Frank Ryan - Condensed Academic Profile

MEDICAL QUALIFICATIONS

MB, ChB (hons) Sheffield University Medical School. Graduated medallist of his year in the final examinations. Wellcome Research Studentship for original research on virus/antibody response study as undergraduate; Herbert Price Memorial Prize for original research on virus/antibody response study as undergraduate.

POSTGRADUATE QUALIFICATIONS AND TRAINING

Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians; Fellow Royal Society of Medicine; Fellow of the Linnean Society of London; Member of the International Symbiosis Society; Member of the BMA; Member of the Society of Authors

CURRENT APPOINTMENT

Emeritus Consultant Physician Sheffield Teaching Hospitals; Honorary Research Fellow in Evolutionary Biology, Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, Sheffield University.

MEDICAL CAREER

Consultant physician to Sheffield Teaching Hospitals.

Director of the Department of Gastroenterology at the Northern General Hospital, Sheffield.

Helped set up the Institute of Nutrition at the Northern General Hospital in 1989, run by Professor Read.

Consultant Advisor and lecturer to the Nutrition Institute, Northern General Hospital.

Since 1992 to present, new research interest in evolutionary biology and its extrapolation to medicine.

Honorary lecturer to Sheffield University Medical School.

Since 2007, Honorary Research Fellow to the Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, Sheffield University

Former sectional editor for Royal Society of Medicine, London.

POSTGRADUATE RESEARCH

22 years experience working and researching diseases related to nutrition and gastroenterology.

Performed original scientific studies with papers on medical research, mainly concerned with viruses as experimental tools in research into the auto-immune diseases, including the reticuloendothelial response to viral challenge.

First clinical trials of the anti-ulcer drug, Zantac.

Co-author of the report on the Hillsborough Disaster, published in the British Medical Journal.

World authority on the spleen in inflammatory bowel disease and the implications for the ability to respond to intravenous particulate antigen assault.

Authority on emerging infections.

Authority on tuberculosis.

Special interest in evolutionary theory in relation to medicine.

PAPERS RELEVANT TO EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY AND ITS APPLICATION TO MEDICINE

Ryan FP, 2004. Human endogenous retroviruses in health and disease: a symbiotic perspective. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine 97: 560-565.

Ryan FP, 2006. Genomic creativity and natural selection: a modern synthesis. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society ; 88: 655-72.

Ryan FP, 2007. Viruses as symbionts. Symbiosis 44: 11-21.

Ryan FP, in press. Viruses in cyclical symbioses. Chapter from The Self in Evolution, ed Lynn Margulis.

Ryan FP. An alternative approach to medical genetics based on modern evolutionary biology. Part 1: mutation and symbiogenesis. J Royal Soc Med 2009; 102: 272-7.

Ryan FP. An alternative approach to medical genetics based on modern evolutionary biology. Part 2: retroviral symbiosis. J Royal Soc Med 2009; 102: 324-31.

Ryan FP. An alternative approach to medical genetics based on modern evolutionary biology. Part 3: HERVs in diseases. J Royal Soc Med 2009; 102: 415-24.

Ryan FP. An alternative approach to medical genetics based on modern evolutionary biology. Part 4: HERVs in cancer. J Royal Soc Med 2009; 102: 474-80.

Ryan FP. An alternative approach to medical genetics based on modern evolutionary biology. Part 5: epigenetics and genomics. J Royal Soc Med 2009; 102: 530-7.

Ryan F. I Virus. New Scientist 30 January 2010: 32-5.

Ryan FP. Human endogenous retroviruses in multiple sclerosis: potential for novel neuro-pharmacological research. Current Neuropharmacology 2011; 9: 360-69.

BOOKS

The Eskimo Diet (1990), co-authored with Dr Reg Saynor, was a major popular science bestseller in the UK. This book pioneered the concept of the omega-3 fatty acids, EPA and DHA, as the equivalent of essential fatty acids, which were now seen to play a vital role in many different organ systems of the human body. The main message at that time was the role of the omega-3s from fish and marine sources in heart attack prevention. Since then the role has been extended to include anti-inflammatory properties in the autoimmune diseases, particularly rheumatoid arthritis, and, with publication, in 2008, of Frank's The Brain Food Diet, has further extrapolated the role of DHA to reducing the risk of cognitive decline and Alzheimer's disease, as well as a treatment role in depression.

Tuberculosis: The Greatest Story Never Told (1992/3). Published in the US as The Forgotten Plague, told the human story of the discovery of the cure and explained why a new global epidemic of tuberculosis was once again threatening developed and developing countries. Welcomed with considerable acclaim by the World Health Organisation and by doctors in the US, where it helped in the fightback against the disease. Dr Ryan helped Sir John Crofton to resurrect the nurses' branch of the Tuberculosis Association and he worked with senior colleagues from the Royal College of Physicians, the Royal Society of Medicine and the Thoracic Society, to help improve awareness of what was happening in the UK and globally. World In Action and Horizon programs were based on this book on the same day. In the United States, under the title The Forgotten Plague, it took the cover and two additional pages in the New York Times Book Review in addition to front-page reviews in other leading papers, such as The Washington Post. It was subsequently judged a New York Times NON-FICTION BOOK OF THE YEAR. This book also took the lead review in the Daily Telegraph in the UK and entered the UK non-fiction hardcover best-seller list. Two one-day plays were based on it, in Boston and Washington DC, involved the late distinguished actor, Jason Robards.

