Celia Mary Oakley MRCS FRCP FESC (14 May 1931 – 17 November 2014) was a British

cardiologist Cardiology () is a branch of medicine that deals with disorders of the heart and the cardiovascular system. The field includes medical diagnosis and treatment of congenital heart defects, coronary artery disease, heart failure, valvular hear ...

. She was one of the founding fellows of the

European Society of Cardiology The European Society of Cardiology (ESC) is an independent non-profit, non-governmental professional association that works to advance the prevention, diagnosis and management of diseases of the heart and blood vessels, and improve scientific un ...

. Oakley was a recipient of the Laennec Master Clinician award and the Mackenzie medal.

Biography

Celia Oakley‘s MD thesis was dedicated to the pulmonary blood volume in humans, during preparation of which she developed an interest in pulmonary hypertension, valvular heart disease and congenital heart disease. Oakley served as house physician and house surgeon at the

Royal Free Hospital The Royal Free Hospital (also known simply as the Royal Free) is a major teaching hospital in the Hampstead area of the London Borough of Camden. The hospital is part of the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust, which also runs services at Barn ...

and house physician to the Paul Wood cardiac unit at the

Royal Brompton Hospital Royal Brompton Hospital is the largest specialist heart and lung medical centre in the United Kingdom. It is managed by Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust. History Consumption in the 19th Century In the 19th century, consumption was a co ...

. She was a member of the team who coined the term "

hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM, or HOCM when obstructive) is a condition in which the heart becomes thickened without an obvious cause. The parts of the heart most commonly affected are the interventricular septum and the ventricles. This r ...

" and Professor of Clinical Cardiology at

Hammersmith Hospital Hammersmith Hospital, formerly the Military Orthopaedic Hospital, and later the Special Surgical Hospital, is a major teaching hospital in White City, West London. It is part of Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust in the London Borough of H ...

. In 1958 there were only three female cardiologists in the UK including Oakley. In 1991, Celia Oakley was appointed as a personal chair at the

, London. In 1950 Celia Oakley married Ron Pridie, who was a pioneer in

echocardiography An echocardiography, echocardiogram, cardiac echo or simply an echo, is an ultrasound of the heart. It is a type of medical imaging of the heart, using standard ultrasound or Doppler ultrasound. Echocardiography has become routinely used in t ...

and worked at

Harefield Hospital Harefield Hospital is a health institution in Harefield, London Borough of Hillingdon, England. It is managed by the Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust. History The first hospital on the site was the No. 1 Australian Auxiliary Hospital ...

, London. They had two daughters and four grandchildren. She died 17 November 2014.

Awards and honours

Bradshaw Lecture The Bradshaw Lectures are prestigious lectureships given at the invitation of the Royal College of Physicians and the Royal College of Surgeons of England. List of past lecturers at Royal College of Physicians List of past lecturers at Royal C ...

, 1983. * Laennec Master Clinician award from the

American Heart Association The American Heart Association (AHA) is a nonprofit organization in the United States that funds cardiovascular medical research, educates consumers on healthy living and fosters appropriate cardiac care in an effort to reduce disability and death ...

, 2004. * Mackenzie medal of the

British Cardiovascular Society The British Cardiovascular Society (BCS) is a United Kingdom-wide health organisation based in London. It aims to represent all healthcare professionals working in the field of cardiology, set standards for prevention, diagnosis, and clinical care, ...

for services to British cardiology, 2006.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Oakley, Celia Mary 1931 births 2014 deaths Physicians of Hammersmith Hospital Women cardiologists British women medical doctors British cardiologists 20th-century British medical doctors 20th-century British women medical doctors