From 1969 to 1972 I studied chemistry at Leeds University, and graduated with an upper second class BSc Hons degree. I then stayed at Leeds to do a PhD in organic chemistry under the supervision of Professor B. Lythgoe (the Head of the Organic Chemistry Department). My research topic was: 'Synthesis of the ring A diene-diol of Vitamin D' After much struggling to get one particularly tricky reaction to work (about 6 months of hair-tearing!), I finally crystallized my final product on my last day at the university. There were (as far as I know) two publications in the scientific journals:
1975 TETRAHEDRON LETTERS (30):2593-2596 LYTHGOE B; MILNER JR; TIDESWELL J CLAISEN REARRANGEMENTS OF ALLYLIC ALPHA-PHENYLTHIOACETATES - APPLICATIONS IN SYNTHESIS
1978 JOURNAL OF THE CHEMICAL SOCIETY-PERKIN TRANSACTIONS 1 (4):387-395 LYTHGOE B; MANWARING R; MILNER JR; MORAN TA; NAMBUDIRY MEN; TIDESWELL J CALCIFEROL AND ITS RELATIVES .21. SYNTHESIS OF (S)-(Z)-2-(5- HYDROXY-2-METHYLENECYCLOHEXYLIDENE)ETHANOL (shown below)