David Porter

My career has been 'all over the place', both figuratively and literally.   First, I worked for a Ph.D. in nuclear physics in the Nat. Phil. Dept.

In 1967, I joined AWRE Aldermaston measuring neutron cross-sections for the fast reactor programme.  In 1970, I returned to Glasgow to provide physics inputs for a clinical trial of fast neutron radiotherapy.     

In 1975, I moved away from physics to health technology management and was responsible for establishing a technical support service for 26 hospital laboratories in the West of Scotland.

In 1978, I was seconded to the UK Overseas Development Ministry for a period of seven years to lead a project in Egypt assisting its Ministry of Health in creating engineer and technician training courses and in establishing health facility technical support services throughout the country.     During this period I also provided consultancy services in several other countries in the region on behalf of the WHO, the World Bank, UNDP and USAID.

On return to the Scotland in1984, I set up an Overseas Projects Group for the Scottish health services, and over the next 27 years managed and provided international consultancy services, including technical and economic appraisals of proposed investments and development project support, in around 35 different countries across the world sponsored by a variety of international and bilateral development agencies.

My mainstays on these journeys have been Jinty, my wife of 46 years, our three children and now three grandchildren.

Thankfully the urge to travel has receded in retirement, and my main interests now are gentle exercise, books and oenology.