Andrew G. L. Whitelaw

Andrew G. L. Whitelaw (born 31 August 1946) was a British neonatologist and academic, recognized for his contributions to treating conditions affecting newborn babies. He helds the position of Emeritus Professor at Bristol Medical School, where he was associated with Bristol Neuroscience. He died on 9 November 2025.

Whitelaw was a member of the Royal College of Physicians and a Fellow of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health. He also served as the president of the Neonatal Society.

Whitelaw's research has garnered over 15,553 citations across 9,919 publications. Additionally, his h-index is 61.

Early life Whitelaw was born in West Fife, Scotland to Robert and Cicely Whitelaw.

He received his early education at Commercial Primary School.

Hypoxic-Ischaemic Injury in Full-Term Babies Whitelaw's research has focused on the prevention and treatment of hypoxic-ischaemic injury in full-term newborns. He has been a pioneer in developing and testing mild cooling as a therapeutic approach for neonatal hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy. This intervention, known as therapeutic hypothermia, has been shown to improve the chances of survival without neurological impairment at 18 months of age.

Awards Awarded the Raymond Horton-Smith Prize for the best medical thesis of the year (1978). Served as President of the Neonatal Society (2006). Elected as a member of the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters (2016).

Selected publications