Our heritage

Our history

In the 15th century, the world’s first medical school was established in Aberdeen. During the eighteenth century, the first broadly-based education system for physicians and surgeons was established in Scotland and graduates came to dominate medical practise and teaching throughout the world.

Many of the greatest advances in the history of medicine, such as the use of anaesthesia and antiseptics in surgery and ultrasound, have been made by Scots or in Scotland.

More recently, Scotland’s medical breakthroughs include the discovery of antibiotics, the cloning of Dolly the sheep, the discovery of the p53 tumour suppressor gene and the development of magnetic resonance imaging.

1495

King’s College in Aberdeen was founded, encompassing a medical school

1505

Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh was founded

1760s

John Hunter was one of the first people to apply a rational and scientific approach to surgery

1847

James Young Simpson introduced chloroform in anaesthesia

1860s

Joseph Lister pioneered antiseptic surgery

1877

Sir William MacEwen performed the first bone graft

1923

John Macleod won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for the discovery of Insulin

1929

Sir Alexander Fleming discovered Penicillin

1950s

Ian Donald pioneered ultrasound scanning in gynaecology

1957

Alick Isaacs developed Interferon

1970s

John B Stenlake developed Atracurium, the world’s best selling muscle relaxant

1979

Sir David P Lane discovered the p53 tumour suppressor gene

1980

John Mallard developed the MRI scanner

1980s

Sir David Jack developed Zantac and Ventolin

1988

Sir James Black won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for the discovery of ß-blockers

1996

Sir Ian Wilmut, Keith Campbell and colleagues at The Roslin Institute created Dolly the sheep

2000

Optos plc Scanning Laser Opthalmoscope revolutionized eye disease diagnosis

2005

Touch Bionics launched the i-LIMB Hand, the worlds first fully articulating and commercially available bionic hand

2006

Aircraft Medical launched the McGrath Series 5 - the world's first fully portable video laryngoscope

2006

Irwin McLean's team identified the filaggrin gene as the first definitive predisposing gene for atopic eczema, atopic asthma, hay fever and other allergies

Our future

Scotland is determined to maintain its position as a global leader in life sciences. The Scottish government, public sector, academics and companies are working together to ensure we succeed. We have one of the largest and fastest growing life science communities in Europe.