Patrick G. Johnston (14 September 1958 – 4 June 2017) was a Northern Irish physician and a leading expert in

cancer research Cancer research is research into cancer to identify causes and develop strategies for prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and cure. Cancer research ranges from epidemiology, molecular bioscience to the performance of clinical trials to evaluate and ...

. He was a professor of

oncology Oncology is a branch of medicine that deals with the study, treatment, diagnosis and prevention of cancer. A medical professional who practices oncology is an ''oncologist''. The name's etymological origin is the Greek word ὄγκος (''� ...

at Queen's University Belfast, where he served as

vice-chancellor A chancellor is a leader of a college or university, usually either the executive or ceremonial head of the university or of a university campus within a university system. In most Commonwealth and former Commonwealth nations, the chancellor ...

and president from 1 March 2014, until his death.

Early life and education

Johnston grew up in the Waterside area of Derry, Northern Ireland. His father was a teacher, as were several of his aunts and uncles. At age 14, he first thought about becoming a doctor because of an interest in chemistry and biology. He attended St. Columb's College and obtained a

MB BCh Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery ( la, Medicinae Baccalaureus, Baccalaureus Chirurgiae; abbreviated most commonly MBBS), is the primary medical degree awarded by medical schools in countries that follow the tradition of the United Kin ...

with distinction from

University College Dublin University College Dublin (commonly referred to as UCD) ( ga, Coláiste na hOllscoile, Baile Átha Cliath) is a public research university in Dublin, Ireland, and a member institution of the National University of Ireland. With 33,284 student ...

(UCD).

Career

After qualifying from UCD, Johnston worked in the Mater and

St James's St James's is a central district in the City of Westminster, London, forming part of the West End. In the 17th century the area developed as a residential location for the British aristocracy, and around the 19th century was the focus of the d ...

hospitals in

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of the Wicklow Mountains range. At the 2016 c ...

, where he specialised in oncology and hematology. In 1987, he took up a fellowship at the

National Cancer Institute The National Cancer Institute (NCI) coordinates the United States National Cancer Program and is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which is one of eleven agencies that are part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. ...

Bethesda, Maryland Bethesda () is an unincorporated, census-designated place in southern Montgomery County, Maryland. It is located just northwest of Washington, D.C. It takes its name from a local church, the Bethesda Meeting House (1820, rebuilt 1849), which in ...

, where he undertook doctoral studies in molecular pharmacology and was subsequently offered tenure in 1993. He began his career at Queen's in 1996, when he was appointed professor of oncology. Prior to his appointment as vice-chancellor, he was dean of the School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences. In 2007, he led the development of a new international medical school at Queen's and the Institute of Health Sciences. Prior to this, he was the director of the Centre for Cancer Research and Cell Biology at the University. Johnston was made chair of the Translational Research Group of the Medical Research Council (MRC) in 2012. He received the 2013 International Bob Pinedo Cancer Care Prize for his work in translating discovery science for the benefit of cancer patients. He served on the Cancer Research UK (CR-UK) Science Executive/Advisory Board and co-founded Almac Diagnostics (based in

Craigavon Craigavon may refer to: * Craigavon, County Armagh, a planned town in Northern Ireland ** Craigavon Borough Council, 1972–2015 local government area centred on the planned town * Viscount Craigavon, title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom ** ...

) and the Society for Translational Oncology in Durham, North Carolina. He was a fellow of the

Academy of Medical Sciences The Academy of Medical Sciences is an organisation established in the UK in 1998. It is one of the four UK National Academies, the others being the British Academy, the Royal Academy of Engineering and the Royal Society. Its mission is to adv ...

(appointed 2012) and the

(appointed 1987). He was made a senior investigator at the NCI in 1991. In 2012 he was awarded the

Diamond Jubilee A diamond jubilee celebrates the 60th anniversary of a significant event related to a person (e.g. accession to the throne or wedding, among others) or the 60th anniversary of an institution's founding. The term is also used for 75th anniver ...

Queen's Anniversary Prize, for his leadership at the University's Comprehensive Cancer Centre. Johnston had a vision for Queen's as a world-class international university supporting outstanding students and staff, working in world-class facilities, conducting leading-edge education and research focused on the needs of society. This vision had been challenged by some as "marketisation", contrary to the nature of the university as a seat of culture, learning, open-mindedness and free speech. On 20 April 2015, Johnston was reported to have cancelled a conference on ''Understanding Charlie: New perspectives on contemporary citizenship after Charlie Hebdo'', citing "security risks" and "the reputation of the university". This was criticised as censoring an academic forum on the subject of free speech. After a reconsideration of the security and academic implications, the conference proceeded.

Personal life

Johnston was married to Iseult and had four sons, Seamus, Eoghan, Niall and Ruairi, and one grandson. He died suddenly after a bicycle ride in June 2017 in

County Donegal County Donegal ( ; ga, Contae Dhún na nGall) is a county of Ireland in the province of Ulster and in the Northern and Western Region. It is named after the town of Donegal in the south of the county. It has also been known as County Tyrconn ...

. His funeral was held St Brigid's Parish Church in Belfast.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Johnston, Patrick G. 1958 births 2017 deaths Medical doctors from Derry (city) Academics of Queen's University Belfast Vice-Chancellors of Queen's University Belfast Members of the United States National Academy of Sciences Fellows of the Academy of Medical Sciences (United Kingdom) Fellows of the Royal College of Physicians Fellows of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland British medical researchers People educated at St Columb's College Alumni of University College Dublin Cancer researchers Scientists from Northern Ireland