My time at SKC was when I saw my dreams to be a sportsman evaporate around my skinny legs, leaving me to settle for taking my turn at the back of the 4th XV scrum. Fortunately, the school stimulated and supported my interest in other areas- Biology, English and French, in particular. The foundations laid then by the excellent teachers at SKC have stood me in good stead over the years.

After leaving SKC, I did an MSc at Otago Uni, before going to Cambridge University to study for my PhD in virology. I then got to use the French that Mr Stead taught me in 3rd-5th form to take up a research job at the Pasteur Institute in Paris. That job involved finding the first known genes for human deafness. Back in New Zealand 3yrs later, I worked at a Crown Research Institute in Auckland for several years before coming back south to Dunedin to get into cancer research, specifically on a project to find the cause of an inherited form of stomach cancer that is particularly common in Māori. These days I’m a Professor in cancer genetics, and father to four fairly grown up children- Guy, Nick, Ben and Bridget.

Getting a solid grounding in diverse subjects has been essential for my career.  The Sciences taught at SKC got me into my Uni studies, French allowed me to travel for my work, and English has underpinned all the writing that I have to do as part of my job.

Article added: Friday 24 November 2023