Euan MacDonald

Euan was a Scottish businessman, research advocate and University of Edinburgh graduate, best known for his contributions to motor neuron disease (MND) research.

 

Diagnosed with MND in 2003 at age 29, he went on to establish the Euan MacDonald Centre for Motor Neuron Disease Research at the University of Edinburgh just a few years later, alongside his father.

 

The centre trains MND researchers and is home to MND-SMART, the largest MND clinical trial in a generation. It has also launched a company, SpeakUnique, delivering bespoke voices to people who have lost their own through disease or trauma. In 2013, Euan co-founded the disabled access review website, Euan’s Guide, with his sister Kiki.

 

Euan was honoured with a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) and was named as one of the most influential disabled people in the UK. 

 

He died on 21 August 2024, at the age of 50, after a long battle with motor neuron disease.