| John Foxton Ross KerrAO | |
|---|---|
| Born | (1934-01-24)24 January 1934 Sydney, Australia |
| Died | 4 June 2024(2024-06-04) (aged 90) |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Alma mater |
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| Known for | |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Pathology |
| Institutions |
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John Foxton Ross Kerr AO (24 January 1934 – 4 June 2024) was an Australian pathologist. He was the first to describe the ultrastructural changes in apoptosis, and could show that they differ significantly from the changes that occur in necrosis, another form of cell death. For the first time, he placed the roles of cell death in normal adult mammals, and in disease, into scientific focus.
Biography
Education
Kerr studied at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia. In 1955, Kerr earned a Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree, and in 1957, a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS). As a medical assistant, he worked at the Royal Brisbane Hospital. In 1964, he earned a PhD at the University of London.
Academic career
Starting in 1965, he taught pathology at the University of Queensland, and was made a professor in 1974. He became a professor emeritus in 1995.
Kerr, in collaboration with Andrew Wyllie and Alastair Currie, coined the term apoptosis to describe natural developmental cell death.
Death
Kerr died on 4 June 2024, at the age of 90.
Awards and honours
Kerr has received numerous awards and honours:
- 1974–1992 – Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians
- 1993 – Bancroft Medal of the Australian Medical Association
- 1995 – Fred W. Stewart Award
- 1996 – Officer of the Order of Australia
- 1998 – Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science
- 2000 – Paul Ehrlich and Ludwig Darmstaedter Prize
- 2002 – Charles IV Prize of Charles University in Prague
Notes and references
- Bibliography
- Sternberg, S. S. (March 1996). "John Foxton Ross Kerr, M.B., PH.D., recipient of the 1995 Fred W. Stewart Award". The American Journal of Surgical Pathology. 20 (3): 380–381. doi:10.1097/00000478-199603000-00020. PMID 8772792.
- O'Rourke, M. G. E.; Ellem, K. A. O. (August 2000). "John Kerr and apoptosis". Medical Journal of Australia. 173 (11): 616–617. doi:10.5694/j.1326-5377.2000.tb139362.x. PMID 11379508. S2CID 38265127.
- Notes
- ^ "Kerr, John Foxton Ross (1934 - )". Encyclopedia of Australian Science. 14 February 2006. Retrieved 15 July 2015.
- Kerr, J. F. R.; Wyllie, A. H.; Currie, A. R. (1972). "Apoptosis: A Basic Biological Phenomenon with Wide-ranging Implications in Tissue Kinetics". British Journal of Cancer. 26 (4): 239–257. doi:10.1038/bjc.1972.33. PMC 2008650. PMID 4561027.
- "Fellows update: June 2024". Australian Academy of Science. Retrieved 3 July 2024.
- "Award Extract - Dr John Foxton Ross Kerr". Australian Honours Search Facility. Canberra, Australia: Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Retrieved 15 May 2011.
- "Professor John Kerr". Australian Academy of Science. Archived from the original on December 8, 2015. Retrieved July 15, 2015.
- "Preisträger des Paul Ehrlich und Ludwig Darmstaedter-Preises" [Winners of the Paul Ehrlich and Ludwig Darmstaedter Prize]. Goethe University Frankfurt (in German). Archived from the original on 2 March 2012. Retrieved 15 May 2011.
- "Charles IV Prize". Charles IV Prize. Retrieved 15 May 2011.
- 1934 births
- 2024 deaths
- Australian pathologists
- Academics from Brisbane
- Medical doctors from Brisbane
- University of Queensland Mayne Medical School alumni
- Fellows of the Australian Academy of Science
- Officers of the Order of Australia
- University of Queensland alumni
- Alumni of the University of London
- Academic staff of the University of Queensland