Ian Oswald
Encyclopedia
Ian Oswald is a retired sleep researcher
and psychiatrist
.
, Derbyshire
. In 1947, he became a medical student at Caius College, Cambridge, gaining a First Class
Honours degree in the Part 2 Tripos in Psychology
. He completed his clinical studies in Bristol and, when in the Royal Air Force
, gained a knowledge of electroencephalography
. He spent two years at Oxford, and for his research received the M.D. (Cambridge) in 1959. He became a lecturer in the Department of Psychological Medicine of Edinburgh University in 1959. In 1963 he was awarded the Gaskell Gold Medal in Clinical Psychiatry of the Royal Medico-Psychological Association, and in the same year the degree of D.Sc. of Edinburgh University. In 1965-1967, on leave from Edinburgh, he established a Department of Psychiatry in the University of Western Australia
. He became a Foundation Fellow of the Royal College of Psychiatrists in 1971, and in 1977 was appointed to a personal Chair in Edinburgh University. In the 1980s in research with Kirstine Adam, he reported that the sleeping drug triazolam
(Halcion), when taken nightly caused adverse mental effects by day. This led on to 1991 when triazolam was banned in the United Kingdom because, as the Committee on Safety of Medicines said after studying further unpublished research by the Upjohn Company of Kalamazoo (Halcion's manufacturers), "triazolam causes frequent and disabling psychiatric adverse reactions at doses of 0.5 and 1mg when used in a population of young and middle-aged patients with no mental illness". (The Daily Telegraph. October 2, 1991). In 1992, the Upjohn Company of Kalamazoo, the makers of Halcion, sued him in London for libel and he countersued in a 62-day trial .
, Professor of Economics.
Sleep medicine
Sleep medicine is a medical specialty or subspecialty devoted to the diagnosis and therapy of sleep disturbances and disorders. From the middle of the 20th century, research has provided increasing knowledge and answered many questions about sleep-wake functioning. The rapidly evolving field has...
and psychiatrist
Psychiatrist
A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders. All psychiatrists are trained in diagnostic evaluation and in psychotherapy...
.
Academic career
He was educated first in London and later in BelperBelper
Belper is a town and civil parish in the local government district of Amber Valley in Derbyshire, England.-Geography:Belper is situated eight miles north of Derby and is centred in the valley of the River Derwent...
, Derbyshire
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
. In 1947, he became a medical student at Caius College, Cambridge, gaining a First Class
British undergraduate degree classification
The British undergraduate degree classification system is a grading scheme for undergraduate degrees in the United Kingdom...
Honours degree in the Part 2 Tripos in Psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
. He completed his clinical studies in Bristol and, when in the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
, gained a knowledge of electroencephalography
Electroencephalography
Electroencephalography is the recording of electrical activity along the scalp. EEG measures voltage fluctuations resulting from ionic current flows within the neurons of the brain...
. He spent two years at Oxford, and for his research received the M.D. (Cambridge) in 1959. He became a lecturer in the Department of Psychological Medicine of Edinburgh University in 1959. In 1963 he was awarded the Gaskell Gold Medal in Clinical Psychiatry of the Royal Medico-Psychological Association, and in the same year the degree of D.Sc. of Edinburgh University. In 1965-1967, on leave from Edinburgh, he established a Department of Psychiatry in the University of Western Australia
University of Western Australia
The University of Western Australia was established by an Act of the Western Australian Parliament in February 1911, and began teaching students for the first time in 1913. It is the oldest university in the state of Western Australia and the only university in the state to be a member of the...
. He became a Foundation Fellow of the Royal College of Psychiatrists in 1971, and in 1977 was appointed to a personal Chair in Edinburgh University. In the 1980s in research with Kirstine Adam, he reported that the sleeping drug triazolam
Triazolam
Triazolam is a benzodiazepine drug. It possesses pharmacological properties similar to that of other benzodiazepines, but it is generally only used as a sedative to treat severe insomnia...
(Halcion), when taken nightly caused adverse mental effects by day. This led on to 1991 when triazolam was banned in the United Kingdom because, as the Committee on Safety of Medicines said after studying further unpublished research by the Upjohn Company of Kalamazoo (Halcion's manufacturers), "triazolam causes frequent and disabling psychiatric adverse reactions at doses of 0.5 and 1mg when used in a population of young and middle-aged patients with no mental illness". (The Daily Telegraph. October 2, 1991). In 1992, the Upjohn Company of Kalamazoo, the makers of Halcion, sued him in London for libel and he countersued in a 62-day trial .
Personal life
He is married to fellow sleep researcher, Dr Kirstine Adam, and has four children from his late wife. He is the father of Andrew OswaldAndrew Oswald
Andrew Oswald is a Visiting Fellow at the IZA Institute in Bonn and a Professor of Economics at the University of Warwick, UK. He is an ISI Highly Cited Researcher and has been a Professorial Fellow of the ESRC. He is currently a member of the board of editors of Science...
, Professor of Economics.