MB,ChB (Glasg), MD (Glasg), FRCP (Glasg), FFTM RCPS (Glasg), Fellow BGTHA (2007), FRCGP, Hon. FFTM RCPS (Glasg).
Jon was a GP principal in the West-end of Glasgow for 30 years (1972-2002). Also, in 1978 he took up the post of Research Associate at the Communicable Diseases (Scotland) Unit, CDSU, (now Health Protection Scotland, HPS) to investigate illnesses in returning travellers who had completed a questionnaire at Glasgow Airport. This was a follow-up investigation after the retrospective identification in 1976 of Legionnaires’ Disease in Scottish travellers returning from Benidorm in 1973.
In 1980 he was appointed Research Associate, subsequently Primary Care Consultant Advisor, at HPS. As well as full-time general practice Jon continued studying travel associated illnesses, was awarded his MD in 1988, authored 79 publications on travel medicine, co-chaired the 1st (Zurich 1988), 2nd (Atlanta 1991) and 3rd (Paris 1993) Conferences on International Travel Medicine, gained research funding from the BMA Brackenbury and Arthur Miller Travel Fellowship Awards (1984) to travel to WHO and CDC Atlanta to highlight the importance of illnesses associated with travel, suggest this was a shared responsibility, and to engage similarly with the WTO, travel trade and travel insurers.
Additionally, Jon was appointed Lecturer, then Senior Lecturer at the University of Glasgow (1993-2004) which led to addressing audiences in China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Norway, Italy, Switzerland, France and the US, plus interviews with the media, while helping found the International Society of Travel Medicine, British Travel Health Association, Asia Pacific Travel Health Association, Northern European Travel Health Conferences, and Travax.
In 1995 in collaboration with Dr Eric Walker and others at HPS, Jon contributed towards the development of the Diploma and MSc courses in Travel Medicine, initially at Glasgow University, latterly at the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow (RCPSG) continuing his involvement until 2008. During this time the Faculty of Travel Medicine was formed with Jon elected Foundation Vice-Dean in 2006. He further engaged with the College including giving lectures to the Senior Fellows’ Club, co-opted membership of the Faculty of Travel Medicine Executive Board and of The International Development Committee of the College, appointment as College Representative and Trustee of the Scottish National Memorial to the David Livingstone Trust and helping to curate the Lock Room display ‘Travel Medicine over the Centuries’.
Throughout his career, Jon has strived to disseminate information on travel health risks to medical and allied healthcare professionals, the public, the global medical community, the media, and related international organisations.