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Authorised form of nameWilkie; Douglas Robert (1922 - 1998); physiologist
Dates1922 - 1998
NationalityBritish
Place of birthLondon, England, United Kingdom
Date of birth02 October 1922
Place of deathLondon, England, United Kingdom
Date of death21 May 1998
DatesAndPlacesBurial: Highgate Cemetery, Highgate, North London, England, United Kingdom.
OccupationPhysiologist
Research fieldMuscle mechanics
Physiology
ActivityEducation:
Bec School and Brighton Technical College; MD Yale (1943) MB BS Lond (1944)
Career:
House physician, University College Hospital, London (1944); assistant lecturer at the Physiology Department, University College London (1945); military service at the Institute of Aviation Medicine in Farnborough (1948-1950); Locke Research Fellow, University College London (1951-54); Reader in Experimental Physiology (1954-65); Professor of Experimental Physiology (1965-69); Jodrell Professor and Head of Physiology Department; (1969-79) (Emeritus); Jodrell Research Professor of Physiology, London University 1979-88 (Emeritus); retired (1988).
Memberships:
MRCP 1945
FRCP 1972
Membership categoryFellow
Date of election18/03/1971
Age at election48
ProposerArchibald Vivian Hill
Alan Lloyd Hodgkin
Andrew Fielding Huxley
Hugh Esmor Huxley
John Carew Eccles
RelationshipsSpouse: (m. 1949) June Hill (d. 1997), medical scientist, (divorced 1982).
Children: Andrew Wilkie, medical scientist.
PublishedWorksRCN 21080
OtherInfoHas made numerous experimental and theoretical contributions to the study of muscle, and his profound and critical understanding of the field has been an important factor in recent progress.
His early work provided the best data available even now on the force-velocity, active-state and series-elastic characteristics of muscle.
His simultaneous measurements of thermal, mechanical and chemical changes in a wide variety of types of contraction have shown that the total energy liberated as work and heat is accounted for by the amount of phosphocreatine hydrolysed. He is the only person able to make all these different types of technically difficult measurements himself and so provide the essential condition for reliable correlations to be made between them. He has greatly clarified the application of thermodynamics to muscle. His new methods for suddenly freezing a muscle is providing data of a quality previously unattainable concerning the chemical changes during contraction itself.
Royal Society Obituary or MemoirClick to view (may be contained within a meeting notice, presidential address or list of death notices)
Related imagesDiscover a selection of related images in our picture library
SourceObituaries:
Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of the Royal Society 2001 vol 47 pp 481-495, plate, by Roger C Woledge
Virtual International Authority Filehttp://viaf.org/viaf/277488148
CodeNA4874
Archives associated with this Fellow
RefNoTitleDate
DRW/1/2/2Ice membrane UCL student lists, collected by Douglas Robert Wilkie1957-1958
DRW/1/2/3Lectures to Architecture students, delivered by Douglas Robert Wilkie1961
IM/GA/SGRS/8436Wilkie, Douglas Robert1986
DRW/1/1/3Early research on muscle function, conducted by Douglas Robert Wilkie1940s
IM/GA/JGRS/7859Wilkie, Douglas Robert1976
EC/1971/32Wilkie, Douglas Robert: certificate of election to the Royal Society
DRW/1/1/1Force and Velocity in Human Muscle: Experimental results obtained by Douglas Robert Wilkie1935-1939
DRWCorrespondence and scientific papers of Douglas Robert Wilkie1940s-1990s
DRW/1/1/4Physiology notes of Douglas Robert Wilkie1941
DRW/1/1/5Original records, notes, and letters, produced by Douglas Robert Wilkie1945-1948
DRW/1/1/2Experiment notes made by Douglas Robert Wilkie, at Brighton Technical College Physics Department1939-1940
DRW/1/1/6Resistance Computer Circuit subject file assembled by Douglas Robert Wilkie1946-1947
DRW/1/1/7Pre-publication records of papers on human muscle function, organised by Douglas Robert Wilkie1948-1950
DRW/1/1/8Medical and hygiene field notes of Douglas Robert Wilkie1948
