Professor Michael Horton: medic, scientist and entrepreneur

A world-leading clinical expert in bone research and a pioneer in the emerging field of nanomedicine, Professor Michael Horton has sadly died from cancer, aged 61. Mike's long and distinguished clinical and scientific research career provided a fundamental understanding of disease on cellular and molecular length scales, and has led to new diagnostics and treatments for osteoporosis. His lasting legacy is the London Centre for Nanotechnology (LCN), a major interdisciplinary joint effort between UCL and Imperial College London, which he co-founded and successfully led as the first Director for Life Sciences over the last years of his career. Born in 1948, Mike trained in medicine at St Bartholomew's (Barts) Hospital Medical College, London. He first specialised in haematology, rapidly establishing himself as a rising star and was swiftly promoted to Senior Lecturer and Consultant Haematologist at Barts. During a sabbatical leave in 1983, Mike undertook research in molecular biology at renowned institutions such as the Cambridge MRC labs, Genentech in San Francisco, and the Meikai University in Japan. While at the MRC and Genentech, Mike investigated potential clinical use of antibodies against the main adhesion protein of bone-resorbing cells (one of his discoveries).