Diabetes UK Roll of Honour

The Diabetes UK Roll of Honour aims to acknowledge people who have played an exceptional role in the history of diabetes and who have made a significant contribution towards the charity's mission statement - to improve the lives of people with diabetes and to work towards a future without diabetes.

The Roll of Honour is intended as a ‘living’ document.  If you would like to nominate an individual for inclusion on the Roll of Honour, please send the name, some biographical information and a brief explanation to governance@diabetes.org.uk.  When considering candidates for nomination, please refer to the following criteria:

(1) The candidate was British and / or UK-based; and
(2) The candidate played an exceptional role in the history of diabetes and / or Diabetes UK (formerly the British Diabetic Association - BDA); or
(3) The candidate made a significant contribution towards the Diabetes UK / BDA mission statement.
(4) The candidate is deceased.

Candidates not meeting the above criteria may be considered in exceptional circumstances.

Submissions will be reviewed by the Governance Committee when it meets during the year.

Roll of Honour

The Board notes in particular the role of the first six people in the list and their contribution to the history of diabetes and/or Diabetes UK.

(Each name links to a short biography)

F G Banting
C Best
JRR Macleod
J B Collip
HG Wells
RD Lawrence

Jack Apfel
Arnold Bloom
Kenneth Bristow
John Butterfield
Leslie Duncan
Bradley-Marc Elster
Derek Gladwin
Nick Hales
Dorothy Hodgkin
John Ireland
JGL Jackson
Richard Lund
John Malins
John Nabarro
David Pyke
Philip Randle
John Primatt Redcliffe-Maud
John Stowers
Robert Turner
Hugh Walpole
B A Young
Frank G Young

Biographical Notes

F G Banting

  • 1891 - 1941
  • Canadian doctor, researcher and co-discoverer of insulin.
  • Nobel Laureate for Medicine 1923
  • Vice-President from 1934.

C Best

  • 1899 - 1978 
  • Canadian doctor, physiologist and co-discoverer of insulin.
  • Vice-President from 1934.

J R R Macleod

  • 1876 - 1935 
  • Scottish physiologist – international reputation in carbohydrate metabolism.
  • Head of Department of Physiology in Toronto who in 1921 sponsored Banting’s work; co-discoverer of insulin.
  • Nobel Laureate for Medicine 1923. 

J B Collip

  • 1892 - 1965 
  • Canadian biochemist; co-discoverer/developer of insulin – developed the process for producing enough pure insulin for clinical trials.

H G Wells

  • 1866 - 1946 
  • English Teacher and Science Fiction / socialist writer.
  • Co-founded The Diabetic Association in 1934 with R D Lawrence.
  • First President 1934 – 1946.
  • The radical charity Lawrence and Wells founded aimed to ensure that everyone in the UK could gain access to insulin and education in its use, whatever their financial situation.  The Diabetic Association (which became the British Diabetic Association - BDA - in 1954 and Diabetes UK in 2000), challenged prevailing inadequacies in provision of health care and vigorously supported the founding of a national health service.  A fundamental belief was that people with diabetes must be equal partners in managing their own condition, so pioneering the principles of the patient-centred approach now being applied across the NHS over 50 years later.

R D Lawrence

  • 1892 - 1968
  • Scottish doctor.
  • Co-founded the Diabetic Association in 1934 with H G Wells; co-founder and first President of the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) (1953/4).
  • First Chairman of the Association (until 1961).
  • Diabetes Physician at King’s College Hospital, London.
  • First President of IDF.

Jack Apfel

  • Deceased 1997
  • Trustee from July 1977; later served as Honorary Secretary and Honorary Treasurer; later a Vice-President.
  • Represented the BDA on IDF Europe Region.
  • Served as a ‘lay member for diabetes’ on many national and international bodies.

Arnold Bloom

  • Deceased 1992
  • Popular and respected diabetologist and medical teacher at North London’s Whittington Hospital. Well known for friendly communication, which brought respect and affection from patients and colleagues alike - he delighted in translating complex technical concepts into easy and familiar images for the ‘technophobe’.
  • Chair of the Medical and Scientific Section of the BDA.  Trustee from September 1969; Chair from 1980; and  Vice-President from 1986.

Kenneth Bristow

  • 1902 - 1976
  • Chairman of the General Purposes and Finance Committee, held the post of Honorary Treasurer for 23 Years.  Under his guidance the first research appeal was launched in 1957.
  • Trustee from March 1955; Vice-President from 1972, appointed on retirement.

John Butterfield

  • 1920 - 2000 
  • Professor of (Experimental) Medicine at Guy’s Hospital 1958; WHO Expert Committee on Diabetes 1964; Vice-Chancellor of University of Nottingham 1971; Knighted 1978; Life peerage 1988. 
  • Master of Downing College, Cambridge, academic, and clinician at Guy's Hospital.
  • Trustee from January 1979; later Chair (late 1970s) and Vice-President.

Leslie Duncan

  • 1922 - 2005
  • Scottish physician, consultant diabetologist at Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh.
  • Notable work included educating patients to start insulin, eye screening, foot care, pregnancy management, the innovative use of oral agents, and the management of keto-acidosis. His rapport with patients was outstanding and his total commitment to their care when problems arose allowed those training with him to gain much practical experience in the management of diabetic complications.

Bradley-Marc Elster

  • 1968 - 2005
  • Bradley-Marc dedicated a large amount of his time and energy to giving hope, inspiration and confidence to other people with diabetes. He worked at Diabetes UK camps, participated in numerous fundraising events, helped produce videos for parents and children with diabetes and as a teenager he organised the Essex Youth and Support Group.  Bradley-Marc opened many doors for young people with diabetes and was considered to be not only an outstanding role model, but at all times a most respected and admired representative for people with diabetes.
  • Trustee from July 1991 - 1997.

