Glasgow Biochemists' Club

THE JOHN KING AWARD

John (Ian) King was appointed as Principal Biochemist at Glasgow Royal Infirmary in 1969. Subsequently he was appointed as Top Grade Biochemist and Honorary Clinical Lecturer. Prior to his appointment in Glasgow, he had been Principal Biochemist in the North Lonsdale Hospital, Barrow-on-Furness where he wrote "Practical Clinical Enzymology" which was published in 1965. His fundamental work on the human cholinesterases gained him a PhD in 1974. He remained at the Royal Infirmary until his death in May 1978. In 1980, the Scottish Region of the Association of Clinical biochemists established the "John King Award" in his memory. Initially it was envisaged that a chess "king" trophy would be awarded each year to the junior member presenting the best paper at a Regional Scientific meeting for five years. The effect of the award was an immediate improvement in the standard papers presented and the Regional Committee agreed to continue making the award.

1981 Marrion G Anderson, Senior Biochemist in Hawkhead Hospital, was the first winner of the John King Award with a paper titled "Clinical applications of a serum ferritin assay". She was presented with her award by John's widow, Mary, at a dinner following the 1982 A.G.M. at the Southern General Hospital, Glasgow.

1982 Michael G McConway, from the Victoria Infirmary, with a paper titled "Magnesium status in the elderly on hospital admission".

1983 Simon Oakes, from Glasgow Royal Infirmary, with a paper titled "Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography - some biochemical sequelae". He returned to Melbourne, Australia, in the same year.

1984 Alan M Reid, from the Victoria Infirmary, with a paper titled "An assessment of a two sugar test in coeliac disease".

1985 Patricia M Raemaekers, from the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh, with a paper titled "Transient hyperphosphataemia".

1986 E Jean McAllister, from Gartnavel General Hospital, with a paper titled "Neurone-specific enolase".

1987 Jean M Kirk, from the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh, with a paper titled "Interpretation of Sweat Tests".

1988 Catherine H Shearing, from the Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, with a paper titled "The measurement of cyclosporin in whole blood by HPLC".

1989 Dairena Gaffney, from Glasgow Royal Infirmary, with a paper titled "Polymorphisms in the gene coding for cholesterol ester transfer protein are related to plasma high density lipoprotein cholesterol and transfer protein activity".

1990 Fraser C Logue, from Glasgow Royal Infirmary, with a paper titled "Ultrdian and circadian rhythms of PTH (1-84) secretion".

1991 Eric Kilpatrick, from Gartnavel General Hospital, with a paper titled "The role of haemoglobin F in the measurement of glycosylated haemoglobin".

1992 Bill Simpson, Foresterhill Hospital, Aberdeen, with a paper titled "The acute phase response and clinical response to IL2 therapy".

1993 Dr A Avenell, Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, with a paper entitled "Nutritional influence on bone metabolism in post menopausal women".

1994 Mr Peter M Timms, Stobhill General Hospital, Glasgow, with a paper entitled "Lead in the sand".

1995 No award made due to lack of suitable papers.

1996 Dr Cath A Dorrian, Gartnavel General Hospital, Glasgow "Enzyme Immunoassays: Problems with antibody interference"

1997 to 1999 No award made due to lack of suitable papers.

2000 M Anne Pollock, Stobhill general Hospital, Glasgow "An old problem re-visited"

2001 Dr Kay S Walker, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh "A case of self diagnosis"

2002 Dr Kevin A Deans, Victoria Infirmary, Glasgow "Continuous Glucose Monitoring"

2003 Susan Knox, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, "Thiopurine methyltransferase polymorphisms"

2004 Dr Colleen Ross, Monklands Hospital, Airdire, " Manganese and Enteral Nutrition - a case report"

2005 Dr Leigh Campbell, Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, "Synergistic protection of human endothelial cells from oxidative stress by selenium and sulforaphane supplementation"

2006 Mr Neil Squires, Edinburgh Royal Infirmary "TPMT Genotyping"

2007 Dr David Preiss, Glasgow Royal Infirmary "Diagnosing unsuspected hypopituitarism in adults from suggestive thyroid function test results."

2008 Dr Jennifer Lochrie, Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Yorkhill, Glasgow "LS-MS/MS method development for the diagnostic screening of creatine transporter deficiency"

2009 Dr Catriona Clarke, Western General, Edinburgh, "Does selenium protect from the fibrosis of NASH?"

2011 Dr Heidi Mendoza, Ninewells Hospital, Dundee, "The development of the LC-MS assay for drugs of abuse in oral fluid"

2015 Lyn Ferguson, Glasgow Royal Infirmary, 'Bones, stones, groans and psychic moans'

2016 Emma Dewar, Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, 'Development of an LC-MS/MS Method for Biomarkers of Alcohol Ingestion'

2017 Dr Alana Burns, Glasgow Royal Infirmary, "How Functional are Functional Markers?" Dr King's son and daughter-in-law, Chris and Debbie, presented the award to Dr Alana Burns at the Regional Meeting at Norton House Hotel in November 2017 and they were presented with their own replica John King Award trophy.

2017

2022 Jonathan Strachan (trainee Clinical Scientist, Greater Glasgow and Clyde) - "Development and validation of an LC-MS/MS assay for calcitonin in plasma"

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Last updated August 2022