Hi Everyone, I am so sorry to tell you all that our beloved Dr John Midgley passed away peacefully on Saturday afternoon.
I am so saddened by this news, as I know many of you will be. He worked so hard with his colleagues to make things better for thyroid patients.
He will be sadly missed on this community, where he informed us not only of the research he was doing with his colleagues but telling us about other pieces of thyroid research with his thoughts - good or bad.
I will miss him so much as I loved out chats about what he thought about with regard to thyroid research old and new.
Thyroid UK has given our sincere condolences to his daughter and will be sending a card and flowers for his funeral, if that is what he wished.
If you would like to make any comments here, I will send them to his family.
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lynmynott
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Selfishly I am very upset by this news. We have come to depend on his brain power and his humour, his hard work to clear the way to our understanding (and others). He will most certainly be missed.
Condolences to his family. Such a dreadful personal loss for them.
He was a man for whom medicine was a calling, his love for humanity shone through his dedication in finding ways to ease the suffering of his fellow men. A rare gem, in a profession that has lost its way. Will be greatly missed by us and by his loved ones, thank you Sir, may Almighty God watch over them for you.
I say this with the utmost respect and admiration. A fine critical thinker. We need more people like Dr Midgely in the world. I hope his legacy will inspire others to continue his work. He certainly has inspired me and many others I know.
Very sad to lose an independent thinker - a true intellectual.
I am so sad to hear this. I learned so much from his wealth of thyroid knowledge and we shall be lost without his wisdom and dedication to the cause. I send my condolences to his family. They must feel proud that he will be so greatly missed by all on this forum.
I’m so sorry to hear this news Lyn. John was inspirational in his work and provided informed advice to forum members. He, like the lovely SeasideSusie, will be sadly missed and never forgotten 🦋
How sad ...do give our love to his daughter ..especially sad at Christmas...We will pray that he is now with his old family members and friends free of pain and worries.He will be greatly missed
Ave diogenes. A brilliant mind and so much appreciated by so many. I know that he was left out on a limb when the tablet form of diplofenac was no longer available; he understood better than most the consequences of pharmeceutical dogma over a patient's quality of life.
Nothing can alter the respect in which he was held by us all. Perhaps he and his cohort will be identified in years to come as the trail blazers for an alternative to the ubiquitous - and for many of us deleterious - levothyroxine.
Such very, very sad news. We have been so incredibly fortunate to have his presence and unwavering support for our cause, here on the forum for over ten years.
For all the newer members who may not be aware of Dr John Midgley, his forum name was diogenes. His posts can be found here: healthunlocked.com/user/dio...)
And his bio on the Thyroid UK website says:
Dr John Midgley has been a University Lecturer, worked in biochemistry/molecular biology. He went to Leeds and Newcastle-upon-Tyne Universities between 1962-1975.
He was the Clinical Trials Coordinator for Diagnostic Products, Amersham from 1975 to 1988. He is an inventor of the one-step methodologies for FT3/FT4 measurement (1980 and 1988).
He is a winner of the Prince of Wales Award for Industrial Innovation and Production in 1985 and a consultant of Diagnostic Methodologies (1988-1998) and a Trials Abstractor, Gastroenterology, Cochrane Collaboration, (1999-2006).
He is an independent writer and reviewer for thyroid function test interpretation and author of 120 + papers and reviews on bacterial molecular biology/clinical thyroid function diagnostics.
thank you for clarifying RedApple I didn't know Diogenes real name but always valued his input. Having someone from the medical world on our side who was knowledgeable and helpful was very important. Indeed a great loss.
The big problem he faced was that he wasn't a medical doctor. He was a scientist and biologist and he used that knowledge to research thyroid in depth. But the medical world just haven't taken his findings on board. They poo-poo anyone who is not a medical doctor. It's a very biased and closed profession and we suffer because of it.
Another thyroid giant gone. We have lost Dr Peatfield, diogenes and SeasideSusie in 2023.
