David Baker studied medicine at St Bartholomew’s Hospital and worked as a consultant in anaesthesia for the Paris emergency medical service (SAMU) at the Necker University Hospital, specializing in the management of mass toxic incidents. From 2004 he has also worked as a consultant medical toxicologist for the Centre for Radiation, Chemical and Environmental Hazards of the United Kingdom Health Protection Agency. Since 2005 he has lectured as a visiting professor at Harvard Medical School and is currently a visiting senior lecturer in medical toxicology at King’s College, London. Currently projects include advising the UK government on the provision of advanced emergency care in chemically – contaminated zones, the management of pulmonary injury following toxic agent exposure and investigation of the longer term problems of pesticide poisoning in Sri Lanka. He has lectured in over 40 countries around the world and is the author of numerous journal articles, monographs and textbook chapters. He is a Board Member of the World Association for Disaster and Emergency Medicine and has consulted for the World Health Organisation and the International Committee of the Red Cross.