David Weatherall

{{short description|British physician and researcher (1933–2018)}}

{{Infobox scientist

| honorific_prefix = Professor

| name = Sir David Weatherall

| honorific_suffix = {{post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|GBE|FRS}}

| birth_name = David John Weatherall

| image =Jeremy_Farrar_and_David_Weatherall_at_RILD_launch_(14425802043).jpg

| imagesize =

| alt =

| caption = Weatherall (left) and Jeremy Farrar (right) in 2014

| birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1933|3|9}}{{Who's Who | title=WEATHERALL, Sir David (John) | id = U39125 | volume = 2014 | edition = online edition via Oxford University Press}}

| birth_place = {{Nowrap|Liverpool, England, United Kingdom}}

| death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|2018|12|08|1933|3|9}}

| death_place = Oxford, England, United Kingdom

| fields =

| workplaces = {{Plainlist|

| alma_mater = University of Liverpool

| known_for = Work on the thalassaemias

| awards = {{Plainlist|

GBE (2017)
Knight Bachelor (1987)
Manson Medal (1988)
William Allan Award (2003)
Mendel Medal (2006)
Lasker Award (2010)}}

}}

Sir David John Weatherall (9 March 1933 – 8 December 2018){{cite web|url=https://www.bionews.org.uk/page_140400|title=Professor Sir David Weatherall obituary: 'iconic' scientist dies - BioNews|website=www.bionews.org.uk|date=10 December 2018 }} was a British physician and researcher in molecular genetics, haematology, pathology and clinical medicine.{{Cite journal | doi = 10.1016/S0140-6736(12)61689-4| title = Disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) for 291 diseases and injuries in 21 regions, 1990–2010: A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2010| journal = The Lancet| volume = 380| issue = 9859| pages = 2197–223| year = 2012| last1 = Murray | first1 = C. J. L. | last2 = Vos | first2 = T. | last3 = Lozano | first3 = R. | last4 = Naghavi | first4 = M. | last5 = Flaxman | first5 = A. D. | last6 = Michaud | first6 = C. | last7 = Ezzati | first7 = M. | last8 = Shibuya | first8 = K. | last9 = Salomon | first9 = J. A. | last10 = Abdalla | first10 = S. | last11 = Aboyans | first11 = V. | last12 = Abraham | first12 = J. | last13 = Ackerman | first13 = I. | last14 = Aggarwal | first14 = R. | last15 = Ahn | first15 = S. Y. | last16 = Ali | first16 = M. K. | last17 = Almazroa | first17 = M. A. | last18 = Alvarado | first18 = M. | last19 = Anderson | first19 = H. R. | last20 = Anderson | first20 = L. M. | last21 = Andrews | first21 = K. G. | last22 = Atkinson | first22 = C. | last23 = Baddour | first23 = L. M. | last24 = Bahalim | first24 = A. N. | last25 = Barker-Collo | first25 = S. | last26 = Barrero | first26 = L. H. | last27 = Bartels | first27 = D. H. | last28 = Basáñez | first28 = M. G. | last29 = Baxter | first29 = A. | last30 = Bell | first30 = M. L. | display-authors = 29 | pmid=23245608| s2cid = 205967479}}{{Scopus|id=35417382100}}{{Cite journal

| pmid = 23245607

| pmc = 6350784

| year = 2012

| last1 = Vos

| first1 = T

| title = Years lived with disability (YLDs) for 1160 sequelae of 289 diseases and injuries 1990–2010: A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2010

| journal = The Lancet

| volume = 380

| issue = 9859

| pages = 2163–96

| last2 = Flaxman

| first2 = A. D.

| last3 = Naghavi

| first3 = M

| last4 = Lozano

| first4 = R

| last5 = Michaud

| first5 = C

| last6 = Ezzati

| first6 = M

| last7 = Shibuya

| first7 = K

| last8 = Salomon

| first8 = J. A.

| last9 = Abdalla

| first9 = S

| last10 = Aboyans

| first10 = V

| last11 = Abraham

| first11 = J

| last12 = Ackerman

| first12 = I

| last13 = Aggarwal

| first13 = R

| last14 = Ahn

| first14 = S. Y.