I'm sad for all their families and rather afraid for all of us who relied on them for help and guidance in their fields. Such a sad and irreplaceable loss.
Diogenes worked closely with other thyroid researchers. I hope one of them will perhaps join the forum and help keep us informed of the work they are doing and of anything we can do to help.
Oh gosh, it is difficult to believe that we will no longer be reading his words of wisdom. I loved reading his work. He will be so greatly missed by everyone who uses TUK, condolences to his family for their very sad loss.
I am so sorry to hear this news. As 'diogenes' John helped so many of us on here and I will be forever grateful for his knowledge and wisdom. RIP Diogenes
That is just the saddest news. A light in the darkness for us all is now lit elsewhere. May your journey be peaceful and thank you, thank you, thank you. 🕯️
I am so terribly shocked and saddened to hear this news. Dr John Midgley was an invaluable source of information and an indisputable friend of this thyroid community. His loss leaves a huge void.
I do hope one of his colleagues will continue his valued legacy by contributing to this forum.
What a Tremendous loss for us thyroid patients. Diogenes will be so very very much missed. He was a Great advocate for us. He will be so so missed. I feel like I was orphaned by this wonderful human being who fought a Great fight on our behalf.
I am deeply saddened to hear this news. Dr Midgely's knowledge , sense and support will be sorely missed. My sincerest condolences to his family and to all who knew him. May he rest in peace.
I'm very sad to hear about the loss of diogenes. My condolences to his family. This is a huge loss to thyroid patients, and he will be greatly missed on the forum.
I’m really sorry to read this. I just discovered him. What a huge loss. RIP Sir. Thank you for everything you’ve taught us.
Dr Midgely was an amazing man whose support for us thyroid patients has been unwavering. His research and bright thought provoking brilliant mind is a terrible loss to us. all. I am personally gutted and greatly saddened as what he and his colleagues were/are doing gave so much hope that the narrow view of hypothyroidism currently held may one day be changed. His achievements are incredibly, alongside his words of wisdom and compassion to members on this site will be greatly missed.Thankyou Dr Midgely for all that you have done over the years.
My most sincerest condolences to his daughter and family.
He will be deeply and sadly missed by many, myself included.
Rest in peace dear Diogenes. You fought the good fight and will be treasured for many years to come by many.
So very shocked and saddened to hear this terrible news, such a great loss to our community. His family must be so proud and my sincere condolences go out to them.
Upon joining the forum less than a year ago, it quickly became obvious that when the enigmatic ‘Diogenes’ posted, others listened. It was clear that he was an authority who commanded respect but, like all of the most truly accomplished individuals in life, did so with kindness and devoid of hubris.
To witness the outpouring of sadness here is extremely moving.
The Guardian has a section called Other Lives which gives an opportunity for the lives of seminal individuals to be acknowledged, much like an Obituaries section does. This would help establish a legacy for the considerable contributions he has made in the field of thyroid related research.
I’m so sorry to hear that Dr Midgely has passed. I don’t have the words to express my gratitude for the time he gave to us all and the knowledge he shared. He will be very much missed. My deepest condolences to his daughter and loved ones.
lynmynott
A great loss of knowledge, kindness and compassion.
RIP Dr John Midgely and condolences to you and his family.
I was shocked to hear the news about John Midgley (diogenes) and send my sincere condolences to his family, friends and colleagues. The thyroid world will be a much poorer place without him.
My thoughts and prayers are with his family. The technicality and understanding with which he wrote (lots of which I honestly struggled to fully comprehend) illustrated perfectly to me, the complexity of this condition.
I didn't who was until today and I offer my condolences to his family for I have benefited from him knowledge by being on this forum my he rest in peace and may we continue to educate where lacking
The Greek philosoper diogenes was one of the founders of Cynicism and that outlook came through in Dr. Midgley's comments from time to time, as he detailed his experiences with the scientific community. But his important contributions have benefited many and I hope will ultimately be given the recognition they deserve.
