Peter Lantos

Peter Laszlo Lantos BEM (born 1939) is a British scientist and author of Hungarian Jewish origin, He was born in Makó in southeast Hungary. When Peter was five, his family was deported to Bergen-Belsen concentration camp.[1] His father died in the camp; after the war, Peter and his mother returned to Hungary, then under Communist rule. He completed his medical studies in Hungary before moving to the UK in 1968 for further education and research.[2]

Lantos decided to stay back in the UK, and was sentenced to prison in absentia by the Hungarian authorities for his defection. He would not be able to visit his homeland until the fall of Communism in 1989. As a medical researcher, Lantos published more than 500 scientific articles, in addition to numerous textbooks. He worked variously at the Middlesex Hospital Medical School, the Middlesex Hospital, and the Maudsley Hospital, London. He is especially well known for his research on neurodegenerative diseases. (The Papp–Lantos inclusion is named after him.) In recognition of his achievements, he was appointed Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences.

As an author, Lantos was lauded for his Holocaust memoir called Parallel Lines (Arcadia, 2007). His debut novel Closed Horizon was published in 2012.[3][4]

Lantos was awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM) in the 2020 Birthday Honours for services to Holocaust education and awareness.[5]

References
  1. Nicholas de Jongh (28 January 2007). "The salvation of a doomed youth". The Observer. Guardian Media Group. Retrieved 2 February 2016.
  2. Alain Elkann (2 March 2014). "Peter Lantos: "Scrivo del lager per ricordarlo a me stesso"". La Stampa. Retrieved 2 February 2016.
  3. Bio
  4. Author website
  5. "No. 63135". The London Gazette (Supplement). 10 October 2020. p. B29.
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