Alan Clive Roberts (28 April 1934 – 1 December 2021) was a British materials scientist, consultant and engineer who specialised in

biomaterial A biomaterial is a substance that has been engineered to interact with biological systems for a medical purpose, either a therapeutic (treat, augment, repair, or replace a tissue function of the body) or a diagnostic one. As a science, biomateria ...

s, clinical prosthetics and implants in

reconstructive surgery Reconstructive surgery is surgery performed to restore normal appearance and function to body parts malformed by a disease or medical condition. Description Reconstructive surgery is a term with training, clinical, and reimbursement implica ...

. He specialised in the research, development and the use of tissue adhesives in wound management. He is known by some as the "father of tissue adhesive". He was awarded the

Prince Philip Medal The Prince Philip Medal is named after Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, who was the Senior Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering (RAE). In 1989 Prince Philip agreed to the commissioning of solid gold medals to be "awarded periodically to a ...

for research in the field of implantation materials in 1970, the

MBE Mbe may refer to: * Mbé, a town in the Republic of the Congo * Mbe Mountains Community Forest, in Nigeria * Mbe language, a language of Nigeria * Mbe' language, language of Cameroon * ''mbe'', ISO 639 code for the extinct Molala language of t ...

in 1982, and the

OBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

for contributions to science and technology in 2002. He was director of the Centre for Clinical Prosthetics at the Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and Professor of Biomaterials in Surgery at the Academic Surgical Unit of the

University of Hull , mottoeng = Bearing the Torch f learning, established = 1927 – University College Hull1954 – university status , type = Public , endowment = £18.8 million (2016) , budget = £190 millio ...

. He was also a consultant clinical scientist at Nuffield Hospital in Leeds, and the head of the Clinical Prosthetics Department at

St Luke's Hospital, Bradford St Luke's Hospital is an NHS hospital in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. It is situated on Little Horton Lane to the ...

. Roberts was former joint director of the Institute of Health Research and was chairman of the National Research Ethics Service from 2006 to 2011. He was Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Court and Council at the

University of Leeds , mottoeng = And knowledge will be increased , established = 1831 – Leeds School of Medicine1874 – Yorkshire College of Science1884 - Yorkshire College1887 – affiliated to the federal Victoria University1904 – University of Leeds , ...

from 1983 to 2000. Roberts was a fellow of the

Royal Society of Medicine The Royal Society of Medicine (RSM) is a medical society in the United Kingdom, headquartered in London. History The Society was established in 1805 as Medical and Chirurgical Society of London, meeting in two rooms in barristers’ chamber ...

and was its vice-president from 2007 to 2009 and the founder of the Technology in Medicine section of the Society. He was also an honorary treasurer of the society. He was awarded the Honorary Fellowship at the Royal Society of Medicine, its highest honour, in 2010.

Early life and education

Born in Exeter in 1934, Roberts was a son of Major William Roberts

and Catherine Roberts. He attended Askam House School and Gregg School in

Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne ( RP: , ), or simply Newcastle, is a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. The city is located on the River Tyne's northern bank and forms the largest part of the Tyneside built-up area. Newcastle is a ...

and then at what is now

Manchester Metropolitan University Manchester Metropolitan University is located in the centre of Manchester, England. The university has over 40,000 students and over 4,000 members of staff. It is home to four faculties (Arts and Humanities, Business and Law, Health and Educat ...

and at the

University of Bradford The University of Bradford is a public research university located in the city of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. A plate glass university, it received its royal charter in 1966, making it the 40th university to be created in Britain, bu ...

Medical research

Roberts was a scientific officer of the

Newcastle Royal Infirmary The Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI) is a 673-bed tertiary referral hospital and research centre in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, with strong links to Newcastle University. The hospital is part of the Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Tru ...

and completed his research degree (

MPhil The Master of Philosophy (MPhil; Latin ' or ') is a postgraduate degree. In the United States, an MPhil typically includes a taught portion and a significant research portion, during which a thesis project is conducted under supervision. An MPhil m ...

) in

medical materiel Medical materiel are medical supply technicians employed by the hospitals, clinics, and the military; these professionals are responsible for managing and requisitioning, receiving, storing, issuing, safeguarding and accounting for supplies and me ...

. Roberts developed "Silskin" from research in 1992 which was the first universal prosthetic skin with global use in clinical prosthetics. Roberts' research in 2006 produced a prosthetic adhesive to effectively overcome the difficulty of attaching materials, prostheses and devices to the body with particular reference to

colostomy A colostomy is an opening (stoma) in the large intestine (colon), or the surgical procedure that creates one. The opening is formed by drawing the healthy end of the colon through an incision in the anterior abdominal wall and suturing it into ...

and facial prostheses. He has published numerous scientific papers and books on his subject. He was a fellow of the

Royal Society of Biology The Royal Society of Biology (RSB), previously called the Society of Biology, is a learned society and professional association in the United Kingdom created to advance the interests of biology in academia, industry, education, and research. Fo ...

, a chartered biologist, a fellow of the

Linnean Society of London The Linnean Society of London is a learned society dedicated to the study and dissemination of information concerning natural history, evolution, and taxonomy. It possesses several important biological specimen, manuscript and literature colle ...

