P. K. Thomas

Peter Kynaston "PK" Thomas (28 June 1926 – 25 January 2008) was a Welsh academic neurologist, author, teacher and administrator. From 1974 to 1991 he was Professor of Neurology at the University of London. He was a fellow of University College London and the Royal Society of Medicine, and was the recipient of the Medal of the Association of British Neurologists. Thomas was, at various times, the president of the Association of British Neurologists, the European Neurological Society, and the Peripheral Nerve Society.

Early life and education Thomas was born in Swansea, Wales, on 28 June 1926, to parents Heber Lesley Thomas and Beatrice Ida Carmmen. He attended the Bible College of Wales School (later renamed Emmanuel Grammar School) in Derwen Fawr, Swansea, where his former biology teacher described his essays as "succinct and attractive style of writing." Thomas later earned his Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery degree from University College London. While there, he developed an interest in anatomy under the guidance of Professor John Zachary Young and together they investigated the structure and function of axons in fish. Thomas then spent his post-graduate training as a house physician at central London hospitals, including the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery. This led him to travel to Montreal, Canada, where he studied electron microscopy with J. David Robertson at the Montreal General Hospital and McGill University. During this time, Thomas helped form the Association of British Neurologists, which he later presided over, and was the recipient of the Medal of the Association of British Neurologists. Thomas died on 25 January 2008 while married to his third wife Nok Ponsford.