William Ian McDonald

Ian McDonald is held in the highest regard as a clinician, as a clinical neuroscientist and as an ambassador for British neurology. His early training was in New Zealand, where he obtained his PhD at the University of Otago for a seminal study of experimental demyelination, a research field that has been the focus of his interest throughout his career. He came to Queen Square as a House Physician in 1963, being appointed to the Consultant staff in 1966 and as Professor of Clinical Neurology in 1974, a career that might serve as a model - however unattainable - for all aspiring neurologists. Ian McDonald has shown a remarkable ability to remain at the forefront of multiple sclerosis research for more than two decades, leading a highly productive group and training a succession of fellows. His exceptional achievements rest in particular on his special insight into pathophysiological processes, on his ability to exploit new technical developments and on the care with which his research is executed. It is no wonder that he has for so long been the leading British researcher internationally in this highly competitive field. His contributions to neurology have not been in research alone, as this Association knows. He was our President from 1995 to 1997, President of the European Neurological Society from 1994 to 1995, and is President-Elect of the World Congress in 2001. He was appointed Editor of Brain in 1991, serving until last year and overseeing a steady rise in the Journal's impact factor. His recent appointment as Harveian Librarian at the Royal College of Physicians is a mark of his wide cultural interests that embrace music in particular. This Association, in awarding you its Medal for 1998, does so with admiration and with gratitude for your egregious service to clinical neurology.

J Newsom-Davis 16 April 1998