(FLS) and a fellow at the

City and Guilds of London Institute The City and Guilds of London Institute is an educational organisation in the United Kingdom. Founded on 11 November 1878 by the City of London and 16 livery companies – to develop a national system of technical education, the institute has ...

. He was a Companion of Honour at the

Institution of Mechanical Engineers The Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) is an independent professional association and learned society headquartered in London, United Kingdom, that represents mechanical engineers and the engineering profession. With over 120,000 membe ...

. He was a member of the international advisory board at the

University of Malaysia The National University of Malaysia ( ms, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, abbreviated as UKM) is a public university located in Bandar Baru Bangi, Hulu Langat District, Selangor, Malaysia. Its teaching hospital, Universiti Kebangsaan Ma ...

Medical School and a former examiner to the

University of Sheffield The University of Sheffield (informally Sheffield University or TUOS) is a public university, public research university in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. Its history traces back to the foundation of Sheffield Medical School in 1828, Firth C ...

, School of Clinical Dentistry. He was an examiner at the

University of Malta The University of Malta (, UM, formerly UOM) is a higher education institution in Malta. It offers undergraduate bachelor's degrees, postgraduate master's degrees and postgraduate doctorates. It is a member of the European University Association ...

medical school in 2004. Roberts was awarded honorary doctoral degrees from the University of Leeds in 2000, the University of London in 2005, the University of Bradford in 2007, and

Brunel University Brunel University London is a public research university located in the Uxbridge area of London, England. It was founded in 1966 and named after the Victorian engineer and pioneer of the Industrial Revolution, Isambard Kingdom Brunel. In June 1 ...

in 2007.

Other service

Following national service in the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gur ...

, Roberts joined the Territorial Army in the

Royal Artillery The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...

. As a reservist, he commanded the Leeds University Officer Training Corps as a lieutenant-colonel before becoming a colonel and deputy commander to the General Officer Commanding North East Military District. He was an honorary colonel commandant of the Royal Artillery, as well as honorary colonel of 269(WR) Battery 101 (N) Regiment Royal Artillery and former honorary colonel of a number of reserve units. He was a former chairman of the Council of United Kingdom Military Education Committees. He was also an honorary aide-de-camp to

Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until her death in 2022. She was queen regnant of 32 sovereign states during ...

from 1980-1984. He was a Deputy Lord Lieutenant for the County of West Yorkshire and County President South & West Yorkshire

Royal British Legion The Royal British Legion (RBL), formerly the British Legion, is a British charity providing financial, social and emotional support to members and veterans of the British Armed Forces, their families and dependants, as well as all others in n ...

. Roberts was a trustee of

Yorkshire Sculpture Park The Yorkshire Sculpture Park (YSP) is an art gallery, with both open-air and indoor exhibition spaces, in West Bretton, Wakefield, in West Yorkshire, England. It shows work by British and international artists, including Henry Moore and Barba ...

, Action for Rehabilitation from Neurological Injury (ARNI),

SSAFA SSAFA – the Armed Forces charity, the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association, is a UK charity that provides lifelong support to serving men and women and veterans from the British Armed Forces and their families or dependents. Anyon ...

, Carmichael Walker Committee, West Riding Artillery Trust, Maritime Heritage Foundation (2010). He was a county president of SSAFA West Yorkshire and was president of the

Leeds Group. He was president of Leeds District

NSPCC The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) is a British child protection charity. History Victorian era On a trip to New York in 1881, Liverpudlian businessman Thomas Agnew was inspired by a visit to the New Y ...

, was county president at

British Red Cross The British Red Cross Society is the United Kingdom body of the worldwide neutral and impartial humanitarian network the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. The society was formed in 1870, and is a registered charity with more ...

for West Yorkshire 1986-02. Chairman of the Army Benevolent Fund of West Yorkshire from 1972 to 1975 and was Gentleman Usher of

Imperial Society of Knights Bachelor The Imperial Society of Knights Bachelor was formed in 1908 in the United Kingdom and received royal recognition in 1912. Its patron was Queen Elizabeth II until her death in 2022. It is a registered charity and seeks to uphold and advise on the di ...

. In 2002, Roberts was awarded the Badge of the Order of Mercy by the

League of Mercy Foundation The League of Mercy was a British foundation established in 1899 by royal charter of Queen Victoria. The goal of the organisation was to recruit a large number of volunteers to aid the sick and suffering at charity hospitals. It was disbanded a ...

. This is a self-styled order created in 1999 to imitate the

League of Mercy The League of Mercy was a British foundation established in 1899 by royal charter of Queen Victoria. The goal of the organisation was to recruit a large number of volunteers to aid the sick and suffering at charity hospitals. It was disbanded a ...

that was dissolved in 1947; it is not an official award. He died on 1 December 2021, at the age of 87.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Roberts, Alan Clive 1934 births 2021 deaths Alumni of Manchester Metropolitan University Alumni of the University of Bradford Academics of the University of Hull People associated with the University of Leeds Fellows of the Royal Society of Medicine Fellows of the Royal Society of Biology Fellows of the Linnean Society of London Fellows of The City and Guilds of London Institute Engineers from Exeter 20th-century British biologists 20th-century British engineers British medical researchers British bioengineers Royal Artillery officers Officers of the Order of the British Empire Military personnel from Exeter