Graham Arthur John Ayliffe (2 March 192622 May 2017) was a British medical microbiologist and Emeritus Professor in Medical Microbiology,

University of Birmingham The University of Birmingham (informally Birmingham University) is a Public university, public research university located in Edgbaston, Birmingham, United Kingdom. It received its royal charter in 1900 as a successor to Queen's College, Birmingha ...

, United Kingdom. He was instrumental in founding the International Federation for Infection Control (IFIC) in association with the

World Health Organization The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. The WHO Constitution states its main objective as "the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of ...

(WHO) in 1987. He was elected Chair in 1990. He was also a founder member of the Hospital Infection Society (now Healthcare Infection Society) and editor of its journal (1980–84), a former Chair (1980–84) and President (1988–94). The Graham Ayliffe Training Fellowship was established in 2013.

Career

Graham Ayliffe was born in

Hambrook Hambrook is a village in South Gloucestershire, England, situated on the north-eastern outskirts of the city of Bristol. It lies between the larger communities of Winterbourne and Frenchay and is part of the Civil Parish of Winterbourne. A sm ...

, Gloucestershire, England and educated at Queen Elizabeth's Hospital School in Bristol. He served for three years in the Royal Navy as a medical assistant/laboratory technician and then went on to study Medicine at Bristol University. He joined the Department of Pathology at the

Bristol Royal Infirmary The Bristol Royal Infirmary, also known as the BRI, is a large teaching hospital situated in the centre of Bristol, England. It has links with the nearby University of Bristol and the Faculty of Health and Social Care at the University of the Wes ...

under Professor William Gillespie in 1955. In 1959 he moved on to the Department of Bacteriology 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 ...

under Professor Mary Barber. He was awarded an MD from the University of Bristol in 1963. In 1964 he joined the team at the Hospital Infection Research Laboratory (HIRL) in what is now known as

City Hospital, Birmingham City Hospital (formerly Dudley Road Hospital, and still commonly referred to as such) is a major hospital located in Birmingham, England, operated by the Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust. It provides an extensive range of genera ...

led by Professor

Edward Lowbury Edward Joseph Lister Lowbury (December 12, 1913 - July 10, 2007) was a pioneering and innovative English medical bacteriologist and pathologist, and also a published poet. Life Edward Lowbury was born in Hampstead to the recently naturalised Benj ...

. The research team at Birmingham carried out numerous surveys of hospital infection and explored the necessity of hand hygiene, the emergence of antibiotic resistance and surgical site infection (SSI). The team at Birmingham (Ayliffe, J. R. Babb, A. H. Quoraishi) developed the six step hand-washing technique (known as the Ayliffe Technique). The technique was soon adopted by hospitals throughout the UK and was endorsed by the

in 2009. He was appointed Director of the HIRL in 1980 following Lowbury's retirement and he was appointed professor of Medical Microbiology at the

in 1981 where he developed a practical course for medical students. His research interests included the control of

MRSA Methicillin-resistant ''Staphylococcus aureus'' (MRSA) is a group of Gram-positive bacteria that are genetically distinct from other strains of ''Staphylococcus aureus''. MRSA is responsible for several difficult-to-treat infections in humans. ...

, biological safety and endoscope decontamination.

Writing

He authored and co-authored numerous books and academic papers including: *''Hospital Infection: From Miasmas to MRSA'', Ayliffe, G.A.J, English, M.P (2003, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge) *''Hospital-Acquired Infection: Principles and Prevention, Ayliffe, G.A.J, Collins, B.J, Taylor, A.J (1982, John Wright & Sons, Bristol) *'' Control of Hospital Infection: A Practical Handbook'', Ayliffe, G.A.J, Geddes, A.M, Williams, JD, 1975, Chapman & Hall, London *''Drug Resistance in Antimicrobial Therapy'', Lowbury, E.J.L, Ayliffe G.A.J. (Springfield, Illinois, 1974)

Personal life

Ayliffe married Janet Lloyd in 1963 and they had two children. He was the Honorary President of Birmingham Fencing Club up to his death on 22 May 2017 at the age of 91.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ayliffe, Graham 1926 births 2017 deaths English microbiologists