John Nicholas Walton, Baron Walton of Detchant (16 September 1922 – 21 April 2016) was a British

neuroscientist A neuroscientist (or neurobiologist) is a scientist who has specialised knowledge in neuroscience, a branch of biology that deals with the physiology, biochemistry, psychology, anatomy and molecular biology of neurons, Biological neural network, n ...

, academic, and

life peer In the United Kingdom, life peers are appointed members of the peerage whose titles cannot be inherited, in contrast to hereditary peers. In modern times, life peerages, always created at the rank of baron, are created under the Life Peerages ...

who sat in the

House of Lords The House of Lords, also known as the House of Peers, is the Bicameralism, upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Membership is by Life peer, appointment, Hereditary peer, heredity or Lords Spiritual, official function. Like the ...

as a

crossbencher A crossbencher is an independent or minor party member of some legislatures, such as the British House of Lords and the Parliament of Australia. They take their name from the crossbenches, between and perpendicular to the government and oppositi ...

Life

Lord Walton qualified from Durham University College of Medicine and completed his MD at

Newcastle Medical School Newcastle University School of Medicine is the medical school at Newcastle University in England. It was established in 1834 in the city of Newcastle upon Tyne and served as the College of Medicine in connection with Durham University from 1851 ...

. Walton was President of the

British Medical Association The British Medical Association (BMA) is a registered trade union for doctors in the United Kingdom. The association does not regulate or certify doctors, a responsibility which lies with the General Medical Council. The association's headquar ...

(BMA) from 1980 to 1982, President of the

General Medical Council The General Medical Council (GMC) is a public body that maintains the official register of medical practitioners within the United Kingdom. Its chief responsibility is to "protect, promote and maintain the health and safety of the public" by c ...

(GMC) 1982-89 and President of the

Royal Society of Medicine The Royal Society of Medicine (RSM) is a medical society in the United Kingdom, headquartered in London. History The Society was established in 1805 as Medical and Chirurgical Society of London, meeting in two rooms in barristers’ chambers ...

from 1984 to 1986. He was also appointed second Warden of

Green College, Oxford Green Templeton College (GTC) is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. The college is located on the previous Green College site on Woodstock Road next to the Radcliffe Observatory Quarter in North Oxford and ...

in 1983, where he stayed until 1989. Green College merged with Templeton College, Oxford in 2008 to become

Green Templeton College Green Templeton College (GTC) is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. The college is located on the previous Green College site on Woodstock Road next to the Radcliffe Observatory Quarter in North Oxford and ...

, located on the site that was previously Green College. Having been

knighted A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the Christian denomination, church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood ...

in 1979, Walton was created a

on 24 July 1989 as Baron Walton of Detchant, ''of Detchant in the County of Northumberland'' and sat as a

. In 1992 he became a member of the Science and Technology Committee, leaving in 1996, returning in 1997 and leaving again in 2001. From 1993 to 1994 he was Chair of the Medical Ethics committee. He was Secretary of the Rare Diseases Group from 2009 until his death. He was a member of the

Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters The Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters ( no, Det Norske Videnskaps-Akademi, DNVA) is a learned society based in Oslo, Norway. Its purpose is to support the advancement of science and scholarship in Norway. History The Royal Frederick Univer ...

. He was Patron of

The Little Foundation The William Little Foundation is a London-based charity operating internationally. Named in honour of William Little, the English surgeon who described what became known as ' Little's disease', a spastic paralysis of both lower limbs which then b ...

, Honorary Life President of the

Muscular Dystrophy Campaign Muscular Dystrophy UK is a UK charity focusing on muscular dystrophy and related conditions. They seek to cure or find treatments for muscular dystrophy and other muscle-wasting conditions, and to improve the lives of those affected. The ch ...

, Vice President of

Parkinson's UK Parkinson's UK is a Parkinson's research and support charity in the United Kingdom. In April 2010, the Parkinson's Disease Society changed its name to become Parkinson's UK. Its aims are to improve the quality of life for people affected by Park ...

and Honorary Chairman of the United Kingdom Medical Students' Association (UKMSA). He wrote an autobiography ''The Spice of Life: From Northumbria to World Neurology'' in 1993. It had 643 pages and, according to the review in the

BMJ ''The BMJ'' is a weekly peer-reviewed medical trade journal, published by the trade union the British Medical Association (BMA). ''The BMJ'' has editorial freedom from the BMA. It is one of the world's oldest general medical journals. Origina ...

, “tells you absolutely everything utby the end of the book you really know nothing about him except that he has a colossal memory.”

Death

Lord Walton of Detchant died on 21 April 2016, aged 93.Notice of death of Lord Walton of Detchant
parliament.uk; accessed 27 April 2016.

Life

Death

Arms

References

External links