Roland Levinsky, 1943-2007
Roland was a pioneer and inspirational leader in the field of primary immunodeficiency. Although originally from South Africa, Roland spent his adult life in the UK, 26 years of it at the Institute of Child Health (ICH) and Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOS) in London. Roland attended medical school in London (University College London) and then trained in paediatrics in Birmingham and London before moving to Great Ormond Street Hospital in London in 1973. He subsequently became Senior Lecturer and Honorary Consultant Immunologist at GOS and Hugh Greenwood Professor of Immunology in 1985, a Chair he held at the Institute of Child Health, until he left London in 2002 to be Vice-Chancellor of Plymouth University.
Initially planning to become a Nephrologist, Roland became interested in the immunology of renal disease at GOS. This led on to immunology and in particular, the primary immunodeficiency disorders (PIDs), for which he pioneered the application of bone marrow transplantation (BMT) in the UK. This was also at a time when many similarly minded clinician scientists were interested in utilising the new techniques that were being developed in molecular biology and genetics to understand the molecular basis of disease. Roland was among a select group who understood the power of these new techniques and how they could eventually be used to “cure” these life-threatening diseases. Together with other like-minded individuals an informal grouping was established in 1983, the European Group for Immunodeficiency Disease (EGID), which was the forerunner of what is known as ESID today.
Using the large cohorts of patients, it was possible to use the new genetic techniques to identify the molecular basis of primary diseases and Roland was among the first to see this. This resulted in successful collaborations to identify the genes for X-linked agammaglobulinemia and X-linked hyper IgM syndrome. Roland also saw the potential for using this genetic knowledge to develop the techniques to treat PID using gene therapy. Roland was an enthusiastic advocate of gene therapy, being involved in the early European trials of gene therapy for adenosine deaminase deficiency. He was involved in the first research projects to obtain funding in the UK to develop gene therapy techniques for PID. His enthusiasm and vision lead directly to the successful gene therapy programme at GOS today.
Roland was a highly efficient administrator. He became Dean of the ICH in 1990 when it became apparent to him that he was the only person who had the vision and strength of will to lead it forward. This resulted in one of Roland’s greatest achievements; turning the ICH into a word-class children’s research organisation, and a legacy of highly trained and motivated medical research scientists all over the world. This success led to his appointment in 1999 as the Vice Provost for Biomedicine and Head of the Graduate School at University College London, and then Vice Chancellor of Plymouth University. Under his vision and leadership the university flourished and leapt up the rankings of the UK’s universities.
Roland will be widely missed by everyone who knew him. He was a giant
in every sense, a tremendous family man, whose wisdom and kindness touched
the lives of many. He was a mentor to many of us, and will be
sorely missed for his friendship,wisdom, and humour.
Christine Kinnon, Adrian Thrasher and Bobby Gaspar
