Harold A. Wilkinson was born
on June 17, 1935 at Wake Forest, North Carolina
into a medical family; his father, two uncles,
two brothers and a cousin were all physicians.
He graduated from Wake Forest College magna
cum laude in 1955, then obtained both an M.D.
degree (1959), and Ph.D., in Neuroanatomy
(1962) from Duke University. He completed
first an internship in surgery at Duke, then
in 1966 completed his Neurosurgical Residency
under Drs. Sweet, White, et al at the Massachusetts
General Hospital. After completing his residency
he joined the Faculty of Harvard Medical School,
first at Boston City Hospital, then at the
Beth Israel Hospital. In 1979 he transferred
to the University of Massachusetts Medical
School in Worcester, Massachusetts, where
he assumed the Chairmanship of the Division
of Neurological Surgery and Professorships
in Surgery and in Anatomy/Cell Biology. After
enlarging the clinical base and strengthening
the academic activities, he established a
Residency Training Program in Neurological
Surgery in 1991 as its first Training Chief.
Dr. Wilkinson has authored two
books and numerous peer reviewed publications.
He has lectured by invitation in the United
States, Europe, the Near East and the Far
East. He holds a patent for an ICP monitoring
device and has developed a radiofrequency
thoracic sympathectomy. His laboratory and
clinical research interests have included
ICP measurement and control, CSF production,
tumor chemotherapy, sympathetic disorders
and diagnosis and treatment of the failed
back.
Dr. Wilkinson has been Secretary
and President of the New England Neurosurgical
Society and a member of the Board of Trustees
of the AANS. He has been a member of and has
chaired numerous committees for the CNS and
AANS and has been active in the Trauma and
Spine Sections. He has held positions with
the CDC, FDA and the International Implant
Registry.
Dr. Wilkinson opted for early
retirement from the University of Massachusetts
Medical School in 1998 and opened a private
practice in Wellesley, Massachusetts. He was
Chief of Neurosurgery at the Newton Wellesley
Hospital for 5 years and remains on the staff
as a member of the Partners' affiliation with
the Massachusetts General Hospital. He remains
active in teaching medical school students
and residents and continues to present scientific
papers for publications and at meetings.
Dr. Wilkinson married his childhood
sweetheart, Alice Speas Wilkinson, whose father
was Professor of Physics at Wake Forest University
for over 40 years. Alice is a professional
pianist, who is on the Faculty of the Longy
School of Music and who teaches and regularly
performs solo recitals, chamber music and
concertos. They have two sons, Edward (now
deceased) and Arthur, who have pursued non-medical
careers.
