Careers in Tandem

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Sussex boasted another first last month with the granting of professorships to John and Charles Abraham. Brothers John and Charles are the first siblings to be made professors at Sussex. Charles was appointed Professor of Psychology in December 1998 and John's appointment as Professor of Sociology followed the most recent meeting of Senate. The brothers are based in SOC. Amazingly, they were both undergraduates at Sussex too, with John gaining a BSc in Mathematics in 1983 and going on to study for an MSc in Science, Technology and Industrialisation and an MA in Sociology. He completed his DPhil on the Political Sociology of Medicine in 1992. Charles graduated in 1978 with a degree in Social Psychology, finishing his doctorate on Attribution Theory in 1982. The brothers will soon be co-directors of a Centre for the study of health-related policy and behaviour, which they are currently in the process of setting up.

Charles (left) and John riding high on their success

Charles' research focuses on the field of health-related behaviour, studying people's attitudes to health and illness and their willingness to take action to protect their health. He has worked on a sex education teaching package for 14-16 year olds. John works in a similar area, concentrating on the regulation of medicines and the pharmaceutical industry. John's best known work is his 1995 book on Science, politics and the pharmaceutical industry and another book on the safety of sleeping pills is in the pipeline.

Inspired by the Sussex set-up, John says "The University must have one of the most beautiful campuses in the country. It also has a really nice mix of research centres and teaching schools. The research institutions really complement the main schools." Charles previously worked at Ninewells Medical School at the University of Dundee and was attracted back to Sussex by the setting up of a large social psychology group with a special interest in health.

The brothers are very fond of each other. John says "We get on really well, which is just as well when we live and work in the same place."