Sir Alastair Robert Currie
PRSE
The Royal Society of Edinburgh is Scotland's national academy of science and letters. It is a registered charity that operates on a wholly independent and non-partisan basis and provides public benefit throughout Scotland. It was established i ...
FRCPE
The Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh (RCPE) is a medical royal college in Scotland. It is one of three organisations that sets the specialty training standards for physicians in the United Kingdom. It was established by Royal charter ...
FRCPGlas FRCP FRCPath
The Royal College of Pathologists (RCPath) is a professional membership organisation.
Its main function is the overseeing of postgraduate training, and its Fellowship Examination (FRCPath) is recognised as the standard assessment of fitness to pr ...
LLD (8 October 1921 – 12 January 1994) was a Scottish pathologist, who was Professor of Pathology, at
Edinburgh University
The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a Public university, public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted ...
, 1972–86, and then emeritus.
He was eminent in the field of cancer research and humanitarian causes.
['']The Independent
''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publish ...
'': Obituary of Alistair Currie: 19 January 1994
Life
He was born on the island of
Islay of the western Scottish coast on 8 October 1921. He was the son of John Currie and Maggie Mactaggart. He attended
Port Ellen Primary School then
Bowmore
Bowmore ( gd, Bogh Mòr, 'Big Bend') is a small town on the Scottish island of Islay. It serves as administrative capital of the island, and gives its name to the noted Bowmore distillery producing Bowmore single malt scotch whisky.
History
...
High School. He was then sent to the mainland to attend
Glasgow
Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...
High School for his final school years, from whence he studied Medicine at
Glasgow University
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, latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis
, motto = la, Via, Veritas, Vita
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graduating MB ChB in 1944. He then studied as a postgraduate at
Edinburgh University
The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a Public university, public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted ...
.
From 1947, he lectured in Pathology at
Glasgow University
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, latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis
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. In 1959 he took a job in
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
with the
Imperial Cancer Research Fund
Cancer Research UK (CRUK) is the world's largest independent cancer research organization. It is registered as a charity in the United Kingdom and Isle of Man, and was formed on 4 February 2002 by the merger of The Cancer Research Campaign and t ...
as Head of Pathology, beginning a lifelong connection with cancer research. In 1962 he was offered the Regius Professor chair in Pathology at
Aberdeen University
, mottoeng = The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom
, established =
, type = Public research universityAncient university
, endowment = £58.4 million (2021)
, budget ...
. His research began to concentrate on cell death. During this he did joint research with the Australian,
John Kerr, and
Andrew Wyllie. They called this process ''
apoptosis'', publishing their results in 1972.
Glasgow University
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, caption = Coat of arms
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, latin_name = Universitas Glasguensis
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and
Aberdeen
Aberdeen (; sco, Aiberdeen ; gd, Obar Dheathain ; la, Aberdonia) is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas (as Aberdeen City), and ...
Universities each awarded him an honorary doctorate: LLD from Glasgow and DSc from Aberdeen.
In 1964, he was elected a Fellow of the
Royal Society of Edinburgh. His proposers were George L Montgomery,
James Norman Davidson
James Norman Davidson CBE PRSE FRS (5 March 1911 – 11 September 1972) was a British biochemist, pioneer molecular biologist and textbook author. The Davidson Building at the University of Glasgow is named for him.
Life
He was the only child ...
,
Thomas Symington and Richard H A Swain. He served as their Vice-President 1988–90 and President 1991–93
He died in
Edinburgh
Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian on the southern shore of t ...
on 12 January 1994.
Family
In 1949 he married Jeanne Clark, whom he had met as a fellow medical student in 1942. They had three sons and two daughters. They were predeceased by one of their children.
Positions of note
*Chairman of the
Medical Research Council 1976–80
*Chairman of the
Cancer Research Campaign Scientific Committee 1979–83
*Vice President of the Cancer Research Campaign Scientific Committee 1988–90
*Vice Chairman of the
Caledonian Research Foundation
The Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland is a charitable trust established by Andrew Carnegie in 1901 for the benefit of the universities of Scotland, their students and their staff.
The incorporation of the Trust was by royal cha ...
1989–94
*Chairman of the Board of Governors,
Beatson Institute for Cancer Research, in Glasgow 1984–91
*Chairman,
Paterson Institute for Cancer Research,
Manchester
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...
1990–92
*Advisor to Canada's Scientific Advisory Council 1982–88
References
1921 births
1994 deaths
Presidents of the Royal Society of Edinburgh
Fellows of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh
Fellows of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow
Fellows of the Royal College of Physicians
Fellows of the Royal College of Pathologists
Knights Bachelor
Academics of the University of Edinburgh
20th-century Scottish medical doctors
20th-century surgeons
{{Scotland-med-bio-stub