The Trustees

From left to right: Jack Shields MSc C. Chem FRSC, Rt Hon Alan Beith MP, Dr. Colin Doig MBChB,FRCP

Alan Beith is the patron of the trust. He was appointed to the Privy Council in The Queen’s Birthday Honours in June 1992.
He was elected MP for Berwick-upon-Tweed in a by-election in 1973 with a majority of only 57, and successfully defended the seat in two General Elections in 1974 making a total of three elections in less than a year. 
Alan Beith was Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats from 1992 to 2002. He is a past member of the House of Commons Commission, the Treasury Select Committee and the Procedure Committee. He is a member of the Intelligence and Security Committee and Chair of the Constitutional Affairs Committee.
Alan Beith is a Methodist local preacher. His first wife, Barbara, died in 1998; the marriage produced a son (who died in 2000) and a daughter. In 2001 he married Diana Maddock.
He has an interest in historic buildings, boats, music and walking. He is also Vice-Chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Non-Profit Making Members’ Clubs.

Jack Shields is a retired chemist who spent much of his working life involved in research and development of instrumentation used for the infrared analysis of organic compounds. From 1977 until his forced retirement through ill health in 1988, Jack together with a team of engineers and scientists built a very successful international organisation for design manufacturing and sales into the world market. In 1983 they received the Queen’s Award for Export Achievement. More recently Jack made several very significant advances in the design of computerised optical instrumentation for the accurate analysis of protein compounds.
Jack's illness was at first apparent through progressively worsening migraine attacks accompanied by aura and facial and left finger numbness. The attacks led to minor strokes leading to a more serious stroke. After a frustrating time trying to get his condition recognised as CADASIL, it was eventually confirmed by tests carried out in Glasgow and London in 2001. Since then he has used his extensive Research & Development experience to try and find ways of alleviating the terrible symptoms of this disease. He and several other sufferers are currently having some success with L-arginine. Jack recently founded the International CADASIL Research and Support Trust.
You can read a more detailed account of Jack's illness and the formation of the Trust by clicking here (opens a new window).

Colin Doig qualified at Glasgow University in 1983, and moved to Newcastle to train in Cardiology in 1988. He became Consultant Cardiologist/General Physician at North Tyneside General Hospital in 1995. He has a particular clinical interest in Coronary Care and Interventional Cardiology, doing my invasive procedures at the regional centre at Freeman Road Hospital.
Colin spent a year in Toronto, Canada studying the electrical details of heart rhythm disorders, and has more than 20 publications in the literature and has given more than 50 presentations at scientific meetings. he is a guest lecturer at the national Hypertension Update meeting.He has been a member of the Newcastle and North Tyneside Ethics Committee since 1997. Colin is heavily involved in the reorganisation of Junior Doctor working hours and training programmes, and am Chaiman of the General (Internal) Medicine Committee for the North-East of England.
Colin's involvement in the CADASIL Trust followed his (unsuccessful) treatment of Jack when he was still looking for a name for his condition. He says he is proud to lend what support he can to this worthwhile cause.
Away from work,he enjoys spending time with his family and friends, and travelling. He is very interested in sport (playing and supporting) with golf, rugby and Newcastle United particularly important.