James Waldo Lance AO,

CBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

(1926–2019), often referred to as James Lance and James W. Lance, was an Australian

neurologist Neurology (from el, νεῦρον (neûron), "string, nerve" and the suffix -logia, "study of") is the branch of medicine dealing with the diagnosis and treatment of all categories of conditions and disease involving the brain, the spinal c ...

. He was the founder of the School of Neurology at the

University of New South Wales The University of New South Wales (UNSW), also known as UNSW Sydney, is a public research university based in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is one of the founding members of Group of Eight, a coalition of Australian research-intensive ...

and president of the

International Headache Society The International Headache Society (IHS) is a London-based charity membership organisation that was founded in 1981 for those with a professional commitment to helping people affected by headache disorders and facial pains. In 1994, the IHS was i ...

in 1987–89, and a "world authority on the diagnosis and treatment" of

headache Headache is the symptom of pain in the face, head, or neck. It can occur as a migraine, tension-type headache, or cluster headache. There is an increased risk of depression in those with severe headaches. Headaches can occur as a result ...

and

migraine Migraine (, ) is a common neurological disorder characterized by recurrent headaches. Typically, the associated headache affects one side of the head, is pulsating in nature, may be moderate to severe in intensity, and could last from a few hou ...

Early life and education

Lance was born in

Wollongong Wollongong ( ), colloquially referred to as The Gong, is a city located in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia. The name is believed to originate from the Dharawal language, meaning either 'five islands/clouds', 'ground near wate ...

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

on 29 October 1926. His parents operated a local department store in Wollongong. His maternal grandfather, James Douglas Stewart, was professor of veterinary science at the

University of Sydney The University of Sydney (USYD), also known as Sydney University, or informally Sydney Uni, is a public research university located in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and is one of the country's si ...

and a member of the

CSIRO The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) is an Australian Government The Australian Government, also known as the Commonwealth Government, is the national government of Australia, a federal parliamentar ...

. He was sent to study at

Tudor House School Tudor House School is a private, day and boarding, preparatory school for boys and girls at Moss Vale, New South Wales, Australia. The school is Australia's only preparatory boarding school. It became co-educational in 2017. Tudor House has ...

Moss Vale Moss Vale is a town in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales, Australia, in the Wingecarribee Shire. It is located on the Illawarra Highway, which connects to Wollongong and the Illawarra coast via Macquarie Pass. Moss Vale has several he ...

, in the Southern Highlands of the

(having been sent there in the hope of the fresh air would alleviate his

asthma Asthma is a long-term inflammatory disease of the airways of the lungs. It is characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and easily triggered bronchospasms. Symptoms include episodes of wheezing, cou ...

) and then at

Geelong Grammar School , motto_translation = 1 Corinthians 1:30: "For us, Christ was made wisdom"(1 Corinthians 1:30: Christ, who has been made for us in wisdom) , city = Corio, Victoria , country = Australia , coordinates = , ty ...

and The King's School,

Parramatta Parramatta () is a suburb and major Central business district, commercial centre in Greater Western Sydney, located in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located approximately west of the Sydney central business district on the ban ...

.Professor James Lance, neurologist
science.org.au. Retrieved 31 March 2019. Lance studied medicine at the

, from which he graduated as MBBS in 1950.

Sydney, London, Boston

In the years 1950–51 he was resident medical officer at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and in 1952–53 he took up a fellowship at the

National Health and Medical Research Council The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) is the main statutory authority of the Australian Government responsible for medical research. It was the eighth largest research funding body in the world in 2016, and NHMRC-funded rese ...

at Sydney University, graduating with a Doctor of Medicine degree.Vale Emeritus Professor James Lance
unsw.edu.au, 6 March 2019. Retrieved 31 March 2019. In 1954 Lance trained in

London London is the capital and 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 down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

as a neurologist and then worked as assistant house physician at the National Hospital (now known as the

National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery The National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery (informally the National Hospital or Queen Square) is a neurological hospital in Queen Square, London. It is part of the University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. It was the f ...

) in Queen Square,

. Returning to Sydney, he worked as a tutor (1956–60) at St Paul’s College and a visiting lecturer (1956–62) at Sydney University, then at the Northcott Neurological Centre,

Cammeray Cammeray is a residential suburb located five kilometres north of the Sydney Central Business District (CBD) and is part of the North Sydney Council local government area. Cammeray is part of the Lower North Shore region of Northern Sydney. His ...

(1956–57),

Sydney Hospital Sydney Hospital is a major hospital in Australia, located on Macquarie Street in the Sydney central business district. It is the oldest hospital in Australia, dating back to 1788, and has been at its current location since 1811. It first rece ...

(1956–61) and St Luke’s Hospital, Elizabeth Bay (1957–61). In 1960 he travelled to the United States where he undertook research at the

Massachusetts General Hospital Massachusetts General Hospital (Mass General or MGH) is the original and largest teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School located in the West End neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. It is the third oldest general hospital in the United Stat ...

