PROFESSOR COLIN GREEN, B Vet Med, PhD, DSc (Med), FRCVS, FRC Path, FRCS England(Hon)
Founder, Director of Overseas Development and Treasurer, IMET2000.
Born in Portsmouth in 1935 of a Royal Navy family tradition, GG gained a full scholarship to the Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth from 1948 to 1952. After service in the Royal Navy in the Mediterranean from 1952-1956 and the intention of making a career flying in the Fleet Air Arm, he resigned over the Suez Campaign and then studied veterinary medicine in the University of London 1958-1963. After qualifying, he worked in agriculture until 1969.He then joined the Medical Research Council (MRC) as a full-time scientist and developed novel microsurgical techniques in the MRC National Institute for Medical Research, Mill Hill until 1972 when he moved to the newly opened MRC Clinical Research Centre (CRC) at Northwick Park. From 1969 onward he worked on transplantation immunology and storage of organs for transplantation culminating in a PhD awarded in the Faculty of Medicine, University of London in 1975. In 1977, he was one of the pioneers in developing cyclosporine A as a revolutionary new drug to prevent rejection of transplanted organs. In 1979 CG was promoted Head of Surgical Research in the CRC, and this was followed with academic awards including a DSc(Med) in the Faculty of Medicine , University of London (1991), Fellowship of the Royal College of Pathologists and Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons of England (Hon) both also in 1991.
In 1988, CG helped set up the Restoration of Appearance and Function Trust (RAFT) charity and was co-Director of its Institute for Plastic Surgery Research in Mount Vernon Hospital in Northwood. He then became Director of the famous Blond McIndoe Centre for Surgical Research, East Grinstead in 1991 and remained in post until 1999. From 1998 to 2002, he was a medical consultant to the UK charity ‘Friends of Russian Children’ and then to its newly badged ‘The Children’s Burns Trust’ (www.cbtrust.org.uk) for 4 years helping establish a modern Burns Unit in the main Moscow Paediatric Hospital. In 1994 he founded the Northwick Park Institute for Medical Research (NPIMR) and remained Director until September 2008.He has recently been awarded the title ‘Founder and Emeritus Scientific Director’ by the Trustees of NPIMR (now named the The Griffin Institute) and is actively working on burns and wound healing research. In 1996, he was awarded a Personal Chair in Surgical Science, University College London and was made UNESCO Chair in Cryobiology and Academician in the Ukraine National Academy of Sciences in 1998.
Since 1995 his main research interests have been in surgical reconstruction, tissue regeneration, stem cells seeded into decellularised tissues, novel burns treatments and organ transplantation. Most notably he has helped pioneer the development of carbon monoxide releasing molecules (CORMS) as potential therapeutic agents for inflammation, bacterial infections and ischaemia-reperfusion damage, in particular their possible role in coronary artery disease and strokes. CG is an author in over 500 publications.
CG also has a strong interest in global healthcare and education particularly as they impact on conflict resolution and human rights. In 1984 he helped re-vitalise Medical Aid for Palestine (MAP) and in 1989 onwards with MAP’s encouragement and support helped establish the very first Palestinian Faculty of Medicine in Al Quds University in 1994 and has been Visiting Professor ever since. In1996, he set up a new UK registered charity (Foundation for Al Quds Medical School or FQMS) to provide funding for the School. In 2002, Colin was proud to be awarded and presented by President Arafat in Ramallah with the Palestinian Millennium Medal “for services to the Palestinian people”. As part of a strong interest in child mental health in areas of conflict such as Tibet, Gaza and Ukraine he also believes in the power of cultural activities such as music, dance, film, poetry, theatre and literature in maintaining the psychosocial fabric of stressed societies and supports these activities as part of holistic healthcare. The seeds of this interest were sown in 1988 when he co-founded a theatre group for disabled young people in Bradford called ‘Mind the Gap’ and funded and helped run that for 3 years until established and successful (http://www.mind-the-gap.org.uk/). His interest in dance and its potential beneficial impact on young deprived children was catalysed by his experience as a Trustee and medical consultant to London City Ballet from 1982 to 1993 and then as Chairman and Director of City Ballet of London from 1996 to 1999.
In the year 2000 CG set up another charity registered as The International Medical Education Trust 2000 (IMET2000) and this now has educational, training and humanitarian projects running in the Ukraine, Russia, Palestine, Tibet (north India)and Africa. He has developed strong e-learning links for all healthcare professionals throughout this international network. In 2008, a Palestinian Centre for Health Sciences Research and Education was opened by IMET2000 in Ramallah to provide e-learning, telemedicine and research opportunities for all healthcare professionals (www.imet2000.org and www.imet2000-pal.org). In Uganda, IMET2000 is currently building a brand new rural hospital to serve a population of 600,000 and within it an Eye Clinic opened in May, 2019 (www.herona.org).
In the UK, Colin is active in Stop the War Coalition, the Campaign Against the Arms Trade, CND, the Women’s Equality Party, Population Matters, War on Want, Freedom from Torture, British Committee for Universities of Palestine (BRICUP), European Movement and Extinction Rebellion. He is so disappointed in the UK parliamentary parties that he is now an international supporter of Sinn Fein in Ireland and a member of Cairde Sinn Fein. He is also a Patron of Pal Music UK supporting the Edward Said National Conservatory of Music in Palestine and is a Patron of the NGO Firefly International and of the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions-UK. Whilst laying claim to no particular ethnicity, he is also a paid-up member of Jews for Justice for Palestine (JfJfP), Jewish Voice for Labour, Jewish Voice for Peace (USA), Independent Jewish Voices (Canada) and Jewish Socialist Group (JSG). In Israel, he is a strong supporter of the Physicians for Human Rights-Israel.