| last15 = Ali

| first15 = M. K.

| last16 = Alvarado

| first16 = M

| last17 = Anderson

| first17 = H. R.

| last18 = Anderson

| first18 = L. M.

| last19 = Andrews

| first19 = K. G.

| last20 = Atkinson

| first20 = C

| last21 = Baddour

| first21 = L. M.

| last22 = Bahalim

| first22 = A. N.

| last23 = Barker-Collo

| first23 = S

| last24 = Barrero

| first24 = L. H.

| last25 = Bartels

| first25 = D. H.

| last26 = Basáñez

| first26 = M. G.

| last27 = Baxter

| first27 = A

| last28 = Bell

| first28 = M. L.

| last29 = Benjamin

| first29 = E. J.

| last30 = Bennett

| first30 = D

| display-authors = 29

| doi = 10.1016/S0140-6736(12)61729-2

}}

Early life and education

David Weatherall was born in Liverpool.Geoff Watts. [https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(19)30113-8 David John Weatherall. Obituary.] The Lancet| Volume 393, ISSUE 10169, P314, January 26, 2019, DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(19)30113-8

He was educated at Calday Grange Grammar School and then attended Medical School at the University of Liverpool where he served as Treasurer of the Liverpool Medical Students Society in 1954.{{citation needed|date=January 2019}}

He graduated from medical school in 1956. After house staff training, he joined the Army for 2 years, as part of the national service and was stationed in Singapore. There he treated the daughter of a Gurkha soldier with thalassemia, which sparked a lifelong interest in this disease. He used car batteries and filter paper for electrophoresis while there.

Career

Returning from military service, he took a fellowship at Johns Hopkins University.{{citation needed|date=January 2019}} He returned to Liverpool, where he rose to the rank of Professor of Haematology.

His research concentrated on the genetics of the haemoglobinopathies and, in particular, a group of inherited haematological disorders known as the thalassemias that are associated with abnormalities in the production of globin, the protein component of haemoglobin. Weatherall was one of the world's experts on the clinical and molecular basis of the thalassemias and the application for their control and prevention in developing countries.{{Cite journal

| pmid = 21036263

| year = 2010

| last1 = Watts

| first1 = G

| title = David Weatherall: Lasker Award for pioneer in molecular medicine

| journal = The Lancet

| volume = 376

| issue = 9751

| pages = 1457| doi = 10.1016/S0140-6736(10)61981-2| s2cid = 34967961

| doi-access = free

}}{{Cite journal| pmid = 16862731| year = 2006| last1 = Weatherall| first1 = D| title = Sir David Weatherall reflects on genetics and personalized medicine. Interviewed by Ulrike Knies-Bamforth| journal = Drug Discovery Today| volume = 11| issue = 13–14| pages = 576–9| doi = 10.1016/j.drudis.2006.05.007}}{{Cite journal | doi = 10.1086/381938| title = Introductory Speech for Sir David Weatherall| journal = The American Journal of Human Genetics| volume = 74| issue = 3| pages = 382–384| year = 2004| last1 = Kan | first1 = Y. | pmc = 1182249}}{{Cite journal

| pmid = 15053011

| pmc = 1182250

| year = 2004

| last1 = Weatherall

| first1 = D

| title = 2003 William Allan Award address. The Thalassemias: The role of molecular genetics in an evolving global health problem

| journal = American Journal of Human Genetics

| volume = 74

| issue = 3

| pages = 385–92

| doi=10.1086/381402

}}

In 1974, Weatherall moved to Oxford, as he was appointed Nuffield Professor of Clinical Medicine at the University of Oxford. He worked with the biochemist John Clegg until his retirement in 2000. They were able to separate the α and β chains of haemoglobin and to demonstrate that the relative lack of production of these proteins resulted in α and β thalassaemia.

