Peter Johnson, MD

2012-03-01

ASH member Terry Hamblin, MD, who died on January 8, 2012, was one of the senior figures in hematology, particularly in the fields of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and myelodyplasia. He was author of more than 300 papers, review articles, editorials, and chapters, and co-editor of Leukemia Research for 25 years.

Professor Hamblin was born in Worcester, England, in 1943. He qualified in medicine from Bristol University and, after training in the south of England, was appointed consultant hematologist in Bournemouth in 1974. Prof. Hamblin was one of the pioneers of the idea of hematology as a clinical discipline in the United Kingdom and among the first to use new techniques including plasmapheresis and peripheral blood progenitor cell transplantation. Long and productive collaborations with Professors George and Freda Stevenson at the University of Southampton resulted in seminal papers on the use of anti-idiotypic antibodies and DNA vaccines for the treatment of B-cell tumors, and in 1987, he was appointed professor of immunohematology at Southampton. In 1999, he was the lead author on one of the most influential papers published on CLL, showing that the mutational status of immunoglobulin heavy chain variable region genes defined a distinct biology and predicted the clinical outcome. In recognition of his contributions, he was a joint recipient of the Binet-Rai Medal in 2003 for his research in CLL. In 2000, he founded the UK CLL Forum and served as its chairman until 2006. He was also a founding member of the UK myelodysplasia forum and gained much satisfaction from the significant contribution that both bodies have made to the education of clinicians, scientists, and patients.

Prof. Hamblin was a devoted family man (married to Diane for 43 years with four children) and a devout Baptist. The breadth and depth of his knowledge on many topics including literature, music, theology, and sports (he was once mascot for the Aldershot Town Football Club), combined with an engaging personality and sparkling sense of humor, ensured that he was always excellent company.

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