Raymond Dwek CBE FRS (1949-60)

The Road from Carmel

Joining Jill and Doron on the 34th episode of the podcast, the sixteenth of our second season, to tell us his story is esteemed British scientist Professor Raymond Dwek, who attended Carmel College from 1949 to ‘60, accompanied by his older brother Joe. Both brothers would go on to become governors of Carmel.

Raymond studied Chemistry at Manchester University and completed his DPhil at Oxford University. During this time, both Raymond and his wife Sandra also taught at Carmel. He became Professor of Glycobiology, a field he was instrumental in creating, in the Department of Biochemistry at Oxford, which he headed for several years. He is an emeritus fellow of Exeter College at Oxford and emeritus director of the Oxford Glycobiology Institute, which he founded. The institute gave rise to a company that became publicly listed and developed a drug - eventually approved worldwide - for Gaucher disease, a rare, genetic metabolic disorder with a much enhanced incidence among Ashkenazi Jews. A second company that arose from the institute was taken over by United Therapeutics, a $15 billion NASDAQ-listed US biotech company, of which Raymond is a Director. He has authored several scientific volumes and over 600 published papers, has formally advised scientific institutions in Israel, the United States and China, was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire for services to scientific collaboration between the United Kingdom and Israel, and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society. He and Sandra live in Oxford, and have four children, including a daughter, Deborah, who also attended Carmel.

Hear Raymond talk about the Dwek dynasty, an unexpected guest at a midnight feast, the best teacher he ever knew, his brother Joe’s ‘special diet’, building Ben Gurion University from a camel market, his CBE award by Princess Anne, and the secret to a long and happy marriage.

Thank you, Professor Raymond Dwek, for turning us again to Carmel days!

Dedication: at Raymond’s request, this episode is dedicated to his daughter Deborah, his brother Joe, and Joe's son Jonathan, all of whom went to Carmel, along with all the other members of the Dwek family that did so too.

Personal mentions in this episode:

• Rabbi Dr. Kopul Rosen (Headmaster)

• Bella Rosen (Co-founder)

• Rabbi Jeremy Rosen (Headmaster)

• Romney Coles (Chemistry)

• Dr. David Stamler (Headmaster)

• John Bunney (Physics)

• Ron Evans (Mathematics)

• Murray Roston (English & Hebrew)

• Ted Fields (Rowing)

• Malcolm Shifrin (Librarian)

• Dr. Alexander Tobias (Jewish Studies)

• Meir Gertner (Jewish Studies)

• Philip Skelker (Headmaster)

• Joe Dwek

• Deborah Dwek

• David Sheldon

• Jerrold Roston

• Jonathan Dwek

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