About Professor Greaves and his website

Welcome to my website! I have spent nearly all of my professional life trying to help patients suffering from skin diseases, because I know how debilitating and how harmful to quality of life and to personal self esteem they can be. Effective treatment of skin disease invariably has a beneficial impact on domestic social and occupational life.

I receive emails, faxes and letters every week posing questions about skin diseases. Sadly in many of these cases the writer has had recourse to unqualified practitioners - with disastrous consequences. If you have a skin problem that cannot be adequately dealt with by your GP, you should make sure that any second opinion on your case is provided by an accredited specialist dermatologist (for further information contact the British Association of Dermatologists or if you are located outside the UK, the national dermatological society in your country of residence).

I cannot provide you with direct personal medical advice on this website. But, as an internationally recognised expert and one of the top five UK dermatologists according to The Sunday Times Top Doctor Guide (Sunday Times 13th November 2010), I may be able to help you appreciate in general terms the extent and limits of current knowledge on the dermatological issues relevant to you and this would be free of charge. If you require help specifically with your own dermatological problems a private consultation with me can be arranged at the London Allergy Clinic (appointments: tel. 0207 637 9711).

Let me make it clear that I do not deal with cosmetic/aesthetic skin issues, and I do not perform major dermatological surgical procedures.

My own dermatological background

My UK General Medical Council Registration Number is 0310501.

After receiving several undergraduate prizes, I graduated MB BS from the University of London. Subsequently I obtained the membership of the Royal College of Physicians, was elected a Fellow in 1974 and I graduated MD (London). I was a graduate student and UK Medical Research Council Fellow for 3 years at University College London where I proceeded to a PhD (pharmacology) (faculty of Medicine) by thesis. My dermatological training was at St John's Institute of Dermatology, London and the Royal Victoria Infirmary, University of Newcastle upon Tyne.

I was appointed Clinical Professor and Head at St John's Institute of Dermatology in 1975, and subsequently Dean of the Institute. Following my retirement, and at the request of the Persatuan Dermatologi Malaysia, I was appointed Clinical Professor (Dermatology) at the University Kebangsaan Malaysia in 2001 with the remit of establishing a specialist training course in Dermatology for Malaysia. This course is flourishing at the present time.

In 2003 I re-located to Singapore, intially at Singapore General Hospital and later at the National Skin Centre Singapore with the title of Clinical Professor, National University of Singapore and I was elected Fellow of the Academy of Medicine of Singapore. During this period I carried out original research on the clinical histopathological and immunopathological manifestations of the skin in dengue haemorrhagic fever. The years in SE Asia were eventful in other ways; I was, at Singapore General Hospital, deeply involved in coping with SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) which claimed many SIngaporean lives (vide Greaves MW. Coping with SARS: a day in the life of a UK Dermatologist in Singapore General Hospital J Amer Acad Dermatol. Vol 50, March 2004). My wife and I narrowly escaped death due to the Dec 26th 2004 tsunami whilst we were vacationing in Dusit Laguna resort, Phuket (vide Greaves MW. Killer waves at yuletide: a hair-raising experience. J Amer Acad Dermatol. Vol 52 Special Article. June 2005)

Since returning to the UK in 2007, I work as an NHS consultant in the Cutaneous Allergy Clinic at St John's Institute of Dermatology, St Thomas' Hospital, and as a private consultant specialist in dermatology and dermatological allergy at the London Allergy Clinic.

I have well over 600 publications to my credit, as well as several international dermatological awards. A few recent ones are listed here.

In summary, I wish to offer myself as a source for enquirers regarding useful general information on skin and skin diseases.