John's Professional Interests Before Retirement
John Wells BSc MSc DPhil CRadP FSRP
Training and Employment
Warwick University: Department of Physics (BSc)
Leeds University: Department of Medical Physics (undergraduate placement), Medical Research Council Environmental Radiation Unit
Salford University: Department of Physics (MSc)
Manchester: Teacher of Mathematics
Oxford University: Department of Clinical Medicine, Corpus Christi College and the Churchill Hospital Research Unit (DPhil)
Berkeley Nuclear Laboratories: Health Physics Research
Formerly a Chartered Physicist, Chartered Biologist (FIBiol) and Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine
Professional background
Chemosensitivity and radiosensitivity testing of freshly explanted human tumour cells
Assessment of the prognosis for survival following the inhalation of radioactive particles in man and other mammals
Theoretical aspects of radiation cacinogenesis following highly non-uniform exposure to radioactive particulates
First Executive Editor: Journal of (the Society for) Radiological Protection
The production and dosimetry of small, high specific activity beta-emitting radioactive sources
The acute effects of radioactive beta emitters of various energies and sizes on skin
Radiation protection criteria for skin
1986 Founders' Prize (medal) of the Society for Radiological Protection
The acute deaths and dosimetry at Chernobyl (UK government nominated advisor to the IAEA for meetings in Leningrad and the Curie Institute, Paris)
Hair as a biological radiation dosemeter
Plucked hair follicles: cell culture / chromosomes / micronuclei
Micronucleus induction in human lymphocytes following irradiation in vitro and partial body irradiation in vivo
Grey/white hair as a 'light guide' (into the skin)
Fluorescence backlight staining of biological samples
Some Selected Publications
(Publication numbers are not sequential, as about half have been excluded)
1976
3.Wells, J., Berry, R.J. and Laing, A.H. X-ray survival curves of freshly explanted human tumour cells from a variety of origins. In: Human Tumours in Short Term Culture; Techniques and Clinical Applications.pp 185-187, ISBN: 0-12-209850-1, (Academic Press, P.P. Dendy:Editor)1976.
4.Wells, J., Berry, R.J. and Laing, A.H. The chemosensitivity of freshly explanted human tumour cells of various origins as determined by clonal assay and six-day growth in vitro and variation in chemosensitivity with subsequent subculturing. In: Human Tumours in Short Term Culture; Techniques and Clinical Applications. pp158-164.(as above) 1976.
5.Wells, J., A guide to the prognosis for survival in mammals following the acute effects of inhaled radioactive particles. Journal of the Institution of Nuclear Engineers, 17, No.5, 126-131, 1976.
6.Wells, J., Berry, R.J. and Laing, A.H. Reproductive survival in vitro of recently explanted human tumour cells following exposure to vinblastine - A suggestion for improved clinical dose schedules. European Journal of Cancer, 12, 793, 1976.
1977
7.Wells, J., Berry, R.J. and Laing, A.H. Reproductive survival of explanted human tumor cells after exposure to nitrogen mustard or X-irradiation; Differences in response with subsequent subculture in vitro. Radiation Research, 69 , 90, 1977.
1978
8.Wells, J. Theoretical aspects of radiation carcinogenesis: Cell survival-dependent dose-rate effects. Journal of the Institution of Nuclear Engineers, 19, 89, 1978.
1979
15.Wells, J. and Charles, M.W. The development of criteria for limiting the non-uniform irradiation of skin: The rationale for a study of non-stochastic effects. CEGB Report RD/B/N4565, 1979.
16.Wells, J. and Charles, M.W. Proposed experiments for assessing the potential use of skin as an indicator of sub-erythemal radiation exposure. CEGB Report RD/B/N4629, 1979.
1980
17.Wells, J., Berry, R.J., and Laing, A.H. The effect of irradiated feeder cells on the X-ray survival curve shape of freshly explanted human tumor cells and a standard human tumor cell line. Radiation Research, 81, 150, 1980.
1981
20.Wells, J. Plucked hairs as cytogenetic monitors of exposure to radiation or mutagenic chemicals. Radiation Protection Dosimetry, 1,305, 1981.
21.Wells,J., Charles, M.W. and Warner, T.T., Some cytological characteristics of plucked hairs and their potential for radiation measurement. CEGB Report RD/B/5176N81, 1981.
1982
22.Wells, J. and Charles, M.W. Biological dosimetry of non-uniform radiation exposure. In: Proceedings of the 3rd. International Symposium on Radiation Protection - Advances in Theory and Practice.ISBN: 0-9508123-0-7, Vol. 1, pp 352, 1982.
23.Wells, J., Charles, M.W., Peel, D.M., Hansen, L., Hopewell, J.W. and Coggle, J.E. Non-uniform irradiation of skin: Criteria for limiting non-stochastic effects. Proceeding of the 3rd. International Symposium on Radiation Protection - Advances in Theory and Practice. ISBN:0-9508123-0-7, Vol.2, pp 537, 1982.
