Stuart Cook to take over from Andrew Tinker at TARRC

ERJ staff report (DS)

Brickendonbury, UK -- Dr Stuart Cook has been appointed Director of Research at the Tun Abdul Razak Research Centre (TARRC), the UK-based laboratory of the Malaysian Rubber Board, with effect from 1st July 2009. The appointment follows the retirement of Dr Andrew Tinker in June. Dr Cook will be responsible for the research activities of the 80 plus scientific and supporting staff working in the extensive laboratories at Hertford, just north of London.

Dr Cook, 51, joined TARRC in 1987 after a three-year spell teaching general science and chemistry to A-level standard. Dr Cook received his first degree in Chemistry from the University of East Anglia and continued studying there for his MSc and Doctorate on the chemical synthesis of prostacyclin analogues.

Most recently, Dr Cook's efforts have centred on the promotion of Ekoprena (ENR) for use in tyre applications, the development of passenger tyre compounds based on ENR-25 and providing assistance to the development of a new production process for ENR at the Rubber Technology Centre in Malaysia.