Virus X (1996/7). This book looks at the origins and behaviours of viruses such as HIV-1. It received outstanding reviews by fellow scientists in the New York Times and Los Angeles Times and took the front page of The Washington Post's Bookworld. A full hour program on CBS television in the States was based on it and it has featured in a series of recent interviews on Radio 3 and 4 and the BBC Open University. In the UK, it took the lead review in the Daily Telegraph and was the subject of a feature in The Sunday Times colour supplement. The book was nevertheless seen as controversial. In particular Dr Ryan's discussion of how plague microbes, especially viruses, could sometimes change the evolution of their hosts, was regarded with scepticism. But time has once again proved him right and these concepts are now being embraced in scientific circles and universities. It was in this book he first coined concept of "aggressive symbiosis," now deemed an important breakthrough in our understanding of evolutionary mechanisms that are taken further in his new book, Darwin's Blind Spot.

Darwin's Blind Spot (2002/3). Published by Houghton Mifflin in US and Thomson-Texere in UK. While supportive of Darwin's theory of evolution by means of natural selection, it develops the role of symbiosis between species and cooperation within the human species as major forces in evolution. Innovative ideas include "aggressive symbiosis" as an evolutionary concept in plague evolution and redefining of symbiosis to take into account viral interactions with host genomes. These ideas are being incorporated into college and university courses in many countries. Chosen as his "selected book" by US financial guru, Charlie Munger. This book has been the subject of many lectures and the novel symbiotic concepts and redefinition were an important innovatory feature of a key paper on human endogenous retroviruses currently in press in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine.

Virolution (in press 2009). Commissioned by Collins Publishers (HarperCollins, London), with anticipated publication late June 2009.

AWARDS AND HONOURS

Stanford University, course in evolutionary sociology based on Darwin's Blind Spot, 2005.

World Congress of the International Symbiosis Society in Vienna 2006: session devoted to viruses in symbiosis.

Darwin's Blind Spot is the only recommended book on a ten lecture adult learning course at the University of Delaware and is featured teaching on many university courses in the US, UK and Asia.Darwin's Blind Spot recommended as the "one book to read on evolutionary theory" by "Books in Heat".

Darwin's Blind Spot was the "Amazon Featured Book" recommended by the eminent economist, Charlie Munger at the 2003 Berkshire Hathaway annual meeting.

Darwin's Blind Spot recommended reading as a "primal book" by the globally based "Primal Therapy - the Center for the Sane

Tuberculosis: The Greatest Story Never Told (The Forgotten Plague) was judged non-fiction "Book of the Year" for the New York Times in 1993.

At the US National infectious diseases meeting in Washington 1994 a play was based on tuberculosis book, involving a number of leading Hollywood actors including the Academy Award winner, Jason Robards. This was the launching platform for a funding exercise against tuberculosis in the United States.

HONORIFIC AND KEYNOTE LECTURES

The combined Thoracic and Lung Association meeting in Boston 1993, where a play was based around the tuberculosis book.

Keynote lecture on the tuberculosis threat to the Royal College of Physicians, London, 1993.

Keynote lecture to the Royal College of Nurses, London, 1993, where Dr Ryan assisted Sir John Crofton in resurrecting the Nursing Branch of the Anti-Tuberculosis Association.

US National infectious diseases meeting in Washington 1994, when another play was based on tuberculosis book, involving a number of leading Hollywood actors including the Academy Award winner, Jason Robards.

Lecture on tuberculosis to the Henry Ford Health System and Mercy Health Services, Detroit, September 1994.

Snell lecture on tuberculosis at the British Thoracic Society meeting, November 1994.

Keynote lecture at meeting on tuberculosis at the Royal Society of Medicine, London, March 1996.

Keynote lecture to German National Thoracic Society meeting in March 1997.

Keynote lecture (evolutionary virology) to "Infectious Diseases 2,000" - a meeting in Madrid attended by 540 leading authorities from 36 countries in February/March 1997.

Millennium lecturer for the Royal Society of Medicine, March 2000.

Keynote lecturer on evolutionary aspects of virology in relation to blood transfusion safety at BioMérieux Workshop during the XXVIIIth Congress of the International Society of Blood Transfusion, Edinburgh, July 2004.

Lecture on "Viruses as Symbionts", delivered to the half day devoted to ideas of symbiotic viruses at the World Congress in Vienna in 2006.

Co-host to two-day conference at the Linnean Society of London in 2008 in honour of the 150^th anniversary of Darwin's first presentation there in 1858.

Guest Lecturer, Birmingham Children's Hospital, 25 June 2008, title, The New Evolution is the New Medicine.

"The John Butter" lecture on Human endogenous retroviruses: genetic implications for health and disease, at the Third Plymouth Eye and Vision Symposium, Plymouth, UK, 12^th September 2008

Keynote lecturer, Biannual Symposium on Virology, at the Noble Foundation, Ardmore, Oklahoma, October 2008, with lecture titled, Viruses as Symbionts.

MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION

Various books translated into twelve languages, including Chinese and Japanese.

PERSONAL

Married to Barbara, with two children, Catherine, who is a general practitioner, and John, who graduated in business management and IT.