Professor Rodney Taylor was a consultant physician who has recently retired from clinical medicine. Much of his practice was in academic medicine and the NHS, but he also spent time as a consultant in the Royal Navy. His career included both clinical and basic science research, teaching, and medical and academic administration. His various roles included a Wellcome Senior Research Fellowship in Clinical Science and appointments as Professor of Medicine, Associate Postgraduate Dean and as the Medical Director of an NHS Trust. He also taught Bioethics and Medical Law as Visiting Professor in the School of Theology, Philosophy and History at St Mary’s University, and was Tutor in Medical Ethics and Law at Imperial College School of Medicine.

Rodney was elected deputy chairman of the MDS UK Patient Support Group in 2009, then became chairman in 2010 for 7 years.
In that role he was actively involved in monitoring the activities of NICE in their consideration of treatments for rarer cancers and haematological disorders. He has MDS.
Rodney stepped down as chairman in January 2017.
He remained however on the committee in an advisory capacity until his death on 3rd May 2017, after his MDS progressed to AML.

MDS UK would be forever thankful to Prof Rodney Taylor for the 7 years he dedicated to our organisation – working tirelessly and with fantastic enthusiasm with the entire committee – and specifically the chief executive.Please read our tribute here.

With his help, support and guidance, MDS UK has grown tremendously – from a small group to a well established and respected organisation, both in UK, but also worldwide – as a founding member of the MDS Alliance.