Prof Thomas Gibson FRSE (1915-1993) was an eminent Scottish

plastic surgeon Plastic surgery is a surgical specialty involving the restoration, reconstruction or alteration of the human body. It can be divided into two main categories: reconstructive surgery and cosmetic surgery. Reconstructive surgery includes craniof ...

serving as Professor of Plastic Surgery and Bioengineering at

Strathclyde University The University of Strathclyde ( gd, Oilthigh Shrath Chluaidh) is a public research university located in Glasgow, Scotland. Founded in 1796 as the Andersonian Institute, it is Glasgow's second-oldest university, having received its royal c ...

. Together with Robert Kenedi he cofounding the Bioengineering Department in 1961. His research forms the basis for modern tissue transplantation techniques. In 1960 Sir

Peter Medawar Sir Peter Brian Medawar (; 28 February 1915 – 2 October 1987) was a Brazilian-British biologist and writer, whose works on graft rejection and the discovery of acquired immune tolerance have been fundamental to the medical practice of tissu ...

wrote to Gibson giving "deep obligation" to him for paving the way for his understanding which led to Medawar being awarded the

Nobel prize The Nobel Prizes ( ; sv, Nobelpriset ; no, Nobelprisen ) are five separate prizes that, according to Alfred Nobel's will of 1895, are awarded to "those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind." Alfr ...

for Medicine in 1960. His letter ended "thank God I was lucky enough to team up with you".

Life

He was born in

Kilbarchan Kilbarchan ( gd, Cill Bhearchain) is a village and civil parish in central Renfrewshire, in the west central Lowlands of Scotland. The village's name means "cell (chapel) of St. Barchan". It is known for its former weaving industry. History ...

Renfrewshire Renfrewshire () ( sco, Renfrewshire; gd, Siorrachd Rinn Friù) is one of the 32 council areas of Scotland. Located in the west central Lowlands, it is one of three council areas contained within the boundaries of the historic county of Re ...

on 24 November 1915, the son of Thomas Gibson and his wife, Mary Munn. He attended the parish school in Kilbarchan and then

Paisley Grammar School Paisley Grammar School is a secondary school in Paisley, the largest town in Renfrewshire, Scotland. The school was founded in 1576 by royal charter of King James VI and is situated on Glasgow Road. The school is recognised as one of Scotland ...

. He then studied Medicine at

Glasgow University , image = UofG Coat of Arms.png , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms Flag , latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis , motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita , ...

graduating MB ChB in 1938. His career (as most) was interrupted by the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

during which he served in the Royal Army Medical Corps where he served in northern Europe. After the war he served as Commanding Officer of the Maxillofacial Unit in India until 1947, specialising in major facial reconstruction from wounds and burns. He took special interest in the "shock phase" following major burns. In 1947 he returned to Scotland as a Consultant Plastic Surgeon. From 1970 he was Director of the West of Scotland Plastic and Oral Surgery Service (based first at

Glasgow Royal Infirmary The Glasgow Royal Infirmary (GRI) is a large teaching hospital. With a capacity of around 1,000 beds, the hospital campus covers an area of around , and straddles the Townhead and Dennistoun districts on the north-eastern fringe of the city cen ...

then at Ballochmyle and Canniesburn), at the same time becoming Professor of Plastic Surgery and Bioengineering at

. He was President of the British Association of Plastic Surgeons 1970-71 . In 1976 he was elected a

Fellow of The Royal Society of Edinburgh Fellowship of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (FRSE) is an award granted to individuals that the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Scotland's national academy of science and letters, judged to be "eminently distinguished in their subject". This socie ...

. His proposers were Peter Pauson, Robert Kenedi, Sir Andrew Kay, Sir

Samuel Curran Sir Samuel Crowe Curran (23 May 1912 – 15 February 1998), FRS, FRSE, was a physicist and the first Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Strathclyde – the first of the new technical universities in Britain. He is the invent ...

and Sir Adam Thomson. He served as President of the

Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, is an institute of physicians and surgeons in Glasgow, Scotland. Founded by Peter Lowe after receiving a royal charter by James VI in 1599, as the Glasgow Faculty, it originally exis ...

1976-78. He retired in 1980, and as a late honour in life he was awarded the

Lister Medal __NOTOC__ The Lister Medal is an award presented by the Royal College of Surgeons of England in recognition of contributions to surgical science. It is named after the English surgeon Joseph Lister (1827-1912), whose work on antiseptics establi ...

in 1987 for services to facial reconstruction. He died in Glasgow Western Infirmary on 13 February 1993 following a short illness.

Publications

*''Modern Trends in Plastic Surgery'' (chapter on ''Tissue Repair and Transplantion'') (1964) He edited the ''

British Journal of Plastic Surgery The ''Journal of Plastic, Reconstructive & Aesthetic Surgery'', formerly the ''British Journal of Plastic Surgery'', is the journal of plastic surgery Plastic surgery is a surgical specialty involving the restoration, reconstruction or alterat ...

'' 1969-1970

Family

In 1944 he married Patricia Muriel McFeat. They had two sons, two daughters and eleven grandchildren.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Gibson, Thomas 1915 births 1993 deaths Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh People from Renfrewshire Scottish non-fiction writers Scottish surgeons Alumni of the University of Glasgow Academics of the University of Strathclyde 20th-century surgeons