The British Pharmacological Society is the primary UK learned society for pharmacologists concerned with research into drugs and the way they work. Members work in academia, industry, regulatory agencies and the health services, and many are medically qualified. The Society covers the whole spectrum of pharmacology, including laboratory, clinical, and toxicological aspects.
Clinical pharmacology is the medical speciality dedicated to promoting safe and effective use of medicines for patient benefit. Clinical pharmacologists work as consultants in the National Health Service and many hold prominent positions in UK universities.
History
The Society was founded in 1931, in Oxford, by a group of about 20 pharmacologists.[1] They were brought together on the initiative of Professor J.A. Gunn, by a letter signed by Gunn, H.H. Dale, and W.E. Dixon and sent to the heads of departments for teaching pharmacology and of institutions for pharmacological research in Great Britain, with proposals for the formation of a pharmacological club. There were favorable replies to this letter, and most of the recipients met in Wadham College on the evening of 3 July 1931, the day before the meeting of the Physiological Society. Gunn presided over the meeting. It was agreed that a Society should be founded to meet at least once a year for the reading of papers on pharmacological subjects and the discussion of questions of teaching and publications and to promote friendly relations between pharmacologists.[2][3]
The first female member of the society was Mary Pickford (1935), and other early, eminent women include Marthe Vogt and Edith Bülbring.[4]
Publications
The British Pharmacological Society publishes several works which promote pharmacology:
- British Journal of Pharmacology is published by Wiley[5]
- British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology is published by Wiley[6]
- Pharmacology Research & Perspectives is published by ASPET, British Pharmacological Society and Wiley.[7]
- pA2 is the e-journal of the British Pharmacological Society.[8]
- Pharmacology Matters is the magazine of the British Pharmacological Society.[9]
Presidents
Secretary and Treasurer
- 1931 - M. H. MacKeith
- 1934 - Joshua Harold Burn
- 1945 - Frank R. Winton
Secretary
- 1947 - G. Brownlee
- 1952 - D. R. Wood
- 1955 - M. Weatherall
- 1956 - D. R. Wood
- 1957 - W.L. M. Perry
- 1961 - J. D. P. Graham
General Secretary
- 1968 - J. P. Quilliam
- 1971 - John R. Vane
- 1974 - J. F. Mitchell
- 1977 - G. P. Lewis
- 1980 - A. M. Barrett
- 1983 - T. Birmingham
- 1986 - G. N. Woodruff
- 1989 - A. R. Green
- 1992 - J. Maclagan
- 1995 - N.G. Bowery
- 1998 - T. P. Blackburn
President
- 1999 - N.G. Bowery
- 2001 - Rod. J. Flower
- 2004 - J. C. Buckingham
- 2006 - G. Henderson
- 2008 - Jeff K. Aronson
- 2010 - Raymond G. Hill
- 2012 - Phil A. Routledge
- 2014 - Humphrey P. Rang
- 2016 - David Webb
- 2018 - Steve Hill
Eminent pharmacologists
The society elects eminent, deceased contributors the subject of pharmacology, whether or not they were members, to the Pharmacology Hall of Fame:
- James Black
- Bill Bowman
- Edith Bülbring
- Henry Hallett Dale
- Derrick Dunlop
- John Gaddum
- Hans Kosterlitz
- Heinz Otto Schild
- John Vane
- Marthe Vogt
Members of the society awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine include Black, Dale and Vane.
Fellows of the society
Fellowships (FBPhS) of the society are awarded to members who have made significant contribution to both the study of pharmacology and the Society.[10] A full ist of Fellows is available here .[11] Honorary Fellowships (HonFBPhS) are awarded to member or non-members for distinguished and sustained leadership role in Pharmacology. Fellows and Honorary Fellows use the post-nominal FBPhS. Notable honorary fellows include:
- Michael Berridge
- Susan Brain
- Thomas Blackburn
- Colin Blakemore
- Geoffrey Burnstock
- John H. Coote
- David Colquhoun
- Sally Davies [12]
- Roderick Flower
- Raymond Hill[13]
- Hilary Little
- Ian McGrath, former editor-in-chief of the British Journal of Pharmacology
- Sir Salvador Moncada
- Sir Michael Rawlins
- Dame Nancy Rothwell
See also
References
- ^ Bynum, W.F. (1981). An early history of the British Pharmacological Society. [Nottingham]: British Pharmacological Society. ISBN 978-0950887708.
- ^ British Pharmacological Society. "About the BPS". British Pharmacological Society. Archived from the original on 2005-12-23. Retrieved 2006-02-12.
- ^ British Pharmacological Society. "An Early History of the British Pharmacological Society" (PDF). British Pharmacological Society. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-03-12. Retrieved 2006-02-12.
- ^ Green, AR (Mar 2006). "A brief history of British Pharmacological Society meetings". Trends in Pharmacological Sciences. 27 (3): 177–81. doi:10.1016/j.tips.2006.01.001. PMID 16458980.
- ^ blackwellpublishing. "British Journal of Pharmacology". British Pharmacological Society. Archived from the original on 2009-02-18. Retrieved 2006-02-12.
- ^ blackwellpublishing. "British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology". blackwellpublishing. Archived from the original on 2007-09-26. Retrieved 2006-02-12.
- ^ blackwellpublishing. "British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology". blackwellpublishing. Retrieved 2006-02-12.
- ^ British Pharmacological Society. "pA2 online". pA2 online. Retrieved 2006-02-12.
- ^ British Pharmacological Society. "Pharmacology Matters". British Pharmacological Society. Archived from the original on August 19, 2013. Retrieved 2006-02-12.
- ^ "Fellowship". British Pharmacological Society. Retrieved 18 September 2015.
- ^ "Fellows". British Pharmacological Society. Retrieved 18 September 2015.
- ^ "Professor Sally Davies FRS FMedSci". BPS. Retrieved 9 December 2017.
- ^ "Professor Raymond Hill". BPS. Retrieved 9 December 2017.