Roy Taylor qualified in medicine at the University of Edinburgh, and is Emeritus Professor of Medicine at Newcastle University. He founded the Newcastle Magnetic Resonance Centre in 2006 to develop innovative research techniques. Using these new methods, he showed that his 2008 Twin Cycle Hypothesis of the aetiology of type 2 diabetes could be proven in clinical practice. Type 2 diabetes is a reversible condition of excess fat within liver and pancreas. This has led to widespread practical application including in the NHS with the national ‘NHS Type 2 Diabetes Path to Remission’ programme. Between 1985 and 2002 he developed and validated the method of screening for diabetic retinopathy and established the profession of retinal screeners with recognised training and qualification.
He has published books in lay language explaining type 2 diabetes (eg ‘Life Without Diabetes’) and books on retinal screening (eg ‘Handbook of Retinal Screening in Diabetes). He was awarded an MBE in 2023. His work has been recognised by the 2012 Banting lecture of Diabetes UK, the 2024 International Rank Nutrition Prize and the 2024 Claude Bernard Prize lecture of EASD.