DRW/1/1/9Old research: Effects of Marching in Flying Boots and Golden ratio preprint, collated by Douglas Robert Wilkie1949
DRW/1/1/10File titled 'Statistics: Area Problem 1', arranged by Douglas Robert Wilkie1950-1951
DRW/1/1/11Patent records assembled by Douglas Robet Wilkie1950s
DRW/1/1/12File on Compression: high pressure physiological equipment, arranged by Douglas Robert Wilkie1950-1951
DRW/1/1/13Miscellaneous research notes collated by Douglas Robert Wilkie1950s
DRW/1/1/14Book reviews by Douglas Robert Wilkie1950-1960
DRW/1/1/20Junior medical practical physiology experiments undertaken by Douglas Robert Wilkie1957-1958
DRW/1/1/15Experimental work notebook of Douglas Robert Wilkie1951-1952
DRW/1/1/17Experimental Results 1954-1968, obtained by Douglas Robert Wilkie1954-1968
DRW/1/1/16File titled 'Rubber Experiments', organised by Douglas Robert Wilkie1951-1987
DRW/1/1/18Experimental notes, made by Douglas Robert Wilkie1955-1957
DRW/1/1/19Acetylcholine experiments carried out by Douglas Robert Wilkie1956
DRW/1/1/21Research file on "Human power production", assembled by Douglas Robert Wilkie1957-1958
DRW/1/1/22Ice experiments conducted by Douglas Robert Wilkie1957
DRW/1/1/23Muscle heat experiments carried out by Douglas Robert Wilkie1957-1958
DRW/1/1/24Muscle microscopic observations made by Douglas Robert Wilkie1957
DRW/1/1/25Thermopile Corrections investigated by Douglas Robert Wilkie1957-1960
DRW/1/1/26Adenosine Triphosphate Experiments conducted by Douglas Robert Wilkie1957
DRW/1/1/27Scientific Memorabilia collected by Douglas Robert Wilkie1957-1999
DRW/1/1/28File on 'Microelectrodes', assembled by Douglas Robert Wilkie1958-1961
DRW/1/1/29Miscellaneous Research filed by Douglas Robert Wilkie1959-1970
DRW/1/1/30Thermoelasticity experiments conducted by Douglas Robert Wilkie1959
DRW/1/1/31Work on tortoise muscle carried out by Douglas Robert Wilkie1960
DRW/1/1/32File on Ion Membranes, arranged by Douglas Robert Wilkie1960
DRW/1/1/33File on Poikilothermy, organised by Douglas Robert Wilkie1960
DRW/1/1/34File on the Tinsley Glavanometer, assembled by Douglas Robert Wilkie1960
DRW/1/1/35File on Lever Vibrations, arranged by Douglas Robert Wilkie1960
DRW/1/1/36Experiment notes on 'Oscillations equivalent circuit', created by Douglas Robert Wilkie1960-1961
DRW/1/1/37File on 'Oscillations in muscle', compiled by Douglas Robert Wilkie1960-1961
DRW/1/1/38Research Notebook of Douglas Robert Wilkie1961-1973
DRW/1/1/39Myothermic experiments, conducted by Douglas Robert Wilkie1961
DRW/1/1/40Optics file, arranged by Douglas Robert Wilkie1961
DRW/1/1/41File on resistance thermometry and myothermic methods, arranged by Douglas Robert Wilkie1961
DRW/1/1/42Notes on 'Hydraulics of fluid flow in pipes', created by Douglas Robert Wilkie1961
DRW/1/1/43Results of heat experiments (myothermic) on muscle, conducted by Douglas Robert Wilkie1961-1962
DRW/1/1/44Records of myothermic experiments on toads, performed by Douglas Robert Wilkie1962
DRW/1/1/46Wafer thermopile results obtained by Douglas Robert Wilkie1963-1964
DRW/1/1/47File on the BBC Human Muscle programme, starring Douglas Robert Wilkie1962
DRW/1/1/48Heat measurements taken by Douglas Robert Wilkie1964
DRW/1/1/50Investigation into regression by Douglas Robert Wilkie1965
DRW/1/1/51Experiments on weight and water content conducted by Douglas Robert Wilkie1966
DRW/1/1/52Notes on heart calorimeter experiments, taken by Douglas Robert Wilkie1966
DRW/1/1/55Refereeing work of Douglas Robert Wilkie1966-1967
DRW/1/1/56Records of the Biophysical Society Winter Meeting, arranged by Douglas Robert Wilkie1967
DRW/1/1/57Notes on cooling bubbles, taken by Douglas Robert Wilkie1967
DRW/1/1/58Scientific notebook of Douglas Robert Wilkie1967
DRW/1/1/59Golf Society of Great Britain file, arranged by Douglas Robert Wilkie1968
DRW/1/1/60Notebook of scientific experiments, conducted by Douglas Robert Wilkie1968
DRW/1/1/61Notes on the theory of thermoelasticity, created by Douglas Robert Wilkie1969
DRW/1/2/7Lecture on 'The energy balance during muscle contraction', delivered by Wilkie and others1969
