Eric John Holborow (1918–2009) was a British physician, rheumatologist, and immunologist, known for his pioneering research on

autoimmunity In immunology, autoimmunity is the system of immune responses of an organism against its own healthy cells, tissues and other normal body constituents. Any disease resulting from this type of immune response is termed an "autoimmune disease". ...

. After education at

Epsom College Epsom College is a co-educational independent school on Epsom Downs, Surrey, England, for pupils aged 11 to 18. It was founded in 1853 as a boys' school to provide support for poor members of the medical profession such as pensioners and orpha ...

, Eric John Holborow, known as "John" or "EJ", studied medicine at

Clare College, Cambridge Clare College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge in Cambridge, England. The college was founded in 1326 as University Hall, making it the second-oldest surviving college of the University after Peterhouse. It was refounded ...

and

St Bartholomew's Hospital St Bartholomew's Hospital, commonly known as Barts, is a teaching hospital located in the City of London. It was founded in 1123 and is currently run by Barts Health NHS Trust. History Early history Barts was founded in 1123 by Rahere (died ...

, graduating in 1942 MB BChir (Cantab.). In 1942 immediately after qualifying MRCS, LRCP, he joined the

RAMC The Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC) is a specialist corps in the British Army which provides medical services to all Army personnel and their families, in war and in peace. The RAMC, the Royal Army Veterinary Corps, the Royal Army Dental Corps a ...

and served (under the command of

John Vivian Dacie Sir John Vivian Dacie, FRS (20 July 1912 Putney, London – 12 February 2005) was a British haematologist. Education He was born in Putney, London and educated at King's College School, Wimbledon, after which he studied medicine at King's Col ...

from 1943 to 1946) in Egypt. Holborow in 1947 joined the

Royal Postgraduate Medical School The Royal Postgraduate Medical School (RPMS) was an independent medical school, based primarily at Hammersmith Hospital in west London. In 1988, the school merged with the Institute of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, and in 1997 became part of Imperial ...

's department of haematology (where Dacie was a senior lecturer) and in 1953 graduated MD. In 1953 Holborow joined the scientific staff of the

MRC MRC may refer to Government * Medical Research Council (United Kingdom) * Medical Reserve Corps, a US network of volunteer organizations * Municipalité régionale de comté (regional county municipality), Quebec, Canada * Military Revolutionar ...

Rheumatism Research Unit at the

Canadian Red Cross Memorial Hospital The Canadian Red Cross Memorial Hospital in Taplow, Buckinghamshire, was a civilian hospital and a centre for research into rheumatism in children until its closure in 1985. History War time origins In 1914, during the First World War, th ...

Taplow Taplow is a village and civil parish in the Unitary Authority of Buckinghamshire, England. It sits on the left bank of the River Thames, facing Maidenhead in the neighbouring county of Berkshire, with Cippenham and Burnham to the east. It is th ...

, Buckinghamshire. He eventually became the director of the Rheumatism Research Unit and worked there until the Unit was closed in 1976. He was in 1956 a founder member of the

British Society for Immunology The British Society for Immunology, or BSI, is a UK-based organisation of British immunologists but accepts members from all countries. It was founded in November 1956 by John H. Humphrey, Robin Coombs, Bob White, and Avrion Mitchison and is one ...

and in 1959 became the Society's second secretary. In 1976 the Arthritis and Rheumatism Campaign set up the Bone and Joint Research Unit at the

London Hospital Medical College Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, commonly known as Barts or BL, is a medical school, medical and dental school in London, England. The school is part of Queen Mary University of London, a constituent college of the federal Un ...

(LHMC) in

Whitechapel Whitechapel is a district in East London and the future administrative centre of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is a part of the East End of London, east of Charing Cross. Part of the historic county of Middlesex, the area formed ...

. Holborow was appointed the head of the Bone and Joint Research Unit and was given a professorial chair in immunopathology. He was a co-editor for ''The Journal of Immunological Methods'' and a co-editor with William Gordon Reeves of two editions of ''Immunology in Medicine: A Comprehensive Guide to Clinical Immunology'' (London, Academic Press, 1977, 1983). Holborow was elected FRCP in 1978 and was the

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 ...

r in 1982. He retired in 1983. He married in 1943. Upon his death in 2009 he was survived by his widow, two sons, a daughter, six grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren.

Selected publications

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References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Holborow, Eric John 1918 births 2009 deaths People educated at Epsom College Alumni of Clare College, Cambridge Alumni of the Medical College of St Bartholomew's Hospital 20th-century English medical doctors British immunologists British rheumatologists Fellows of the Royal College of Physicians Royal Army Medical Corps officers