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

University of New South Wales

In 1961 he joined the just established School of Medicine at the

was the founder of the Department of Neurology. He was to stay at this university for his whole academic career (1961–92), beginning as senior lecturer, and being later appointed as associate professor, as professor of neurology (with a personal chair), and finally as Professor Emeritus. During this period he also saw patients at the

Prince Henry Prince Henry (or Prince Harry) may refer to: People *Henry the Young King (1155–1183), son of Henry II of England, who was crowned king but predeceased his father *Prince Henry the Navigator of Portugal (1394–1460) *Henry, Duke of Cornwall (Ja ...

and Prince of Wales Hospitals (1961–92) and served as foundation director of the Institute of Neurological Sciences (1990–91). In 1980 he was elected as a

Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science The Fellowship of the Australian Academy of Science is made up of about 500 Australian scientists. Scientists judged by their peers to have made an exceptional contribution to knowledge in their field may be elected to Fellowship of the Academy. ...

Scientific achievements

Following early physiology experiments with special reference to the corticospinal (pyramidal) tract, Lance published a paper in the 1950s on an "attempt to regrow the severed pyramidal tract" and "restore movement to paralysed limbs"."The neurologist who put migraine on the map"
''

The Sydney Morning Herald ''The Sydney Morning Herald'' (''SMH'') is a daily compact newspaper published in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, and owned by Nine. Founded in 1831 as the ''Sydney Herald'', the ''Herald'' is the oldest continuously published newspaper ...

'', 28 February 2019. Retrieved 31 March 2019. While at the Northcott Neurological Centre, having noted that "less than 50% of migraine sufferers" were receiving effective treatment from their healthcare providers, he undertook to analyse 500 case histories of migraine and vascular headache patients. This "Herculean task" resulted in a paper published in 1960 that is now recognised as a "citation classic". While in Massachusetts in 1963, he worked with the neurologist Raymond Adams on post-hypoxic myoclonus (now called the

Lance-Adams syndrome Lance-Adams syndrome (LAS) is a sequela of hypoxic encephalopathy due to respiratory arrest, airway obstruction, cardiac arrest, etc. , several days after the onset of hypoxic encephalopathy. A condition that presents with functional myoclonus asso ...

). During his period at the Prince Henry Hospital, he conducted research on the physiology of migraine, with special reference to serotonin and its "effects on blood vessels and brain pathways involved in pain". This work led to the "groundbreaking" discovery of the triptan family of drugs, including (after collaborative research with the United Kingdom's

Glaxo GSK plc, formerly GlaxoSmithKline plc, is a British multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology company with global headquarters in London, England. Established in 2000 by a merger of Glaxo Wellcome and SmithKline Beecham. GSK is the tent ...

) of

sumatriptan Sumatriptan, sold commonly under brand names Imitrex and Treximet among others, is a medication used to treat migraine headaches and cluster headaches. It is taken orally, intranasally, or by subcutaneous injection. Therapeutic effects gen ...

, the first clinically available

triptan Triptans are a family of tryptamine-based drugs used as abortive medication in the treatment of migraines and cluster headaches. This drug class was first commercially introduced in the 1990s. While effective at treating individual headaches, th ...

(on the market since 1991) and a key medicine now used to resolve acute migraine attacks.

Awards and honours

* 1977:

James Lance Death Notice
''

'', 21 February 2019. Retrieved 18 March 2019. * 1991: AO * 1992: Hon. DSc. (University of New South Wales) * 2001:

Centenary Medal The Centenary Medal is an award which was created by the Australian Government in 2001. It was established to commemorate the centenary of the Federation of Australia and to recognise "people who made a contribution to Australian society or go ...

* 2018: rofessor Tissa Wijeratne">Tissa_Wijeratne.html" ;"title="rofessor rofessor Tissa Wijeratneand Professor Peter Goadsby">Peter Goadsby got together in 2018 to launch the annual Lance-Goadsby Symposium in recognition of his work with immediate acceptance of this event as a global neuroscience educational activit
Inaugural James Lance Oration and Medal and Annual Lance-Goadsby Symposium

Personal life

James Lance was married for almost 70 years to Judy and they had five children. He died on 20 February 2019.

Select bibliography

* ''Mechanism and Management of Headache'' (London: Butterworths, c. 1969; 3rd ed., 1978; 4th ed., 1982; 6th ed., Boston and Oxford: Butterworth Heinemann, 1999; 7th ed., Oxford: Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann, 2005). (Joint editor for 6th ed.: Peter Goadsby">Peter J. Goadsby.) * ''A Physiological Approach to Clinical Neurology'' (London: Butterworths, 1970; Oxford: Elsevier Science, 3rd ed., 2014.). (Joint author for 3rd ed.: James G. McLeod.) * ''Introductory Neurology'', Melbourne: Blackwell Scientific Publications, 1989. Joint author: James G. McLeod. * ''Migraine and Other Headaches'', Sydney: Simon & Schuster Australia, 1999. * ''The Golden Trout'', Thomas Nelson, 1977.

References

External links

J W Lance's research while affiliated with UNSW Sydney and other places

Photograph of James Waldo Lance
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lance, James W. 1926 births 2019 deaths Australian neurologists Officers of the Order of Australia Australian Commanders of the Order of the British Empire University of Sydney alumni Academic staff of the University of New South Wales People educated at The King's School, Parramatta People educated at Geelong Grammar School