As we prepare to welcome our third Patron of the Northern Ireland Kidney Research Fund (NIKRF), we continue to celebrate the remarkable individuals who have supported and shaped our work over the years.

Today we remember our much-loved Patron, Dr James F. Douglas, who served the Northern Ireland Kidney Research Fund with dedication, wisdom and generosity from 2004 to 2024.

Originally from Portadown, Dr Douglas first studied law at Wadham College, Oxford, graduating at the top of his year and qualifying as a barrister. Realising that his true calling lay elsewhere, he took the extraordinary step of teaching himself the necessary sciences before returning to study medicine. He completed his clinical training at Queen’s University Belfast, graduating with first-class honours in 1969.

His career would go on to help shape renal medicine in Northern Ireland. Working in the Belfast Renal Unit under the pioneering Professor Mollie McGeown, he played a key role in the internationally recognised “Belfast Recipe” for kidney transplant management. He was also the first Research Fellow of the Northern Ireland Kidney Research Fund, contributing to important early research into acute renal failure and helping support the development of transplantation services in Belfast.

Appointed consultant nephrologist in 1975, Dr Douglas helped establish a renowned renal transplant programme in Belfast and enthusiastically supported the development of renal services across Northern Ireland.

Yet alongside his distinguished clinical and academic career, Dr Douglas remained deeply committed to the mission of the Northern Ireland Kidney Research Fund. As a Patron for more than two decades, he offered steadfast support to the charity, encouraging research, championing organ donation and sharing his knowledge with colleagues, students and supporters alike.

Dr Douglas had a lifelong passion for clinical medicine and was widely admired for his remarkable ability to remember his patients and for the genuine care he showed for each of them as individuals. Uniquely trained in both law and medicine, he also contributed widely to discussions on the ethics and legal frameworks surrounding organ donation and the treatment of kidney failure.

Despite his many achievements, those who knew him remember above all his humility, warmth and infectious enthusiasm. He continued to teach, lecture and inspire generations of medical students well into his later years.

We remain deeply grateful for his support, wisdom and friendship. Dr Douglas never forgot that organ donation is the “Gift of Life”, and that through research we find the answers that turn hope into real progress for patients and families.

His legacy continues through the research and hope supported today by the Northern Ireland Kidney Research Fund.

Thank you, Dr Douglas.