John Starr

John was Honorary Professor of Health and Ageing at the University of Edinburgh, founding director of the Alzheimer Scotland Dementia Research Centre, co-director of the Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology (CCACE), co-director of the Scottish Dementia Clinical Research Network, and a practising consultant physician in the medicine of old age for NHS Lothian.

He was a specialist in geriatric medicine, with a particular focus on dementia care and the needs of older adults with intellectual disabilities. He came to Edinburgh in 1989 as a research fellow in the Department of Psychiatry, investigating the relationship between blood pressure and cognition, before going on to become a consultant physician and a professor at the University of Edinburgh.

John’s research interests were broad, covering cognitive ageing, dementia and intellectual disability. He published over 400 papers in prestigious journals and held over £50 million in grants.

At Edinburgh Medical School, John supervised many PhD students and was a strong advocate for female trainees, encouraging many into geriatric medicine and to consider an academic career.

He also developed several innovative services, including a geriatrician-led memory clinic and a clinic for older adults with learning disabilities. His work with Ian Deary and Lawrence Whalley on the Lothian and Aberdeen Birth Cohorts of 1921 and 1936 led to the novel field of ‘cognitive epidemiology’ and many high impact papers.

John's work had a significant impact nationally and globally and former colleagues recall the incalculable impact he had on the careers of countless researchers and clinicians.