Frank Ashall

I'm Dr Frank Ashall, VSO volunteer professor of biochemistry, Doctor of Medicine

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I'm Dr Frank Ashall. I'm a British citizen and received my bachelors (BA) degree and doctorate (DPhil) in Biochemistry from Oxford University, and a Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree from the USA. I practiced Medicine as a physician in the USA for 11 years. Prior to that, I did biochemistry research for 14 years and ran a research group studying the biochemistry of tropical diseases. I have written numerous academic and other articles on science and medicine, and a book on popular science. Currently I work as a volunteer professor of biochemistry in Addis Ababa University Medical School/ Tikur Anbessa Hospital, Ethiopia, where I'm involved in teaching biochemistry to graduate and medical students and hope to help develop research programmes there. I work as a volunteer for Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO), Biochemistry has immense applications to improving healthcare, through diagnosing, treating and preventing disease. By producing high quality educators, researchers and doctors in developed and developing countries, we can improve healthcare and biotechnology globally. Medicine potentially has a huge role in human rights issues. Everyone deserves the right to have free access to decent healthcare and sanitation, adequate nutrition, a good education and basic housing. I believe that Medicine is involved in all of these issues in one way or another. There are two areas that particularly interest me when it comes to human rights: First, inequalities in healthcare access, particularly in poor countries. Transfer of knowledege and skills to individuals, with resultant empowerment and self-sustainment, is a major key to solving these issues. Second, it is predicted that tobacco, a major cause of disease and mortality globally,will kill 1,000,000,000 people in this 21st century. In the last century, 100,000,000 people died from tobacco-related illness, so we have been dealing with a serious tobacco "plague" for a long time. While tobacco use has decreased in many developed countries, it is increasing in many poor countries, where tobacco companies are intensifying their advertisements and profit-oriented goals at the expense of precious human health and life. There will be consequences for poor countries: the cost to human life will be enormous as will the financial cost to healthcare systems.

VSO (Voluntary Service Overseas) Associate Professor of Biochemistry at University of Addis Ababa Medical School/ Tikur Anbessa Hospital

December 2012 - Present | Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Volunteer professor of biochemistry, teaching graduate students and medical students.

Saint Louis University School of Medicine

1994 – 1998

Doctor of Medicine (M.D.)

Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, Oxford University, UK

Doctorate degree (D.Phil.)

Concentration: Biochemistry and Physiology

University College, Oxford University, UK

1976 – 1980

Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)

Concentration: Biochemistry

Hiking, Human Rights issues, Charles Dickens and his works, Hominid evolution, Classical Music, Astronomy, Ethiopia