Richard Horton (editor)
Richard Charles Horton OBE FRCPCH FMedSci (born 29 December 1961) is editor-in-chief of The Lancet, a United Kingdom–based medical journal. He is an honorary professor at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, University College London, and the University of Oslo.
For other uses, see Richard Horton (disambiguation).
Richard Horton
29 December 1961
British
University of Birmingham (BSc, MB ChB)
Separated
1
Edinburgh Medal (2007), Friendship Award (China) (2015), Andrija Štampar (2016), Edwin Chadwick (2017), Roux Prize (2019), Physicians for Human Rights (2021)
After studying medicine at the University of Birmingham, he joined the liver unit at London's Royal Free Hospital. In 1990, he became assistant editor of The Lancet and five years later became its editor-in-chief in the UK.
He has been a medical writer for The Observer, The Times Literary Supplement and The New York Review of Books. In 2003, he published Second Opinion: Doctors, Diseases and Decisions in Modern Medicine, a book about controversies in modern medicine. In 2005 he wrote "Doctors in society: medical professionalism in a changing world", an inquiry into the future of medical professionalism, for the Royal College of Physicians. He has served in various roles with the World Health Organization (WHO).
Early life and education[edit]
Richard Horton was born in London.[1][2] His early education was at Bristol Grammar School.[1]
In 1986 he completed his studies at the University of Birmingham, having gained a Bachelor of Science degree in physiology and a degree in medicine.[2][3]
Honours and awards[edit]
Horton is a Fellow of both the Academy of Medical Sciences and the Royal College of Physicians.[1][10]
In 2007, he received the Edinburgh Medal for scientific and professional contributions to the understanding and well-being of humanity.[3][53] Two years later he was awarded the Dean's Medal from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.[3][10]
In 2015, he received the Friendship Award from Government of China.[54] He has worked closely with Chinese medical experts and healthcare officials since 2008.[55]
In 2016, he received the Andrija Štampar medal from the Association of Schools of Public Health in the European region.[56] The following year, for his work in public health, he was a recipient of the Edwin Chadwick Medal.[57]
In 2019, he received the Roux Prize.[58]
In 2021, he received the Physicians for Human Rights award.
Horton is an honorary professor at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, the University College London, and the University of Oslo.[59] For his work in global health, he was an honoured with a doctorate at the University of Tromsø.[40] He is a council member of the University of Birmingham.[3][59]
He was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2023 New Year Honours for services to health and medical journalism.[60]
Personal and family[edit]
In 1998, Horton married paediatrician Ingrid Johanna Wolfe. They separated in 2017. He has one daughter from this marriage.[1][9] He is being treated for stage 4 melanoma.[61]
He has been inspired by Raymond Hoffenberg and Amartya Sen.[9]