David Weatherall, who was recognized with a 2010 Special Achievement Award for 50 years of international statesmanship in biomedical science—exemplified by discoveries concerning genetic diseases of the blood and for leadership in improving clinical care for thousands of children with thalassemia throughout the developing world, has passed away. As a physician based Malay in the 1950s, Weatherall became interested in a disorder that was causing severe anemia in children. His subsequent investigations not only uncovered the genetics and biochemistry underlying thalassemia, but became a scientific template for investigating other genetic diseases.