We have been so fortunate to benefit from his knowledge, generosity, and humour. There are many patient forums, but I wonder how many have the kind of 'in-house' expertise we've enjoyed. He shall be missed. Deepest condolences to his loved ones.
Oh no I am so sad to hear this!! He was a wonderful researcher and advocate for thyroid health. He will be sadly missed by many people. Condolences to his family and friends.
Dr John Midgeley/diogenes had a voice that will be greatly missed by our community. His integrity, intelligence, knowledge and kindness were a special combination.
I for one used to sit up straighter when there was a post by diogenes. Always knew it would be worthy of my full attention.
Dr Midgeley has left a legacy of superb research. Please let his family know how much he was respected and how much he will be missed.
my sincere condolences to his family and close colleagues who suffer personal loss but he will be missed by all of us who live with thyroid problems. His dedication and unique clarity of thought to this subject have benefitted us all.
He will be missed by so many but the legacy of his generosity in giving his time and deep understanding has touched us all
We owe John Midgley a huge debt of gratitude . For his determination in continuing the thankless hard work needed to drag accurate science and logic to the treatment of the thyroid . For his huge legacy of detailed and insightful work into it's complexities. For his bravery in standing up to be counted and for engaging honestly with real patients by being a member of this open forum .
I held his opinion in very high regard. It is hard to find people worthy of such respect in the field of thyroidology.
Thank you Sir, for the time and respect you gave us.
And for the kindness and good humour you did it with .
Good morning, watching the YouTube video this morning and discovering this eloquent, insightful gentleman, thank you for all he did and as a hypothyroid newbie, I am grateful to learn a great deal.
My deepest condolences to Dr John Midgley’s family at this time. What a dedicated man, we were so lucky to have availed of his insight. Bless you John and thank you.
Very sad news. Condolences to his family and loved ones. They must be so proud of his legacy. His contributions here alone have helped so many. A true trailblazer. Rest in peace Diogenes.
I am so very saddened by the news of Dr John Midgley’s (diogenes) passing. He will be sorely missed by this community and his colleagues. Another great mind lost to the thyroidology world. My sincere condolences to his family. May he rest in peace. 💔
So sad to hear this. I didn’t know until now who the great Diogenes really was but what a loss he will be. Huge condolences to his daughter, family and friends. I will miss his sage advice.
So very very sorry to hear of the loss of another very valued member of our forum. Dr John Midgley will be very much missed. Very sincere condolences to his family and friends 💔
What a sad loss to us all and my sincere condolences to his family. As a fellow scientist, I greatly admired his scientific integrity and determination to stand his ground against the mainstream scientific grain. Scientists like him should give us all hope for the future to not give up in the face of adversity. Only by challenging the status quo can we make positive changes. Rest in peace.💔
So shocked and sad to read of the passing of Dr John Midgley. I send my condolences to his daughter and family. His loss to this community will be immense and we are lucky to have the information from him and his colleagues that he has always kept us informed of.
We thyroid patients have been able to feel safe in his hands. I feel he has been like a wise and fair Grandfather to our community, demonstrating perseverence and courage in the face of the Medical Orthodoxy's unwillingness to open its mind to a very complex hormonal issue .
So many beautiful messages - for a very special man. Difficult to find the words. Sadness and gratitude spring to mind. Condolences to family and friends. A great loss of thought, word and deed. A lifetime of experience and wisdom shared with us all...thank you Dr Midgley....
I can't tell you how sorry I am to hear this. His loss will be felt by all across the thyroid community, knowingly or otherwise. Having recently lost my own Dad suddenly I know how is daughter must be feeling and send her and his family and friends my deepest condolences, love and strength at this difficult time. His spirit lives on and I hope he can continue to help to make the lives of thyroid patients better. Journey on well John. Sincere and heartfelt thanks for everything you did for us all. 💜💔🙏
I really don't know what to add to the heartfelt comments posted here. I feel a great sense of loss and I didn't know him personally, merely through this forum. RIP Diogenes you will be deeply missed, but your legacy will live on in your research papers and posts on this forum.
