Person
Willis, Rupert Allan (1898 - 1980)
- Born
- 24 December 1898
Yarram, Victoria, Australia - Died
- 26 March 1980
Birkenhead, United Kingdom - Occupation
- Pathologist
Summary
Rupert Willis was a pathologist internationally renowned for his investigation of the morphology and behaviour of tumours. His work helped formulate the modern approach to tumour classification and histogenesis. For nearly 20 years he held senior positions at the Austin and Alfred Hospitals in Melbourne, where he established stringent standards for dissections in necropsies. His research also encompassed disorders of growth, experimental carcinogenesis, transplantation of tissues in rodents, and the comparative pathology of neoplastic and non-neoplastic diseases. In 1945 Willis moved to the United Kingdom to become Collins Professor of Pathology at the Royal College of Surgeons. As consultant to the Imperial Cancer Research Fund he set up Tumour Reference Collection. He published several influential texts including The spread of tumours in the human body (1934, 3rd ed. 1973), considered to be one of the "modern classics" of medical writing, and Borderland between embryology and pathology (1958, 2nd ed. 1963).
Details
Chronology
- 1922
- Education - MB BS, University of Melbourne
- 1922 - 1924
- Career position - Resident Medical Officer, Alfred Hospital, Melbourne
- 1924 - 1927
- Career position - In general practice, Lilydale, Tasmania
- 1927 - 1930
- Career position - Medical Superintendent, Austin Hospital for Chronic and Incurable Diseases
- 1929
- Education - MD, University of Melbourne
- 1930 - 1933
- Career position - Pathologist, Alfred Hospital, Melbourne
- 1932
- Education - Doctor of Science (DSc), University of Melbourne
- 1933 - 1935
- Career position - Rockefeller Foundation Fellowship, Buckston Brown Research Farm, Kent, United Kingdom
- 1934
- Education - Member, Royal College of Physicians, United Kingdom
- 1935
- Award - David Syme Research Prize, University of Melbourne
- 1935 - 1945
- Career position - Pathologist, Alfred Hospital, Melbourne
- 1942
- Career position - Fellow, Royal College of Physicians, United Kingdom
- 1945 - 1948
- Career position - Collins Professor of Pathology, Royal College of Surgeons, London
- 1948 - 1950
- Career position - Pathologist, Royal Cancer Hospital, Fulham, United Kingdom
- 1950 - 1955
- Career position - Professor of Pathology, University of Leeds, United Kingdom
- 1959 -
- Career position - Honorary Consultant Pathologist, Imperial Cancer Research Fund
- 1961 - 1980
- Award - Fellow, Royal Australasian College of Physicians
- 1961 - 1980
- Award - Elected Fellow, Royal College of Surgeons, London
- 1962
- Award - Honorary LLD, University of Glasgow
- 1963 - 1964
- Career position - MacFarlane Chair of Experimental Medicine, Glasgow Royal Infirmary, United Kingdom
- 1970
- Award - Honorary Fellow, Royal College of Pathologists, United Kingdom
Related entries
Sibling
Published resources
Book Sections
- Howie-Willis, Ian, 'Willis, Rupert Allan (1898-1980), Pathologist' in Australian dictionary of biography, volume 16: 1940 - 1980 Pik-Z, John Ritchie and Diane Langmore, eds (Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 2002), p. 557. http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A160662b.htm. Details
Journal Articles
- Anon, 'Rupert Alan Willis DSc., M.D. (Melb..), F.R.C.P., F.R.C.S., F.R.A.C.P., F.R.C.Path., Hon. LLD (Glasgow)', Pathology (Sydney), 12 (1980), 649-50. Details
- Attwood, H. D., 'Rupert Willis', American Journal of Surgical Pathology, 4 (5) (1980), 511-6. Details
- B., C. C.; and C., A. R., 'Rupert Allan Willis', The Lancet, 315 (8174) (1980), 940. Details
- Bird, C. C.; and Currie, A. R., 'Obituary: Rupert Allan Willis, D.Sc., M.D., F.R.C.P., F.R.A.C.P., F.R.C.S., F.R.C. Path,1898 - 1980', Journal of Pathology, 136 (4) (1982), 345-7. Details
- Gault, E. W., 'Cameron, Burnet and Willis - three Australian pathologists', Indian Journal of Pathology and Bacteriology, 14 (1971), 53-67. Details
- Osborn, G. S.; and Gault, E. W., 'Rupert Alan Willis', Medical Journal of Australia, 1980 (2) (1980), 166. Details
Resources
- Wikidata, http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q1281614. Details
- VIAF - Virtual International Authority File, OCLC, https://viaf.org/viaf/75093795. Details
- 'Willis, Rupert Allan (18981224-19800326)', Trove, National Library of Australia, 2009, https://nla.gov.au/nla.party-1467060. Details
Helen Cohn
Last modified: 3 July 2018