Ronald Roberts (veterinarian)

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Ronald Roberts
Born (1941-03-28) 28 March 1941 (age 83)
Liverpool, England
EducationUniversity of Glasgow

Professor Ronald John Roberts, CCT, FRCVS, FRCPath, FRSE is a Scottish veterinary pathologist who pioneered the study of fish diseases. He was Foundation President of the World Association for Aquatic Animal Medicine 2010/11.[1]

Life[edit]

Roberts was born in March 1941 in an air raid shelter at the height of the blitz, in Liverpool,[2] where his father was stationed. He was the eldest son of Ronald George Roberts and his wife Marjorie Kneale. Shortly after the end of the war the family moved to Campbeltown[3] on the west coast of Scotland where he was brought up in the Custom House residence.

He was educated at Dalintober Primary School and Campbeltown Grammar School and went on to the University of Glasgow[4] where he graduated BVMS in 1964 and PhD in 1968.[5]

Career[edit]

After a year in general practice he became a member of staff of the Glasgow Veterinary School.[5] While training as a general comparative pathologist, including spells in the Medical School of the University, he commenced his work on the pathogenesis of disease in teleost fish.

He also began a major programme of clinical diagnostic work for the new salmon, trout and turbot farming industries which were developing at the time and in 1971 the Nuffield Foundation [6] awarded him a major Research Programme Grant to develop the role of veterinary medicine in this developing field. Space constraints at Glasgow led to the transfer of the programme to the University of Stirling,[7] nearby, under the guidance of an Academic Advisory Committee chaired by Sir William Weipers,[8] Dean of the Glasgow School. Here the world's first Master's degree training courses in Aquatic Veterinary Studies were created. Over the next 25 years a pioneering international reputation was established in relation to tropical and temperate aquaculture such that the Institute of Aquaculture at Stirling became the largest such Institute in the world.

Between 1982 and 1985 Roberts was seconded to the UN[9] to lead an International Mission to investigate a pandemic of a lethal disease in wild and rice field fishes. The condition was widely believed to be associated with the new technologies for production of the short straw rice varieties which had transformed food supply in much of Asia. It was demonstrated conclusively, however, that pesticide usage was not a factor and the condition was due to a new mutant aquatic fungus, Aphanomyces invadans.[10] Roberts was nominated for both the Japan Prize and the King Baodouin Prize for this work. He was also invested Commander of the Order of the Crown of Thailand (CCT) by HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej [11] of Thailand.[12] In 1978 he was elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.[13] His proposers were Professor RMS Smellie, Sir William Weipers, Sir Cyril Lucas [14] and Sir William MacGregor Henderson [15]

He served as a member of the World Bank Review of Agricultural Research in India in 1989, a member of the OECD Review of Biotechnology Agriculture and Food in 1992; and a member of the Cabinet Office Agricultural Scientific Restructuring Committee in 1991.

On retirement to Kintyre, on health grounds in 1996, he completed the fourth edition of his standard text Fish Pathology. He remained involved in fish disease research with the University of Idaho;[16] Roslin Institute[17] and commercial companies.[18] He also served on Committees of the European Food Safety Authority and the Scottish University Funding Council.

In 2000 he collaborated with Sir Paul McCartney[19] and a few of his friends in the establishment of a Memorial Garden to Lady Linda McCartney [20] in Campbeltown [21] and was closely involved in local charities. He also planted 200,000 native hardwood trees on his family land in Argyll in an attempt to offset his career international flight CO2 deficit.

Awards and honours[edit]

As well as appointment as Commander of the Crown of Thailand, he was awarded the Dalrymple Champneys Cup and Medal by the British Veterinary Association,[22] the Fellowship of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, the Foundation Fellowship of the World Aquatic Veterinary Association[23] and the Buckland Medal of the Buckland Foundation. He was Weipers Lecturer of the University of Glasgow in 2007.

Life[edit]

In 1964 he married Helen, daughter of Gordon Gregor Macgregor, and they had two sons, Gavin and Calum Roberts.

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Roberts, Prof. Ronald John, (born 28 March 1941), Professor of Aquatic Pathobiology and Director, Institute of Aquaculture, University of Stirling, 1971–96, now Professor Emeritus". WHO'S WHO & WHO WAS WHO. 2007. doi:10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U32760. ISBN 978-0-19-954088-4. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  2. ^ Council, Liverpool City. "Liverpool City Council". Liverpool City Council. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  3. ^ "Campbeltown Visitor Guide - Accommodation, Things To Do & More". www.visitscotland.com. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  4. ^ "University of Glasgow". www.gla.ac.uk. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  5. ^ a b "University of Glasgow - Schools - School of Veterinary Medicine". www.gla.ac.uk. Retrieved 10 February 2021.[not specific enough to verify]
  6. ^ "Home". Nuffield Foundation. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  7. ^ "Institute of Aquaculture staff directory | About". University of Stirling. Retrieved 15 February 2021.
  8. ^ "University of Glasgow :: Story :: Biography of Sir William Weipers". www.universitystory.gla.ac.uk. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  9. ^ Nations, United. "United Nations | Peace, dignity and equality on a healthy planet". United Nations. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  10. ^ Hardy, R. W. (2012), "The Nutritional Pathology of Teleosts", Fish Pathology, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, pp. 402–424, doi:10.1002/9781118222942.ch10, ISBN 978-1-118-22294-2, retrieved 21 February 2021
  11. ^ "Bhumibol Adulyadej | Facts, Biography, & Reign". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  12. ^ Roberts, Ronald (28 October 1992). "University News". The Times.
  13. ^ "Professor Ronald John Roberts FRSE". The Royal Society of Edinburgh. 24 August 2020. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  14. ^ "Sir Cyril Edward Lucas CMG FRS FRSE". The Royal Society of Edinburgh. 28 October 2016. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  15. ^ Boden, Edward (1 December 2004). "Sir William Macgregor Henderson. 17 July 1913 – 29 November 2000". Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society. 50: 133–146. doi:10.1098/rsbm.2004.0010. PMID 15754472. S2CID 71082095.
  16. ^ "University of Idaho - Offering top-ranked programs in the Northwest". www.uidaho.edu. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  17. ^ "The Roslin Institute". The University of Edinburgh. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  18. ^ "Bradan Limited - The Virkon Aquatic Story". bradanbiosecurity.com. Retrieved 15 February 2021.
  19. ^ "PaulMcCartney.com". PaulMcCartney.com. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  20. ^ "Biography - LindaMcCartney.com". Linda McCartney. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  21. ^ "Scots tribute to Linda McCartney". 1 November 2002. Retrieved 9 February 2021.
  22. ^ Association, British Veterinary. "BVA". British Veterinary Association. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  23. ^ "WAVMA Fellows". www.wavma.org. Retrieved 15 February 2021.
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