Des Corrigan, senior lecturer in pharmaceutical sciences, TCD
Occupation: Senior lecturer at the school of pharmacy and pharmaceutical sciences, TCD; chairman of National Advisory Committee on Drugs; chairman of traditional herbal medicinal products subcommittee at the Irish Medicines Board.
Personal/family: Married to Mary with a son, Paul, daughter, Susan, and granddaughter, Sophia.
What figure from the world of medicine or health do you most admire? Internationally, I admire the late Monroe Wall who pioneered the study of anti-cancer drugs from plants and who, through his discovery of drugs such as paclitaxel, gave hope to many cancer sufferers.
Nationally, I admire cardiac surgeon Eilis McGovern and her medical and nursing colleagues because of their lifesaving treatment of one of my family members. They showed in the process that high-tech medicine can be delivered in a caring way and with humanity.
What other career might you have chosen? I cannot imagine not being a pharmacist, but any other career would definitely not be a job that required sales or business skills.
If you could grant three wishes for the health service, what would they be? As a new grandfather I would provide medical cards ensuring free treatment and medicine for all children under 10. I would employ more clinical pharmacists in our hospitals to enhance medicine management in wards and thus improving patient safety and outcomes. Finally, I would create and resource a national centre of excellence for innovation in addiction treatment of all types.
What is your greatest fear? Being told I must have routine surgery because I don't believe any surgery is routine.
Have you ever been a patient and were you a good one? Yes, and my wife tells me I was a good one.
When or where are you happiest? At a family meal with my wife, our children and their partners where the chat flows, the food is good and the wine is for medicinal purposes only.
How do you cope with stress? Reading modern European history or historically-based fiction; listening to light classical music (my wife tolerates my infatuation with mezzo-soprano Katherine Jenkins); and gardening.
What is the trait you most admire in yourself? My ability to see both sides of the argument.
What is the trait you most dislike in yourself? My obsession, inherited from my father, with being hours too early for events, flights, lectures...
Do you use alternative or complementary medicine or therapies? As a specialist in medicinal plants, I naturally trust them and use ginseng to prevent stress and improve my concentration. I also use ginger to prevent seasickness.
Who or what makes you laugh? My granddaughter, comedians such as Peter Kay, John Cleese and the Marx brothers. I also frequently laugh at myself.
What is your motto? Never ask anyone to do anything that you are not prepared to do yourself.
What is your favourite TV or radio programme? The West Wing (I'm missing it already since it finished), The Sopranos and, on radio, RTÉ One's Morning Ireland and Lyric FM's Drivetime Classics.
What books would you bring to a desert island? The novels of Patrick O'Brian and Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe. I would also bring 'Vegetable Growing Made Easy' and 'The Complete Guide to Poisonous Plants and Other Creepy Crawlies on Desert Islands' by anybody.
(Interview by Fiona Tyrrell)