John Arbuthnott (microbiologist)

Sir John Peebles Arbuthnott, PPRSE, FRCPSG, FMedSci, FRCPath (born 8 April 1939) is a Scottish microbiologist, and was Principal of the University of Strathclyde. He succeeded Lord Wilson of Tillyorn as President of The Royal Society of Edinburgh in October 2011^[1] and was succeeded by Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell in October 2014.^[2]

Arbuthnott was educated at Hyndland Senior Secondary School, Glasgow University (BSc, PhD), and Trinity College, Dublin (MA, ScD).^[3] In 1998 he was made a Knight Bachelor for services to education.^[3]

Whilst Principal and Vice-Chancellor of Strathclyde University, Arbuthnott chaired the National Review of Resource Allocation ("The Arbuthnott Report"^[4] and "the Arbuthnott Review"^[5]) in December 1997, the principal task of which was to conduct an independent review of the way in which NHS money is allocated annually to the 14 Scottish NHS Boards. The resulting mechanism, known as the Arbuthnott Formula, assesses key indicators of population, inequality and deprivation of the areas covered by each of the boards to allocate money.

He was chair of the Arbuthnott Commission set up in 2004 to consider the consequences of having four separate voting systems for elections in Scotland and also different boundaries for Holyrood and Westminster constituencies.^[3]

Professional posts

• Glasgow University:
  • Assistant lecturer, 1960–1963
  • Lecturer, 1963–1967
• New York Medical Center: Visiting lecturer, 1966–1967
• Royal Society of London: Research fellow, 1968–72
• Glasgow University: Senior lecturer, Department of Bacteriology, 1972–1975
• Trinity College, Dublin:
  • Professor of microbiology 1976-1988
  • Bursar, 1983–86
• University of Nottingham: Professor of microbiology 1988-1991
• University of Strathclyde, Glasgow: Principal and Vice-Chancellor, 1991–2000

Professional committee work

• Chairman, Expert Group on Labour’s plan for National Care Service^[6]
• Chairman, Joint Information Systems Committee, 1993–98
• Chairman, Greater Glasgow Health Board, November 2002-
• Chairman, Commission Report on Boundary Differences and Voting Systems, 2005-6
• Convener, Committee of Scottish Higher Education Principals, 1994–1996
• Convener, National Review of Allocation of Health Resources in Scotland, 1997–1999
• Vice Chairman, CVCP, 1997–99
• Dr Campbell Christie and Arbuthnott [reports on public service delivery and resource allocation]
• Secretary-Treasurer, Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland, 2000-
• Member of the Council, Society of General Microbiology 1981-1986, (senior ed 1980-1984, treasurer 1987-1992)
• Meetings secretary, Federation of European Microbiology Societies, 1986–1990
• Member, Microbiological Safety of Food Committee, 1989–1990
• Member, AFRC Animal Research Board, 1989–1992
• Member, Public Health Laboratory Service Board, 1991–1997
• Member, DTI Multimedia Advisroy Group, 1994–1996
• Member, Educational Counselling Service Board, British Council, 1995–1996
• Member, Glasgow Development Agency, 1995-
• Member, National Committee of Inquiry into Higher Education, 1996–97
• Member, Scottish Science Trust, 1999
• Member, Pathological Society

Professional honours

• Honorary fellow, Trinity College, Dublin 1992
• MRIA 1985
• FSB 1988
• FRSA 1989
• FRSE 1993
• FIIB 1993
• FRCPath 1995
• Honorary degree of Lodz University of Technology, Poland, May 1995^[7]
• Hon FRCPGlasg
• St Mungo Prize 2010 ^[8]
• Hon Doctor of Science St Margaret University, Edinburgh, July 2000

Publications

• Arbuthnott, John Peebles; et al., eds. (1975). Isoelectric Focusing. 
• Arbuthnott, John Peebles; et al. (1983). The Determinants of Bacterial and Viral Pathogenicity. 
• Arbuthnott, John Peebles; et al. (1991). Foodborne Illness: a Lancet Review. 
• Other papers and articles in journals and books.

External links

• NHS Scotland Resource Allocation Committee

References