MA Aberdeen 1911, MD ChB 1914, MD 1923, DPH 1923; FRCP Lond 1946.
Topping was born on 20 December 1890 and gained his medical education at Aberdeen University. He served in the RAMC during the first world war. He was senior medical officer at Abadan for some years then returned to England as medical officer of health of Rochdale. He worked for the London Fever Hospital before being appointed deputy medical officer of health to London County Council and lecturer in public health at Charing Cross Hospital. During the second world war, Topping was deputy chief of the relief services and then director of health of the European Division of UNRRA. In 1947 Topping was elected to the chair of Social and Preventive Medicine at the University of Manchester, and three years later became dean of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. He was president of the Society of Medical Officers of Health in 1952. Topping died on 28 August 1955.