Born: 
07/08/1920
Died: 
13/06/2008
Specialty: 
Non medical
Designatory Letters: 
BSc Aberd 1948, PhD Edin 1955, FRCP Edin 1989

Dr Hobson, who died on 13th June 2008, was one of a small but distinguished band of eminent not-medically -qualified scientists to be honoured with the Fellowship of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. It was richly deserved.

He gained his BSc at Aberdeen University, then his PhD at Edinburgh after which he was invited by the late Professor Crew, of Public Health and Social Medicine fame, to establish a Pregnancy Diagnosis laboratory which was subsequently based in the Simpson Memorial Maternity Pavilion where he worked for the next 25 years. His main interest throughout his research career was in the area of chorionic gonadotrophin, not only in pregnancy but in hydatidaform mole and in choriocarcinoma. He also made some unique observations, using the bioassay of chorionic gonadotrophin, on its presence in the placenta of many mammals in which it had previously been assumed there was no such hormone. This work led to his appointment as Scientific Adviser to the Anthropoid Advisory Panel, concerned with the improvement in the breeding of anthropoids in zoological gardens.

In addition to his research and administrative responsibilities in the Clinical Laboratory of the Simpson and as acting Head of the department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, he made important contributions to undergraduate and postgraduate courses in Science and Medicine in Edinburgh University, examined in both.

He published more than 100 scientific papers.

His outstanding research work and constant readiness to be of assistance to many clinical colleagues was recognised not only by his FRCP Edin. but with the Edgar Gentilli Prize from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and the Eleanor Roosevelt International Cancer Fellowship in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology in the University of Uppsala, Sweden.