Professor Linda Maitland Luxon has passed away

Professor Linda Maitland Luxon CBE BSc FRCP was Emeritus Professor of Audiovestibular Medicine at UCL and Honorary Consultant Physician in the Department of Audiovestibular Medicine, UCLH. Formerly she was Head of the Department of Neuro-otology at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery and academic lead for Audiovestibular Medicine at the UCL Ear Institute and the Institute of Child Health.

She had served as President/Chairman of the British Society of Audiology, the European Federation of Audiological Societies, the International Association of Audiovestibular Physicians and the UK Health Alliance on Climate Change. She established and chaired the Specialist Advisory Committee in Audiovestibular Medicine at the Royal College of Physicians and was also an advisor to the Department of Health (Audiology Advisor), the World Health Organisation, the Hearing Aid Council, Royal National Institute for the Deaf, the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council, and the Ministry of Defence.

Professor Luxon had studied medicine at St Thomas’ Hospital, London and trained in Neurology and Neuro-otology at the Middlesex and National Hospitals in London. She was the first female consultant physician at the National Hospital, Queen Square as well as the first female treasurer of the Royal College of Physicians. She was appointed as Professor of Audiovestibular Medicine at UCL in 1992, joined the UCL Ear Institute in 2008 and was Director of the Ear Institute's MSc programme in Audiovestibular Medicine for many years. Her research work promoted the academic fields of both audiological and vestibular medicine and most notably the genetics of hearing loss and characterisation of vestibular disorders. She was a world leader in her field, authoring more than 120 peer-reviewed research papers and editing award-winning textbooks on audiovestibular medicine.

Those who knew her will remember her for her kindness and intelligence, her grace, her energy and her zest for life. She will be truly missed. We send our heartfelt condolences to her family and friends, and to all her close colleagues at UCL and in the field of audiovestibular medicine that she helped to create.

Professor Doris Bamiou, Professor of Neuroaudiology at the UCL Ear Institute, said:

“Linda was an international leader in audiovestibular medicine, who further established the specialty, promoted research and defined current clinical practice. She was a luminous person in more ways than one, and a kind, compassionate doctor who was loved by all those who met her. Our loss is immense, but she will continue to be the inspiration and guiding spirit for audiovestibular physicians and researchers.“

Professor Jennifer Linden, Director of the UCL Ear Institute, said:

"Professor Linda Luxon's influence on audiovestibular research and medicine was immense. Her accomplishments will live on in her research works and textbooks, in the patients whose lives were improved by her compassionate care, and in the many colleagues and students she encouraged and inspired."

Professor Michael Hanna, Director of the UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, said:

“This is very sad news. Linda was a real pioneer of the science and practice of audiovestibular medicine and a trailblazer for women. She was a kind and considerate doctor to her patients and to her colleagues. We will all miss her greatly.”