UCL Discovery

Abstract

The history of clinical pharmacology in the UK over the last half of the twentieth century is largely untold. Many important new drugs were developed and brought to market in the 1950s and 1960s ensuring the need for more systematic knowledge of drug effects in humans and also providing new career opportunities in teaching, research and practice. The 30th anniversary of the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology in 2004 and the 75th anniversary of the British Pharmacological Society in 2006 had prompted reflections from practicing clinical pharmacologists. It was timely, therefore, to bring together clinical pharmacologists and others who have shaped the discipline, to promote historical analysis and debate. Chaired by Professor Rod Flower, the meeting considered such questions as: What was/is clinical pharmacology? Which were the main centres of influence? Who and what were the main drivers? Who became clinical pharmacologists and why? What was the significance of specialized societies, meetings and journals? Participants included Dr Stuart Anderson, Dr Jeffrey Aronson, Professor David Barnett, Dr Linda Beeley, Professor Sir James Black, Professor Morris Brown, Professor Mark Caulfield, Sir Iain Chalmers, Professor Donald Davies, Professor Robin Ferner, Dr Arthur Fowle, Professor Sir Charles George, Professor David Gordon, Professor David Grahame-Smith, Dr Andrew Herxheimer, Dr Kenneth Hunter, Professor Trevor Jones, Professor Desmond Laurence, Professor Denis McDevitt, Professor Walter Nimmo, Professor Michael Orme, Dr Anthony Peck, Professor Laurie Prescott, Professor Brian Prichard, Professor John Reid, Professor James Ritter, Professor Philip Routledge, Professor Tilli Tansey, Professor Geoffrey Tucker, Professor Patrick Vallance, Professor Duncan Vere, the late Professor Owen Wade, Professor David Webb and Professor Frank Woods.

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