about

who?

I'm Robert Hallam. I'm a graduate from Glasgow University. Specifically, undergraduate pharmacology (ie BSc Hons). I'm also a web designer, and I've been known to do other design work (eg magazine covers) on request.

I will be returning to my alma mater in 2010 to study medicine, but I've given myself a year off (hah!) to go and live in some foreign countries.

education

I have completed four years of tertiary education so far. For this, I have been rewarded with a Bachelor of Science with Honours in Pharmacology from Glasgow University. If you are interested in either what I have studied, or are considering coming to GU to complete a (biological or otherwise) science degree, I can give you the following information:

Years:

  1. I studied basic general biology, general chemistry (organic and inorganic, plenty of practical work), and mathematics. Biology was mandatory for a biological degree, as was either chemistry or "science fundamentals", with the remaining 40 credits used to take another option (well, two options, one for each half of the year).
  2. I studied 12 biological modules. There was an option to continue with chemistry for half of your credits (ie 6 modules), and I know of folk who pursued non-related subjects, such as languages. A list of the modules that I remember:
    1. Basic genetics
    2. Physiology
    3. Anatomy ("Human form and function")
    4. Drugs and disease (required for pharmacology)
    5. Cells and tissues in health and disease
    6. Some form of theoretical microbiology ("Microorganisms" or something similar)
    7. Practical microbiology (mainly lab-based teaching with some theory-based lectures)
    8. Biological clocks
    9. Immunology
    10. Infection and immunity (the second microorganism-based one)
    11. Some kind of developmental / embryology-based module (will have to look this one up -> "Reproduction and development"... sadly not much practical work!)
    12. Neuroscience and behaviour (can't believe I forgot this one, the neuroscientists were part of our degree group, along with the physiologists and anatomists)
    Towards the end of the year you nominate your "final degree", although some (virology / Parasitology / Microbiology) degrees still allow choice.
  3. This was in 4 components of unequal size:
    1. Pharmacology-specific teaching and practical work
    2. "Core content", consisting of teaching and practical work shared with other degree-group students
    3. Statistics. Poorly taught but very important, in theory
    4. Some practical work on gene-bashing. Every biology student does this. Undocumented bonus: one of the lecturers /instructors was a big fan of The Wire.
    There was also a 'library project', which was basically a literature review investigating a subject of your choice. As fun as it sounds.
  4. Ah the fun one. Choose 4 5/6-week 'options' (or in our case, 3 + 1 mandatory module), while studying core content and doing a 22-week research project. My choices (yes, I love nested lists):
    1. Autonomic nervous system
    2. Diseases of the nervous system (more cellular basis of disease like Parkinsons, etc)
    3. Drug metabolism and pharmacokinetics (my bread and butter)
    4. cardiovascular pharmacology and therapeutics
    A busy year, but lots of fun - especially the research project.

Starting in 2010 I'll be studying towards an MB ChB.

sport

I love playing football. There's not much that can keep me away from it. I also play badminton occasionally. I do others as and when I have the time (rarely).

employment

I design and update websites, do occasional print design work, and I also work in a medical practice. All of these I enjoy immensly.

This site should validate as XHTML 1.0 Strict, though I'm not fanatical about that. CSS is also valid, for what it's worth.