John H Coote
Professor Emeritus School of Clinical and Experimental Medicine
University of Birmingham, UK

https://doi.org/10.36866/pn.97.44

Alex Livingston BSc BVetMed PhD FRCVS Dip ECVPT, a prominent figure in veterinary medicine and science, died of a heart attack after a short illness in June 2014, 10 days short of his 74th birthday.

Alex was recognised for his leadership and research advances in the areas of animal pain, animal welfare and pharmacology of analgesics. He was awarded the Merial Grand Prize for Outstanding Research in Animal Pain in 2001.

Alex grew up in Luton during the Second World War. Here he spent much time with his Granddad who had a collection of shacks where he kept ferrets, dogs, chickens and other animals until he sold them. This experience no doubt led Alex to a love of animals and a desire to study veterinary medicine at university.

He gained a place at the Royal College of Veterinary Medicine in the University of London, where he intercalated a BSc in Physiology in 1962. He continued his course to complete a veterinary medical degree, B Vet Med, and MRCVS in 1964. He then moved to Bristol to study for a PhD with Dr K Lederis in CNS pharmacology, which he completed in 1968. His later research focused on the action of chemical messengers in the brain areas involved in pain perception and how drugs that can alter these actions affect the way animals respond to pain. His concern for the welfare of animals made him aware of how little was understood about an animal’s behaviour associated with pain, which he felt was different to humans.

Alex became lecturer, then senior lecturer and then in 1991 acting head of Pharmacology in Bristol. In 1992 he moved to Canada to take up the position of Dean at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan making an important contribution to training of students in veterinary medicine and to their position in Canadian society. He retired from the deanship in 2002 and took up a faculty position until finally retiring in 2007. He had a distinguished career becoming a Fellow of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (FRCVS) in 1993 and Diplomat of the European College of Veterinary Pharmacology and Toxicology in 1999. Throughout his deanship Alex was still involved with graduate research, teaching and mentoring of clinical residents. Alex was also active in the scientific community as board member on the Canadian Council for Animal Care and Editor-in-Chief for Research in Veterinary Science. During his career he supervised 15 PhD students and contributed to scientific knowledge with over 100 publications in internationally recognized peer-reviewed journals, and over 20 book chapters. Alex’s passion was scientific research for the benefit of animals, but he still managed to run a small farm with a herd of Charolais–Hereford crossbreed cows.

In his younger days Alex was a keen rock climber, exploring cliffs throughout the UK but particularly active on the limestone of Clifton and Cheddar Gorge as well as the sea cliffs of Cornwall.

Alex will be remembered forever for his sense of humour, his love for his family and for his animals. He was a great story teller. He took great pride in his family and all the students he taught and mentored over the years. His later years were spent continuing his academic research, attending auctions and acquiring antiques. He is survived by his wife of 38 years, Sue, and sons Alex, Andy, Ian, daughter Kate, and grandchildren Ellie, Stephanie and Adam.