Brian John Chapman

Born in Edinburgh, Brian John Chapman attended Daniel Stewart’s School, where he was Dux. He then entered medical school at the University of Edinburgh, where he met his wife Dorothy. The couple spent a memorable student elective in South Africa, narrowly avoiding being charged by an elephant. They became engaged on their return, and he qualified BSc (2.1 in biochemistry) and MB ChB in 1981.

After house jobs, he was appointed to a senior house officer rotation in Edinburgh and initially explored a career in respiratory medicine. However, after diagnosing an elderly patient attending a respiratory clinic with Parkinson’s disease, he came to the attention of Roger Smith, a senior lecturer in geriatric medicine, who persuaded him to apply for a post in the specialty. Brian’s subsequent contribution has been …