UCL DEPARTMENT OF MEDICAL PHYSICS AND BIOENGINEERING

John Clifton Prize

John Clifton was head of department from 1962-1992. He oversaw the growth of the Department from its first PhD student to an internationally leading research and clinical department. The department changed a great deal during his time as head, formally becoming part of UCL (rather than UCH) in 1981 and merging with the Academic Department of Medical Physics of the Middlesex Hospital Medical School in 1987.

Prof Clifton graduated from the University of Southampton in 1955 and moved to the Department of Medical Physics of UCH and UCH Medical School in 1957 before becoming head of department in 1962. He was President of the Hospital Physicists’ Association (1976-8) and Honorary Editor of Physics in Medicine and Biology (1979-83).

He introduced one of the UK's first rotating cobalt units for radiotherapy to UCH in 1962 and one of the first computers used for radiotherapy treatment planning in 1964. He started work on measuring tissue oxygenation in the mid 1960s, work which is still ongoing. He was the fourth Joel Professor of Physics Applied to Medicine from 1990-1992. A student prize named in his honour is awarded annually for the most outstanding performance by a non-final-year undergraduate.

Prof. John Clifton presenting the 2012 John Clifton Prize to Marta Caballero.