John Parkinson is a career-track academic applications specialist in the field of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy with a wealth of interdisciplinary research experience. He is head of NMR spectroscopy at Strathclyde having joined the University in November 2001 from positions as NMR spectroscopist with the Metals-in-Medicine group and the EPSRC National Ultra High Field NMR Facility at the University of Edinburgh (1990-2001).

Research interests include understanding the factors that drive molecular recognition and assembly in biomolecular systems, exploring enzyme reactivity and substrate demand in the context of complex natural product mixtures, defining applications for new experimental developments in the field of NMR spectroscopy, monitoring chemical and biochemical reaction processes and in understanding molecular structure, dynamics and mechanism in the broadest sense.

John is an expert in the solution-phase aspects of NMR spectroscopy and has wide knowledge of practical experimental NMR methods, NMR instrumentation, NMR data handling and interpretation, NMR laboratory management as well as skills in writing, teaching, molecular modelling, research project supervision, examining at both undergraduate and postgraduate level and disemination of research findings through conference oral and poster presentations. John is also involved in shaping future national UK-wide and local area policy on NMR equipment provision and is a serving member (honourary treasurer) of the Royal Society of Chemistry NMR Discussion Group.

John has involvement with the supervision of industry-based research students and interacts with industrial bodies through their interactions with the Strathclyde NMR Unit.

John teaches NMR spectroscopy to third year undergraduate Chemistry students and Biomolecular, Structure, Dynamics and Mechanism to final year Chemistry with Drug Discovery and postgraduate diploma in Medicinal Chemistry. He also delivers a course in NMR spectroscopy to postgraduate researchers.

John qualified with a PhD from the University of Leeds (1989) and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC).