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| Gordon W. Stewart |
| Department of Medicine, University College London |
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Gordon Stewart went to Medical School in Edinburgh. For his elective he went to Bart's with Prof David Mollin, the B12 and folate guru, who showed him the worth of, and satisfaction to be found in, clinical research. Later, as an SHO, he came across a patient with red cells that were leaky to sodium and potassium. By this time he was interested in 'salt' and this patient presented an interesting problem of membrane transport.
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Why did you go into hematology?
Truth to tell, I am not in fact a hematologist, but rather a physician who is interested in salt and salty red cells.
Who or what has most inspired you in your work?
I think that my greatest inspiration was the indefatigable Sir Stanley Peart at Mary's, who (firstly) gave me a job (!) and then encouraged me tremendously. He was always enthusiastic about science and taught me a vast amount of medicine.
Which scientific papers have made a great impression on you?
There were three. Ian Glynn's "Sodium and potassium movements in human red cells" (J Physiol 1956) was a classic, which established not only methods but also many fundamental scientific principles in ion transport. Jim Wiley's "A furosemide-sensitive cotransport of sodium plus potassium in the human red cell" (JCI, 1974) built on Ian Glynn's work and paved the way to our present understanding of sodium and potassium movements in not only the red cell but also many other tissues. Then there was Lock, Sephton-Smith and Hardisty's original paper on leaky red cells, "Stomatocytosis: a hereditary haemolytic anomaly associated with haemolytic anaemia" (BJH 1961). I have the privilege to know very well the son of the original patient described in this early paper.
What is the most important lesson you've learnt in your professional life?
I like this one. JJ Thompson (later Lord Kelvin) was a Scottish physicist. He said, "It's science, if you can measure it". The corollary, "if you can't measure it, it's not science" is a useful one.
What do you consider to be your greatest achievement?
Two children who both earn their own livings.
What are the best and worst aspects of your job?
Well, the two best things are uncovering new scientific truths and the students. Easily the worst thing is the utterly incompetent Department of Health.
When or where are you happiest?
In the car, hood down, sunny day, Cotswolds.
What do you do to relax?
Engines, brakes, alternators, tyres, exhausts.
What book are you reading at the moment?
Maupassant: Quinze Contes.
What's your most evocative piece of music?
"Sheep may safely graze", by JS Bach, transcribed by Stokowski.
What's your favorite film?
If I had to pick just one it would be Oliver Parker's 2002 version of "The Importance of Being Earnest". Terrific performance of Wilde's very clever classic.
What are your hobbies?
Cars, do-it-yourself, making things, fixing things.
What car do you drive?
We have a Mazda MX-5.
What are your unfulfilled ambitions?
To drive across the States (with the hood down).
How would you like to be remembered?
"That English (!) guy who sorted out the hereditary stomatocytoses"
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