Derek Gladwin

  • 1930 - 2003 
  • A prominent figure in the Labour Party and trade union movement.
  • Greatly assisted in parliamentary advocacy for diabetes.
  • Trustee from September 1995
  • Chaired the first governance review of Diabetes UK 2002.

Nick Hales

  • 1935 - 2005
  • A biochemist who elucidated the mechanisms underlying diabetes and the relation between foetal growth and long-term health.

Dorothy Hodgkin

  • 1910 - 1994
  • Known as the 'crystallographer's crystallographer', has been described as one of the most outstanding scientists – and personalities – of the 20th century.
  • Described (with Guy Dodson) the 3-dimensional structure of insulin.
  • Nobel Laureate for Chemistry 1964.
  • Banting Memorial Lecturer BDA 1976 (now entitled the Hodgkin Lecture).

John Ireland

  • 1932 - 1987 
  • Scottish diabetologist; co-designed and developed the insulin pen, the Penject, which improved greatly the convenience of insulin-dependent people and used insulin a lot more cost-effectively.  Was also co-author with the late Arnold Bloom of A Colour Atlas of Diabetes and was the first editor of Diabetic Medicine.
  • Trustee from September 1985. 

James GL Jackson

  • 1923 - 2002
  • Worked with RD Lawrence and contributed to the founding of European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) and IDF.  Secretary-General of BDA (1954), first
  • Executive Director of EASD (1970 - 1988), Secretary-in-Chief of IDF (1957-1960).
  • For many early years he was described as ‘the heart, soul and engine house’ of the BDA.  He played a key role in the foundation and establishment of the IDF and provided crucial organisational and administrative support to Albert Renold at the birth of EASD.
  • Helped to develop the scientific and clinical initiatives of the BDA, by making small sums of money available to support research then raising more with countrywide appeals.

Richard Lund

  • Deceased 2004
  • Trustee of BDA from January 1985; Hon Secretary and later Honorary Treasurer; Vice-President from 1998.
  • Richard Lund’s father, Howard, founded the BDA research fund with the first £1/2m.

John Malins

  • Deceased
  • Physician and clinical researcher. One of the leading originators of diabetic mini-clinics in general practice. 
  • Author of the last one-man text book on diabetes.
  • Created the world-famous Birmingham Diabetes Centre.

John Nabarro

  • 1915 - 1998
  • Consultant physician and researcher. 
  • John made important contributions to the field of diabetes, particularly in the management of diabetic keto-acidosis and the use of oral hypoglycaemic agents and new insulins and persuaded the government to give free prescriptions for disposable syringes and blood glucose test strips. 
  • Appointed a Trustee in May 1975; Chair of Medical and Scientific Section of The BDA; then Chair of the Charity.  Vice-President from 1990.

David Pyke

  • 1921 - 2001
  • Consultant Physician and Head of the Diabetic Department at King's College Hospital, London.
  • One of the world's leading diabetes physicians, whose research on identical twins led to important insights into the causation of diabetes and its complications.  Also the first Secretary and ultimately Chairman of the Medical and Scientific Section of The BDA.

Philip Randle

  • 1926 - 2006 
  • Professor of Biochemistry, Bristol and Oxford Universities.
  • Philip Randle advanced scientific understanding of the causes of diabetes and founded the Department of Biochemistry at Bristol University.
  • First described the ‘glucose-fatty acid (Randle) cycle’.

John Primatt Redcliffe-Maud

  • 1906 - 1982 
  • British civil servant and diplomat.
  • Led the introduction of decimal currency into UK 1971.
  • Elected President of The BDA in March 1977.

John Stowers

  • 1919 - 2001 
  • Professor of Diabetes and Endocrinology at Aberdeen University.
  • John was totally committed to patient care, and under his leadership the diabetic service in North-East Scotland became an example for others to follow. He was also an early exponent of tight diabetic control in pregnancy and was held in huge esteem by many female patients delivered of healthy children. He had diabetes himself from his medical student years and his patients appreciated that the tight control he exercised over his own regime and urged on his patients would deliver for them the healthy longevity that he enjoyed.

Robert Turner

  • 1938 - 1999 
  • Professor of medicine and director of the Diabetes Research Laboratories, Oxford.
  • Robert first became interested in diabetes while working with Dr John Nabarro at University College Hospital, London, where he helped to develop an insulin bioassay. His major interests were in the development of rational insulin regimens in Type 1 patients and the relative importance of insulin resistance and beta cell inadequacy in Type 2 diabetes.  He has been shown, in the main, to be right.  He was one of the first clinicians to recognise the importance of genetics in determining the underlying mechanisms responsible for the disease.  He was the central figure in the planning, funding and effective running of the Oxford-based United Kingdom Prospective Diabetes Study (UKPDS), but sadly died shortly after its completion and publication.

Hugh Walpole

  • 1884 - 1941 
  • English novelist.
  • First editor of the Diabetic Journal (1934).
  • Vice-President 1935 - 1941. 

B A Young

  • The archetypal diabetes physician, a consultant in Greenwich, B A Young led the way in creating the new partnership relationship between people with diabetes and those caring for them. 
  • Chairman of Council in 1950s following RD Lawrence; later a Vice-President.

Frank G Young

  • 1908 - 1988
  • Physiologist and biochemist. Young held research fellowships successively at the University of Aberdeen under J.J.R. McLeod and the University of Toronto under C.H. Best, studying diabetes.
  • Young did internationally famous work on experimental diabetes in animals and was very influential in building the BDA and IDF (of which he was the President in 1970), and was the second President of  European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) in 1965.
  • First Chairman of the Medical and Scientific Section of The BDA in 1960.
  • Vice-President 1952 - 1988.