26.Wells, J., Current radiation protection criteria for non-stochastic effects in skin: An invited paper presented at a workshop (of the EULEP Committee for Non-Neoplastic Disease) on the response of skin to ionising radiation. Reisensburg, February 1982 (abstract) EULEP Newsletter No. 28, April 1982.
27.Wells, J. A simple technique for establishing cultures of epithelial cells. British Journal of Dermatology, 107, 481, 1982.
1983
28.Wells, J., Charles, M.W. and Warner, T.T., Chromosomes from the epithelium of plucked human telogen hairs. Human Genetics, 63, 315,1983.
29.Wells, J. Corona discharge photography of metal surfaces: The Kirlian effect, CEGB Memorandum TPRD/B/PC/0116/M83, 1983.
30.Wells, J., Human hair: An educational tool. Journal of Biological Education, 17, 185, 1983.
1984
37.Wells, J. Milton/Giemsa banding of chromosomes - Not ready for adoption. (Letter) Karyogram, 10, 58, 1984.
1985
41.Wells, J., Plucked hairs: A source of cells for culture or cytogenetic analysis (Abstract). Human Toxicology, 4, 537, 1985.
43.Wells, J., Plucked hairs in culture, Alternatives to Laboratory Animals. (Letter), 12, 259, 1985.
44.Wells, J., and Sieber, V.K. Morphological characteristics of cells derived from plucked human hair in vitro. British Journal of Dermatology, 113 ,669 , 1985.
1986
46.Sieber, V.K. and Wells, J. The use of plucked hairs as a biological dosemeter. British Journal of Radiology, Suppl. 19, 92, 1986.
48.Wells,J. Problems associated with localised skin exposure. (An invited paper presented at a meeting organised by the CEC and IPSN in Paris).British Journal of Radiology, Suppl. 19, 146, 1986.
52.Wells, J. Chromosomes from plucked hairs. Karyogram, 12, 15, 1986.
1987
54.Wells, J., Hopewell, J.W., Charles, M.W. and Coggle, J.E. Accidental exposure of skin to beta emitters: Dose distribution and biological effects. (Abstract). Radiation Research: Proceedings of the 8th International Congress of Radiation Research, 1987.
1988
57.Wells, J. The biological implications of beta irradiation of skin (invited paper), Beta Dosimetry - Fifth Information Seminar on the Radiation Protection Dosemeter Intercomparison Programme:EUR 11363 Bologna, May 1987, 161, 1988.
58.Wells, J. A technique for staining the superficial cells of plucked hair follicles and other solid tissue samples. Stain Technology, 63, 189, 1988.
61.Wells, J. Extrapolation ionisation chamber measurements on beta-emitting sources produced for the CEGB collaborative radiobiology programme. CEGB Report TPRD/B/0867/R88, 1988.
1989
62.Wells, J. Hair light guide. Nature, 338, 23, 2 March 1989.
63.Wells, J. A simple and fast technique for staining solid pieces of tissue. Microscopy and Analysis, Issue 10, 31, March 1989.
64.Wells, J., Hall, S.C., Mill, A.J. and Charles, M.W., Biological dosimetry using skin, hair and blood. Proceedings of the Fourth International Symposium on Radiation Protection - Malvern'89. ISBN 0-85498-052-0, 441, 1989.
67.Wells, J., Sieber, V.K., Hopewell, J.W. and Hall, S.C. Biological dosimetry of non-uniform radiation exposure. CEGB Research. No23, 17, December 1989.
68.Wells, J. Demonstration of mitoses on the surface of solid tissue samples using fluorescence backlight staining. Karyogram, 15, 6, 124, 1989.
1990
69.Wells, J. and Butler, A. Letter to the Editor (on radiation deletion of the hair medulla increasing light transmission along grey hair). International Journal of Radiation Biology, 58, 2, 383, 1990.
1991
71.Wells, J., Observing cells in plucked hair follicles. Journal of Biological Education, 25, 1, 3, 1991.
72.Wells, J., Butler, A., Hopewell, J.W. Ritchie, D.M. and Preece, A.W. The development of biological dosimetry techniques for assessing non-uniform radiation exposure. Nuclear Electric Report TD/RPB/REP/0064, March 1991.
73.Wells, J., Butler A., Ritchie, D.M. and Preece, A.W., Micronucleus induction in human lymphocytes following irradiation in vitro and partial-body exposure in vivo. (Abstract), International Journal of Radiation Biology, 60, 6, 948, 1991.
74.Wells, J., Butler, A., and Hopewell, J.W. Radiation-induced changes in the medulla, follicle and diameter of plucked pig hair and their potential for biological dosimetry. (Abstract), International Journal of Radiation Biology, 60, 6, 949, 1991.
75.Wells, J. Skin tumors from hair follicles (letter) Health Physics Society Newsletter, 19, 7, 6, (July) 1991.