Malcolm Hooper

Malcolm trained as a Pharmacist but spent most of his career teaching and researching at the (now) University of Sunderland. Ultimately, he was appointed Emeritus Professor in Medicinal Chemistry.  His academic credentials are impressive and he has published over 50 papers in peer-reviewed journals.

His research was particularly focussed upon tropical diseases, natural products and in developing partnerships and expertise in developing countries particularly India. Malcolm became involved in the activities of The Autism Research Unit from the moment it was born and has given freely of his knowledge, time and ability for some 30 years through learned papers and conference presentations around the world.

Through this and his long standing interest in environmentally induced disorders, he became involved in related disorders such as Gulf War Syndrome and Chronic Fatigue Syndromes. In 1993, in his role as Chairman of the Society for Drug Research, he organised a landmark conference on Neuroendocrinimmunology. It is only now that the ideas from this conference are being absorbed into our understanding of autism. His knowledge and experiences in the field of education, allied to his strong Christian convictions contribute hugely to our understanding of autism and our education and support of people with autism.