DRW/1/1/62File on the rapid freezing of tissue, created by Douglas Robert Wilkie1969
DRW/1/1/63File on the analysis of variance, organised by Douglas Robert Wilkie1969
DRW/1/1/65File of criticism of Wilkie's ideas on biological energetics by Dr. Barbara E. C. Banks, arranged by Douglas Robert Wilkie1969-1972
DRW/1/1/66Notebook of experiments tackling current physiological problems, created by Douglas Robert Wilkie1970
DRW/1/1/67Notebook of experimental investigations, executed by Douglas Robert Wilkie1970
DRW/1/1/68Notes on breakdown during relaxation, created by Douglas Robert Wilkie1971
DRW/1/1/69File on APG statistics, compiled by Douglas Robert Wilkie1972
DRW/1/1/70File on freezing point apparatus, arranged by Douglas Robert Wilkie1972
DRW/1/1/71File on the analysis of work vs DPL experiments, created by Douglas Robert Wilkie1972
DRW/1/1/72Notebook of experimental notes, made by Douglas Robert Wilkie1972
DRW/1/1/73Notebook of scientific notes, created by Douglas Robert Wilkie1971-1972
DRW/1/1/74Draft of Thermodynamics Book, authored by Douglas Robert Wilkie1972
DRW/1/1/75File on Man Powered Flight, assembled y Douglas Robert Wilkie1970-1979
DRW/1/1/76Research notes on filament theory, assembled by Douglas Robert Wilkie1973-1975
DRW/1/1/77Notebook of lectures and meetings, created by Douglas Robert Wilkie1974
DRW/1/1/78File on chemical nomenclature, created by Douglas Robert Wilkie1975
DRW/1/1/79File on NMR data processing, arranged by Douglas Robert Wilkie1976
DRW/1/1/80File on equations and derivations for a Nature paper, by Douglas Robert Wilkie1977-1978
DRW/1/1/81Notes on heat measurement, taken by Douglas Robert Wilkie1979-1980
DRW/1/1/82File on Creatine Kinase Kinetics, arranged by Douglas Robert Wilkie1979-1990
DRW/1/1/83Notes on electrodes, created by Douglas Robert Wilkie1981
DRW/1/1/84File of reports to the Science and Engineering Research Council, produced by Douglas Robert Wilkie1979-1983
DRW/1/1/85Meeting notes made by Douglas Robert Wilkie1985
DRW/1/1/86Abstracts of papers, arranged by Douglas Robert Wilkie1986-1987
DRW/1/1/87File on an unpublished letter to Nature, arranged by Douglas Robert Wilkie1987-1988
DRW/1/1/89File on the statistical theory of chromatography, assembed by Douglas Robert Wilkie1989
DRW/1/1/90File on FRS candidature refereeing, arranged by Douglas Robert Wilkie1988
DRW/1/1/92File on Veech and other brain chemistry, assembled by Douglas Robert Wilkie1988-1990
DRW/1/1/93Notes on lamp resistance, made by Douglas Robert Wilkie1991
DRW/1/1/94Scientific notes made by Douglas Robert Wilkie1986-1997
DRW/1/1/96Notes on the design on the design of float recorder, made by Douglas Robert Wilkiec. 1980s
DRW/1/1/97Notes on Profound hypophosphataemia in patients collapsing after a "fun run", made by Douglas Robert Wilkie1986
DRW/1/1/98Scientific notes on lectures attended, created by Douglas Robert Wilkie1958-1959
DRW/1/2/1Notes on Applied Physiology Lectures, created by Douglas Robert Wilkie1953-1965
DRW/1/2/4File on muscle lecture delivered at Warsaw, by Douglas Robert Wilkie1965
DRW/1/2/8Inaugural lecture delivered by Douglas Robert Wilkie11 February 1970
DRW/1/2/9The Frontiers of Knowledge BBC broadcast, by Douglas Robert Wilkie1970
DRW/1/2/5Lecture on Metabolism, delivered by Douglas Robert Wilkie1967
DRW/1/2/10File of old teaching notes, created by Douglas Robert Wilkiec. 1970s
DRW/1/2/11Lectures on exercise, delivered by Douglas Robert Wilkie1954-1979
DRW/1/2/12Lecture on body temperature, delivered by Douglas Robert Wilkie1974-1976
DRW/1/2/6Lecture on PH and buffers, delivered by Douglas Robert Wilkie1968
DRW/1/2/13File on talks and lectures, delivered by Douglas Robert Wilkie1979-1987
DRW/1/1/99Refereeing work and peer review, carried out by Douglas Robert Wilkie1968-1975
DRW/1/1/100File on the Neuroscience Research Program, retained by Douglas Robert Wilkie1964
DRW/2/1/8Correspondence on thermodynamics between Douglas Robert Wilkie and Ilya Prigogine1970-1973
DRW/1/1/101Research file on Thermodynamics, compiled by Douglas Robert Wilkie1972-1980
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