Anita Harding

Anita Elizabeth Harding (September 17, 1952 – September 11, 1995) was a British neurologist, and Professor of Clinical Neurology at the Institute of Neurology of the University of London.

Quotes

 * Growing old: the most common mitochondrial disease of all?
 * Title of article published in Natural Genetics (1992), 2:251-2; cited in Stephen Waxman (2010) Molecular Neurology. p. 536


 * At least I won't have to buy.
 * Attributed to Harding in: : Response after learning of her terminal condition,

Quotes about Harding

 * The Hereditary Ataxias will guarantee Anita Harding a place in the history of 20th century neurology.
 * A.H.V. Schapira, cited in: "OBITUARIES Anita Harding". in: BMJ: British Medical Journal (1995) Vol 311, 21 October 1995. p. 1087.


 * Anita Harding's clinical wisdom, enthusiasm, talent for research, and extraordinary personality epitomise all that we value most in a clinical scientist. Anita was an ambassador for British neurology, who patrolled the far corners of a still significant empire which had its roots at Queen Square where she worked and was happy. The evidence for her scientific achievement is in the writings; the style is in our memories. Each will endure. The rise in Anita's career - a readership and honorary consultancy in neurology at the National in 1987, a personal professorship in the University of London in 1990, and chairmanship of neurology at the Institute in 1995 - was meteoric. She served on the editorial boards of eleven journals and eighteen research panels, was a frequent member of the teaching faculty at international meetings, and held visiting professorships in the United Kingdom, Europe, North America and Australia. From amongst the Aladdin's cave of Anita's scientific achievements can be singled out her classifications of the peripheral neuropathies and hereditary ataxias, and genotype-phenotype correlations for each, the first identification of a mitochondrial DNA mutation in human disease, the spectrum of trinucleotide repeats in neurodegeneration, and the population genetics of disorders which show ethnic or geographic restriction. For her manifest achievements, and for our comfort in her absence, I commend Anita Harding to you as the Association's (joint) first medallist for distinguished contributions to neurology.
 * Christopher John Earl (1996) "Anita Harding (1952-95)." Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry 1996;61:213-226