same time more powerful statistically, face models and breathing pattern simulations that are close realizations of reality
What are the biggest implications your work will/could have in the future? 
Some of my work could greatly reduce the burden of routine inhaler product quality testing leading to better decision making
Describe some of the highlights of your average day. 
Checking e-mail for progress on manuscripts to peer reviewed journals, discussions with colleagues on technical matters, teleconferences in relation to the development of better test methods for inhalers
Describe briefly how your career has progressed to date. 
I started in gas detection immediately after leaving university, then in 1980 transferred to the UKAEA to work on aerosol emissions in association with severe nuclear reactor accidents. In 1994 I emigrated to Canada with the demise of the UK nuclear research and low opportunities for employment in the UK. I founded a medical aerosol laboratory with my present employer in 1994 which has gone on to become recognized internationally as a centre of excellence
How is your job cross-disciplinary? 
I work in almost all aspects of science; from mathematics to chemistry, physics and biology in relation to my work, which is highly specialized and has to be learned on-the-task rather than taught from theory
How well is your job compensated? What is the starting salary for your field, and how much can this be expected to rise? 
Quite well financially, but the real compensation is the opportunity to do my own research outside of the main company priorities from time-to-time. What is the starting salary for someone in your field, and how much can this be expected to rise? ca. £20,000 p.a. rising to £75,000 p.a. for a senior position
How do you see your field developing over the next 5-10 years? 
Novel therapies for hard-to-treat lung-based disease modalities, such as cancer and drug-resistant infections, such as TB
What’s the most unexpected thing about your job? 
Working with many new people I meet at conferences etc. and discover we have common interests.
What’s the biggest achievement of your career so far? 
Pioneering and developing a new concept for simplified inhaler testing
Life
Would you say you have a good standard of living/ work-life balance? 
YES – I have lots of outside interest with which to balance work related stress
What do your friends and family think about your job? 
They are by and large impressed with the opportunities it affords, although they know little about the technical details
What kind of hobbies or extracurricular activities do you do to relax? 
Choir singing, hiking and exploration, photography, reading and watching movies related to the natural world, in particular weather, astronomy or geology
CSci
Why did you choose to apply for CSci and what do you value most about being a Chartered Scientist? 
I chose to apply because I value the idea of being recognized as a scientist with multi-disciplinary experience and achievements to my name. I value the qualification for the recognition it provides that I have attained a high standard of professionalism in my work
What is the value of professional bodies? 
They maintain high ethical and scientifically rigorous standards for work quality. They encourage post tertiary education learning and personal development as a practicing professional
How important is CPD? What do you think of the revalidation process in ensuring that CSci is a mark of current competence? 
CPD is vital to ensure that practitioners do not rest on their laurels. These days everyone gets out of date quickly unless efforts are made to maintain personal and professional development goals
Advice & Reflection
What words of wisdom would you give someone interested in getting into your field? 
Find a mentor and listen to that person’s counsel
How important is the mentoring process in your field and to you personally? 
It was vital, especially in my early days, saving me many mistakes
How would you define “professionalism”? 
The ability to work and present oneself as a person of high moral and ethical integrity whose work standard is to strive for excellence
What would you do differently if you were starting out in your career now? 
I would have become a university professor, as I discovered in hindsight that I like and have the gift for teaching science
What would you like people to remember about your life as a scientist? 
That I was a ‘giver’ and not just a ‘taker’ when it came to my relations with my fellow men.
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