Prof Les Lazarus (photo: RACP)
The Garvan Institute of Medical Research in Sydney has paid tribute to its first Executive Director Professor Les Lazarus, who died recently at the age of 93.
Described as one of the first trained endocrinologists in Australia, Professor Lazarus was a pioneer in medical research and made major contributions in pituitary hormone research, the understanding of hormonal triggers for breast cancer and prostate cancer, and the role of incretins and insulin in diabetes.
He was also a mentor to many of Australia’s leading clinician researchers in endocrinology.
After training in medicine in Sydney in the 1950s he moved to London for further studies in endocrinology at the Middlesex Hospital in in 1960. On returning to Sydney he established Australia’s first endocrine laboratory, at St Vincent’s Hospital, in 1962, where he introduced the first hormone assay services in Australia in conjunction with Dr Margaret Stuart.
This lab was incorporated into the then-new Garvan research facility, and Professor Lazarus became an inaugural Co-Director of Garvan in 1966, in conjunction with Dr Gerry Milton and John Hickie.
He subsequently became the first sole Director of the Garvan Institute of Medical Research in 1969, a role he would hold until 1990.
During this time the Garvan grew into one of Australia’s foremost medical research institutes, with a focus on diabetes and endocrinology, osteoporosis and bone, and cancer.
One of his key publications was a 1974 BMJ paper describing insulin infusion as a simple and effective treatment for diabetic ketoacidosis.
His successor as Executive Director, Professor John Shine described Professor Lazarus as “a true pioneer in medical research who strongly believed that close collaboration between basic research and clinical practice was fundamental to improvements in health care.”
Professor Lazarus also recognised that new breakthrough technologies would be critical to help unravel the cause and treatment of complex diseases.
“This insight was initially evident in his embrace and development of monoclonal antibody techniques in the 60s and the application of these to develop new immunoassays for a range of hormones – followed by his support for molecular biology and gene cloning in the 80s,” said Professor Shine.
In its tribute to Professor Lazarus, the Garvan noted that he worked closely with other leading Australian researchers in endocrinology such as Professors Ken Ho, Ted Kraegen, Don Chisholm and Professor Lesley Campbell.
Professor Lazarus was awarded the Order of Australia in 1988 for services to medicine and was also on the Council of the Endocrine Society of Australia, when he was elected Honorary Life Member.
After his retirement from Garvan in 1990, Professor Lazarus built on his expertise in hormone assays as Director of SydPath, St Vincent’s Hospital’s pathology service.
“As a pioneer of clinical research in Australia his passing will be felt in the scientific community,” the Garvan said in its obituary.