In tribute: Remembering RCP members and fellows who died from COVID-19 in 2020 INTRODUCTION President’s introduction: in tribute to colleagues who have died from COVID-19 On one hand, this is a publication that are role models for us all. ideally should never have needed to be produced. On the other, it is good Although the pandemic’s second wave we have the opportunity to celebrate looks to be in steep decline, and the the lives of the physicians who died progression of the vaccine programme during the pandemic. offers further hope, unfortunately 2021 has already seen more of our When we first published this collection of membership lose their lives to COVID-19, obituaries in December 2020, I worried and we will of course be reflecting on the that more tributes would unfortunately best way to honour their memories in the still need be written. I hope that this months to come. updated edition, republished in March 2021, includes all of our members and We will also be creating a permanent fellows who sadly died in 2020 from memorial to all of the members and COVID-19. If you are aware of anyone we may have missed, please let us know. fellows that have died from COVID-19, which will be in the grounds of our Although such a collection of obituaries Regent’s Park home. Other memorials will represents a huge loss to our physician be created around the world for doctors family, reading through them is and other emergency care workers, but remarkably inspiring as well. So much has ours will be dedicated to those who are been achieved by each and every one of members of the RCP family. We will our colleagues celebrated here that our unveil this when, hopefully, the worst memories of them and the legacies they of the pandemic is over, and we will leave behind are all positive. I am proud announce further news when we can. that they were members and fellows of the RCP and that they all changed the For the moment though, let’s celebrate Professor Andrew Goddard lives of the patients they cared for and the lives of our colleagues in the pages RCP president the colleagues they worked with. They hereafter. May they rest in peace. In tribute: Remembering RCP members and fellows who died from COVID-19 in 2020 1 Contents Matteo Adinolfi 3 Medhat Atalla 5 Tapan Banerjee 6 William (Bill) Cattell 7 Bruno Cheong 9 Judith Darmady 10 Michael Udoh-aka Eshiett 12 Alfred William (Bill) Frankland 14 Anthony (Tony) Gershlick 16 Kenneth Goldman 18 John Griffin 19 Martin Mansell 20 Victor Miller 22 John Norris 24 Sivaramakrishna Iyer Padmavati 26 Jacob Plange-Rhule 28 Alfa Sa’adu 30 Anton Sebastianpillai 32 Tariq Shafi 34 David ‘Brailsford’ Tong 35 Peter Tun 37 In tribute: Remembering RCP members and fellows who died from COVID-19 in 2020 2 Matteo Adinolfi MRCP 10 December 1928 – 26 April 2020 PhD(1954), MD(1966), MRCP(1997) Matteo Adinolfi was medical school, where he and his born in 1928 in Asmara, international colleagues developed laser microscopy in prenatal brush. This allowed use of only a Eritrea, to Attilio, a bank diagnoses of chromosome disorders few cells to make the diagnosis of manager, and his wife and single cell gene defects. For the various genetic anomalies. Their Maria (née Sellitti), who next 30 years, Adinolfi worked as a initial paper was published in The Lancet in 1995. A similar technique had fled there from Italy consultant, teacher, and researcher at Guy’s and at University College is now used to detect fetal cells in to escape fascism. Attilio Hospital, and in Lambeth, Southwark, maternal blood, allowing for a fully had been able to arramge and Lewisham Area Health Authority. non-invasive prenatal diagnosis of a transfer to the bank’s In 1983, he was appointed professor fetal chromosomal abnormalities. This has been a revolution in Eritrean branch. of developmental immunology at the University of London, and in 1994 he prenatal diagnosis, and Matteo went to the Galton Institute at UCL. certainly contributed to it. I had the Adinolfi remembered attending privilege and honour to contribute a local school with a handful of His colleague Eric Jauniaux recalled: to some of their projects. Matteo other Italian children, and enjoyed was a true gentleman, modest trips to the seaside. In his teens, ‘I first met Matteo soon after I was but enthusiastic, greater than life, he developed a lifelong passion appointed at UCL in 1995. I was a and dedicated to his work. I had for Russian novels. On a visit back very young senior lecturer then and the opportunity to meet him and to Naples in 1943, the family was he was already a scientific celebrity. his wife socially and have great trapped by the advancing war and Although we did not work in the memories of these events and, unable to return to Africa. Attilio same department, he had a well- of course, of his fantastic Italian joined the navy. Matteo, his mother, established research relationship dishes.’ and two sisters fled the bombing with Charles Rodeck, pioneer in of Naples, taking shelter in the fetal medicine. Together they Rodeck recalled: surrounding hillside. They fled from established collaboration on the one hill to another, foraging for food, use of transcervical trophoblastic ‘After retiring from Guy’s, Matteo and finding shelter where they could. cells for the early diagnosis of relocated to the Galton Lab (as it Matteo was half starved and severely genetic anomalies. This was an then was) at UCL. I had returned ill with gastroenteritis; the experience incredibly difficult technique that to UCL as head of the department motivated him to become a doctor. Matteo had managed to develop of obstetrics and gynaecology a and perfect. In the 1990s it was few years earlier and needed a Adinolfi read medicine at the considered as a possible alternative collaborator in genetics to work University of Naples and worked to invasive prenatal diagnostic on prenatal diagnosis. It was ideal there until 1962. In the same year, techniques, such as amniocentesis that our interests overlapped so he moved to London and joined and placental biopsy or chorionic much. Genetic analytic techniques the haematology research unit villous sampling, which Rodeck had become so sensitive and at the Wright Fleming Institute, had pioneered. In brief, instead sophisticated that we were able to as well as practising at St Mary’s of having to put a needle inside do research on single cell analysis Hospital. In 1966 he was awarded the uterus of a pregnant woman for non-invasive prenatal diagnosis. his doctorate in immunology at the at risk of a genetic anomaly, their He would drop into my office University of London and became technique consisted of gently frequently, wearing his jaunty a senior lecturer at the paediatric harvesting placental cells from the cap, and liven up the day. He and research unit at Guy’s Hospital and cervix of the patient using a simple his co-workers collaborated with In tribute: Remembering RCP members and fellows who died from COVID-19 in 2020 3 my research fellows and trainees, types of printing techniques and, printing techniques, and read modern and were helpful to and much more recently, how to make metal literature and poetry, which was appreciated by the latter. It was sculptures. My collages, etchings, another lifelong passion. a very productive period. What a linocuts and sculptures are shown remarkable life he had. Those roots in galleries (and even sold) at least He published hundreds of scientific in Naples, the early years in Africa, twice a year. Sometimes I suspect papers and contributed to many and then a hugely distinguished they have made me more ‘famous’ books. career in London.’ than my scientific papers, at least among my friends.’ He leaves his wife, Jennifer, and three Throughout his career, Adinolfi children – Carlo, Nora, and Marina – mentored many students. According He and other scientists founded from his first marriage to Annetta De to Terry Gibson, consultant the popular 407 Art Club at Guy’s Giorgio, which ended in divorce. His rheumatologist at Guy’s: ‘Matteo was Hospital, inviting doctors and nurses second wife, Camille Guthrie, died in rarely without a retinue of students as to join. He met his wife, Jennifer 1975. he walked along the corridors.’ Williams, an artist, at an etching class at the City Literary Institute in 1978 Rebecca Wallersteiner Adinolfi was also a talented artist. and they married in 1985. The couple In his youth, he had been tempted participated in artist book fairs and This obituary was originally to attend art college. He explained: shared creative projects. published online by the BMJ: ‘A large part of my time has been, and is still, spent doing artwork Adinolfi retired in 2004, aged 76, www.bmj.com/content/370/bmj. and attending evening art classes, which provided him with more time m3309 where I have learned different to create, learn different types of Examples of Matteo’s artwork. Left: To the galaxies (1976). Right: Al concerto (1996). In tribute: Remembering RCP members and fellows who died from COVID-19 in 2020 4 Medhat Atalla MRCP 3 January 1958 – 22 April 2020 MB ChB(1981), MSc(1987), MRCP(2005), FRCP(Edin)(2017) A greatly respected and much-loved doctor, his colleagues describe him as a gentleman, whose smile would light up a room. Medhat was born 1958 in Egypt and, Dr Andrew Oates, consultant how Medhat held his ward teams in as a boy, was the country’s 100 and geriatrician and clinical director, very high regard and viewed them as 200 metre freestyle and breaststroke had known Medhat since he was family.