Appreciation: Professor Robin Warren

The RCPath and the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia (RCPA) are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Nobel Laureate Professor John Robin Warren AC, an eminent and highly respected pathologist and medical pioneer.

Professor Warren was the joint recipient of the 2005 Nobel Prize for Medicine alongside Professor Barry Marshall AC, awarded for their rediscovery of Helicobacter pylori, a pathogenic organism widely recognised to be the cause of gastritis, peptic ulcer disease and gastric cancer. Their work on the bacterial basis for stomach ulcers revolutionised the treatment of peptic ulcers by enabling an antibiotic cure and has led to a significant reduction worldwide in the prevalence of gastric cancer.

In addition to the numerous scientific awards received for their work on H. pylori, Professor Warren and Professor Marshall also received Australia’s highest civilian honour, the Companion of the Order of Australia in 2007.

Professor Warren became a Fellow of the RCPA in 1967, specialising in histopathology, and received the RCPA Distinguished Fellow Award in 1995. Originally hailing from Adelaide, Professor Warren trained in Melbourne at Royal Melbourne Hospital and moved to Perth after achieving Fellowship of the College, spending the majority of his career at Royal Perth Hospital. He later became Emeritus Professor at the University of Western Australia.

Professor Warren's legacy will be ingrained on pathology and medicine forever. Our heartfelt condolences go out to his family, friends and colleagues.