Richard Hughes has a brilliant academic record, a scholarship to Marlborough, an exhibition in classics to Cambridge, fortunately for neurology a change to medicine followed by a double first with several more prizes and scholarships en route, including a scholarship to Guy's Hospital Medical School, where he followed in the footsteps of his father, grandfather and great grandfather. He trained in neurology at Guy's Hospital, The National Hospital and University College Hospital and was appointed to the staff of Guy's Hospital and Medical School in 1975. Since then his academic output has been prodigious, raising about four million pounds in grants, publishing over 200 papers, reviews and editorials, including 15 this year alone, over 40 book chapters including four in the latest edition of Dyck and Thomas' Peripheral Neuropathy. He has written or edited seven books, one now in its 4 th edition. Along the way he has supervised four MDs and eight PhDs, with two more in process. He has edited The Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry and The Journal of Neurology and is the current editor of the Cochrane Neuromuscular Disease Review Group. He is internationally recognised for his expertise in peripheral nerve disorders, particularly the idiopathic demyelinating neuropathies, and he has that rare gift for clinically meaningful laboratory bench research and relevant clinical trials leading to clear management guidelines for the rest of us to adopt, as demonstrated by the recent production of the EFNS guidelines for the management of these conditions.

This very substantial list of academic achievements only represents about half of his activities. The ideal professor contributes not only to research but also to management, teaching and clinical work. Among more than 30 national and international committees on which he has served, he has chaired the Royal College of Physicians Neurology Committee and The Neuroimmunology Group of the British Society of Immunology. He chaired the Scientific Committee of the highly successful World Congress of Neurology in 2001, which was such a credit to this Association, and he has chaired the Scientific Committee of the European Federation of Neurological Societies, of which he was a Vice President. His consultant colleagues at Guy's and St.Thomas' elected him to chair their Medical and Dental Committee. He has been President of the Section of Clinical Neurosciences at the Royal Society of Medicine and President of the international Peripheral Nerve Society.

Throughout all this he has maintained a full teaching and clinical commitment, including providing a clinical service to SE Kent for eight years. His clinical excellence is attested by the number of consultant staff who seek his advice for their patients, themselves and their families, a measure of the esteem in which he is held by his colleagues. Much of this is a matter of record, but says little of the man himself. Those who know him well fully appreciate his warmth and humour as well as his kindness and generosity, both personal and professional.

I mentioned four parameters by which we might judge a professor: clinical, academic, teaching and management. Richard Hughes has demonstrated extraordinary expertise in all four areas, nowadays quite a rarity. Our Associations Medal is a fitting tribute to this outstanding and multitalented academic clinical neurologist.
MD O'Brien 5 October 2006