In 1989, Weatherall founded the Institute of Molecular Medicine at Oxford, which was renamed the Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine in his honour in 2000 upon his retirement.{{citation needed|date=January 2019}}

From 1991 to 1996 he was a member of the Nuffield Council on Bioethics.{{citation needed|date=January 2019}}

In 1992, he assumed the most prestigious chair, that of Regius Professor of Medicine, which he held until retirement.

He was a member of the National Committee of Inquiry into Higher Education that published an influential report{{which|date=January 2019}} in 1997.{{cite web|title=Higher Education in the learning society: Main Report|url=http://www.educationengland.org.uk/documents/dearing1997/dearing1997.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150211022652/http://www.educationengland.org.uk/documents/dearing1997/dearing1997.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=11 February 2015|website=Education England|accessdate=10 February 2015}}

In 2002, Weatherall wrote a major report on the application of genomics for global health for the World Health Organization.[http://whqlibdoc.who.int/hq/2002/a74580.pdf CMH] During this year, he also became Chancellor of Keele University.{{when|date=January 2019}}. Weatherall was a Distinguished Supporter of Humanists UK.{{citation needed|date=January 2019}}

In 2009, a working group report under Weatherall's Chairmanship concluded that there was a strong scientific case to maintain biomedical research activities using non-human primates in carefully selected areas.[http://www.nhpstudy.com NHP Study] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070206130321/http://www.nhpstudy.com/ |date=6 February 2007 }}

Awards and honours

Weatherall was knighted in 1987 and appointed Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire (GBE) in the 2017 Birthday Honours for services to medicine.{{London Gazette|issue=61962|supp=y|page=B7|date=17 June 2017}}

In 1989 he was awarded the Royal Medal by the Royal Society for his work on the thalassaemias.{{citation needed|date=January 2019}}

In 1995 he was awarded the Fothergillian prize by the London Medical Society.{{citation needed|date=January 2019}}

In 1998 he was awarded the Manson Medal by the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene for his contributions to the field of tropical medicine and hygiene.{{cite web|title=List of past medal holders|url=http://www.rstmh.org/awards/medals/list-past-medal-holders#Manson|publisher=Royal Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110910123308/http://www.rstmh.org/awards/medals/list-past-medal-holders#Manson|archivedate=10 September 2011|df=dmy-all}}

In 2005 he was elected to the American Philosophical Society.{{Cite web|title=APS Member History|url=https://search.amphilsoc.org/memhist/search?creator=David+J.+Weatherall&title=&subject=&subdiv=&mem=&year=&year-max=&dead=&keyword=&smode=advanced|access-date=2021-05-28|website=search.amphilsoc.org}}

In 2010 he was awarded a Lasker Award, the most significant US prize for medical research with many past award winners subsequently going on to receive Nobel prizes.{{citation needed|date=January 2019}} He was the only person outside America to win the award that year.{{citation needed|date=January 2019}}

In 2012, Keele University named the Medical School building on the Keele Campus the David Weatherall Building in honour of Sir David. The MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine (WIMM) is named in his honour.{{cite web|url=https://www.imm.ox.ac.uk/|title=Homepage — MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine|website=www.imm.ox.ac.uk}}

He was an honorary member of the British Society for Immunology.{{cite web|url=https://www.immunology.org/about-us/our-people/our-members/honorary-members|title=Honorary members - British Society for Immunology|website=www.immunology.org}}

References

External links

[http://hemoglobal.org/ Hemoglobal: A Charitable Organization that Sir David Weatherall provides aid to children with Thalassemia]
{{History of Modern Biomedicine Research Group ID}}
{{NPG name}}
[https://web.archive.org/web/20160426105756/http://www.webofstories.com/play/david.weatherall/1 |title=David Weatherall interviewed] on Web of Stories

{{succession box | before = Baron Moser| title = Chancellor of Keele University | years = 2002—2012| after = Jonathon Porritt}}

Category:1933 births

Category:2018 deaths

Category:Alumni of the University of Liverpool

Category:20th-century English medical doctors

Category:English geneticists

Category:Chancellors of Keele University

Category:British humanists

Category:Knights Bachelor

Category:Royal Medal winners

Category:Manson medal winners

Category:Regius Professors of Medicine (University of Oxford)