Robert Edgar Hope-Simpson

Robert Edgar Hope-Simpson (1908 - 5 July 2003) OBE FRCGP Hon FFPHM was a general practitioner. He showed that shingles was caused by reactivation of the chickenpox virus.

He also pioneered research into a possible relationship between influenza and Vitamin D.[1] He also proposed the Hope-Simpson hypothesis that exposure to cases of cases of chickenpox provides natural "boosting" of the immune system, which prevents or delays the onset of shingles.

He proposed that the cause of influenza epidemics during winter may be connected to a seasonal influence,[2] which further research suggests may be vitamin D.[3]

References

  1. ^ Hope-Simpson, R (1965). "The nature of herpes zoster: a long-term study and a new hypothesis". Proc R Soc Med 58: 9–20. PMC 1898279. PMID 14267505. http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pmcentrez&artid=1898279. 
  2. ^ Hope-Simpson RE (February 1981). "The role of season in the epidemiology of influenza". J Hyg (Lond) 86 (1): 35–47. doi:10.1017/S0022172400068728. PMC 2134066. PMID 7462597. http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pmcentrez&artid=2134066. 
  3. ^ Cannell JJ, Vieth R, Umhau JC, et al. (December 2006). "Epidemic influenza and vitamin D". Epidemiol. Infect. 134 (6): 1129–40. doi:10.1017/S0950268806007175. PMC 2870528. PMID 16959053. http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pmcentrez&artid=2870528.