Every thyroid patient owes John Midgely an enormous debt of gratitude. The video Humanbean has put up on another post, where he campaigned with Lorraine Cleaver to the Scottish Parliament is testament to that. It is a tragedy that he has not been afforded the academic and scientific acclaim he so richly deserved in life.
Sincere condolences to his family on their profound loss. He was unique in an exceptionally good way, and so generous of his time and effort in trying to improve the lives of thyroid sufferers. I believe I read that John's wife is well on levo T4 only. It is therefore all the more remarkable that he has championed , and done research tirelessly, and selflessly, to improve the lives and understanding, of thyroid sufferers across the full spectrum of thyroid disease.
As a testament to the outstanding commitment he has made to trying to improve "all things Thyroid" , he deserves to be honoured, albeit posthumously now .There must be some way that this could be achieved. Another member has suggested a route via the Guardian, to honour his memory.
A husband and father that his family can be inordinately proud of. He will never be forgotten, and will be sorely missed by all he tried to help.
I am both very shocked and also very upset. John was a wonderful man as well as a brilliant one. We talked frequent over email on a variety of topics and I had a huge amount of respect for him.
He is a massive loss to all thyroid patients and I will definitely miss him.
A very sad loss for his family and I send my heartfelt condolences to them.It is an equally sad loss for humanity to lose such a brilliant scientific mind but it is a devastating loss for the wider thyroid community. Dr John Midgeley (Diogenes) was without doubt a pioneering scientist who believed 100% in empirical research and not in following trends. His body of published work will stand like a beacon to guide and inform future generations, if they have the intelligence and wit to follow it.He will be sadly missed by me and I suspect by all on this forum.
Such terrible news. He was a giant in the thyroid community. extremely knowledgeable about not just thyroid function but the testing and interpretation of results. He also had an excellent understanding of how the medical system worked. He worked hard for patients. He will be sorely missed.
Please pass on my condolences to his family and friends.
So very sad to hear this news. I’ve only been connected to Thyroid U.K. for a short time but have learned much from his research. Sending sincere condolences to his family who will miss him so much.
Sending my deepest sympathies and condolences to diogenes / Dr. Midgley’s family. He was one of our own, highly revered here on the forum, when he spoke we listened, when we questioned he answered. His memory will live on in the vast legacy of his work which will continue to inspire future scientists. I feel deep gratitude for his efforts to support us all 🖤
Lyn, I was only thinking of him yesterday before I heard of this sad news and wondered if there would ever be anyone who so selflessly thought of others and applied his wonderful thinking in such a matter of fact way . He was a fount of knowledge to all on this site and a champion to our cause. Condolences to his family.
I was so very sad to read this Lyn. I haven't known the words to write, though they've been said by 100 people on here already. We could always rely on John (Diogenes) to give us the correct information, new research, new developments in thyroid thinking. He would always answer our questions - so generous with his wisdom and his time.
Our community here, and the scientific community, have lost a giant - a kind, wise, generous giant. But his legacy will carry on.
I’m so sad to read this. He was an amazing source of knowledge and good sense which will be missed greatly. My thoughts are with his friends and family.
