Old Uffingtonians Association (1994)

   Willesden County Grammar School                         Ex-Pupils 1924-1967                    




Whos Who


 For more info', email
OldUffingtonians

 

 

  Derek Hook (1958-63)

Left after the 5th form and ‘O’ levels to move with my father and family to Chesterfield, where he was transferred by the Post Office Pensions Branch.  Got ‘A’ levels at Chesterfield Grammar School, and went to Hull University and got a B.Sc (Hons) in Biochemistry (1968).  Following that, moved to Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1968 and got a Ph.D. in Biology (Natural Products) in 1972.  Did 2 years post-doc at Purdue University in Indiana.  Left there in 1974 for Edmonton, Alberta to join a small biotech company called Raylo Chemicals.

 

Then moved and joined Bristol-Myers in 1978 in Syracuse NY in the Industrial Division (penicillin biosynthesis) and then joined the Research Division in 1985.  Moved to Bristol-Myers new building in Connecticut in 1986.  Met my wife, Barbara in Syracuse in 1982, got married in 1985 in the UK. Managed to get an instant family with Scott and Tami (20 & 21 and in the US Navy). Bristol-Myers merged with Squibb in 1989 and was then involved in laboratory robotics and automation for high throughput drug discovery. 

 

Left BMS in 1997 and joined another biotech (NPS Pharmaceuticals) in Salt Lake City as Director of Drug Discovery. Left there and moved to Psychiatric Genomics in Gaithersburg MD in 2000 and have been there since as Senior Director, Drug Discovery & Development. We’re looking for drugs to treat Schizophrenia, Bipolar and Autism.  Since I married Barbara in 1985, we have had 2 grandkids with Tami (Sean and Ryan – 18 and 12) and 1 with Scott (Billie – 3years).  Now have a townhouse in a community development in Gaithersburg that includes retail, restaurants, townhouses, single-family homes, cinema and lake all within walking distance just like in a major city. Looking to buy some property in San Diego where we will eventually retire.

 

Hobbies include cooking, gardening, cross-country skiing, ham radio, model railroads (N gauge) and reading.  Just bought myself a Viking 48 inch cook-top for the townhouse, which is my gourmet toy!  Have just started a bunch of herbs and veg in containers in the back patio. Real treat is I don’t have a lawn to mow any more. Barbara enjoys my cooking and we walk a lot together and we also are into ballroom dancing.