I thank everyone for your kind words about my good friend. His daughter Catherine contacted me before Christmas to let me know of his death and date of his funeral. He and I have worked together since 1979. In that year we shared an office at the Nuclear Medicine Company Amersham Plc. As you know he was Clinical Trials Coordinator. I was undertaking a business development assignment to assess the possibility of developing a non-radioactive alternative for replacement of the company's product range with a chemiluminescent alternative. In odd moments we discussed the possibility of developing a theoretically valid FT4 RIA and came up with the idea of a labelled T4 tracer that would bind to a T4-Antibody but not to the 3 Binding proteins. My theoretical modelling showed it would work and gave me criteria for optimising the assay. I developed the product in 20 months including the fabulous 55 centre, 19 countries clinical trial organised by John. 3 competitors facing extinction infringed our patents. We beat them in the US patent courts and had many adventures in the next 2 years and rapidly developed a FT3 assay on the same principles. I was head-hunted to work with the Nobel Laureate Christian de Duve in Brussels. John continued to drive forward with other collaborators developing best practice in Laboratory medicine and treatment for thyroid patients which we remained in contact with over our separate careers. Why was John so committed to thyroid disease research? We met much dishonesty from competitors and some academics. He hated such behaviour and fought to prevent the perpetrators succeeding. Also his wife Joan suffered from Hashimoto's disease and he was determined she would have the best treatment outcome. BTW. He met the aging Prof Hashimoto during our Japan FT4 clinical trial. At that meeting he joked that "his wife knew the venerable professor far better than he did". My wife and I have many fond memories of John and Joan. I join with Thyroid UK members to celebrate a life well lived and add my sentiments to yours to RIP.
Thank you CEONMI for your lovely post about John. I am working with one of John's colleagues in writing an obituary for the Guardian's Other Lives. If it's ok with you, I would like to use some of this information for this.
I will be happy for you to use anything you find in my posting in your obituary. There is much more I could have added:-
1. When I proved our FT4 concept, our R&D and marketing Depts opposed the product concept. It made the R&D Dept's double isotope development redundant. The Marketing Dept preferred to work on "totally unique me-too products". So we invited ourselves to the Quarterly Overseas Sales Directors meeting to present our concept. They were being destroyed by our competitors with their unproven FT4 assays thus they rejected the R&D departments double isotope T4/T3 Uptake development. The rest is history.
2. I discovered from a competitor's Director of Research that a UK Professor was paid £30k by his company to attack our product in the Thyroid Medic al Literature. He did this but also attacked his product. He said the other 2 FT4 competitors had done the same with the same result! This professor died in 2016 at the age of 100 still claiming that he had invented our FT4 assay before us! John had relentlessly tracked down all staff working in Prof X's laboratory 1979-83 and obtained unanimous statements that Prof X lied!!! Now the latter is dead it would be possible to publish his name.
3. John and Joan were God Parents to our 2 sons, He used to do quite wacky things which they found very funny. e.g. A water divining system made from to Bic Biros and wire from coat hangers bent into right angles,
4. In recent years, John was relentless in his research collaborations with German partners investigating the diagnosis and patient management of thyroid disease patients. His research indicated that a great many hypothyroid patients on L-T4 managed by FT4 and TSH only continued to feel unwell. This prompted his research into balanced T4 + T3 duo-hormone replacement therapy monitored by FT4, FT3 and TSH. The reasons are obvious. Most T3 is produced at the tissue level by deiodination of T4 to T3. Thus he argued for striving to return both FT4 and FT3 to their respective euthyroid levels. He and his partners found that this approach led to patients feeling much better. He found much support in Europe for this approach. But US Thyroidologists tended to reject this approach based on "received wisdom rather than evidence". I believe in recent years he was beginning to win US practitioners over.
My thanks and best wishes got out to you in anticipation of your obituary.
We have lost a brilliant person with a first class brain who did so much important cutting edge work on the thyroid yet was so humble answering our questions so clearly here and enlightening us with his papers. I am very saddened at his passing.
I didn't know what to say when I heard of his death through this site, ..this is out of character for me . All I can say is that ,as a result of his kind interest and wisdom ,I was empowered to fight my corner for proper treatment .After 20nyears of untreated underactive autoimmune . He lead me to the medical.knowledge and evidence to use in my fight against the Flat Earthers ...I could go on but I won't
Deepest condolences to his family. I have just come upon this news today. Personally he helped me so much. And his contribution to further thyroid research was immense. What an incredible legacy to leave.
This is such sad news, he was so inspirational in, and generous with, his knowledge. Such a loss for us all but deepest sympathy to his family and loved ones.
I heard the news from Facebook today - a reference to the Guardian article. His contributions to Healthunlocked have always been much valued. I will really miss him. RIP
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