Robin Warren (1937–2024), discovered cause of gastric ulcers
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2 min readRobin Warren was a pathologist and researcher who won the Nobel Prize for his work in uncovering the cause of peptic ulcers, rewriting our understanding of gut health in the process.
- Died: July 23, 2024 (Who else died on July 23?)
- Details of death: Died in Perth, Australia at the age of 87.
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Robin Warren’s legacy
Before Dr. Robin Warren and fellow researcher Dr. Barry Marshall rewrote the book on gut health, the common wisdom was that peptic ulcers were a chronic condition caused by stress and diet. Their work changed how we treat the condition. It is now easily treated with antibiotics.
Warren earned his degree from the University of Adelaide. After graduation, he worked in the Clinical Pathology lab at the Institute of Medical and Veterinary Science (IMVS). By 1967, he was a senior pathologist at the Royal Perth Hospital and was part of the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia.
Warren connected with Marshall at the University of Western Australia, where the pair began to explore the cause of stomach ulcers. Once thought to be caused by stress and/or diet and lifestyle, the pair found that the actual cause of gastritis and peptic ulcer disease was bacteria. Marshall, in fact, willingly became a guinea pig in order to test their hypothesis, ingesting bacteria and making himself sick in the process. This allowed the malady to be treated with antibiotics, and also to be detected with a mere breath test rather than invasive procedures. They earned the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2005 for their work.
Warren had an asteroid named in his honor, 254863 Robinwarren, and he was honored as a Companion of the Order of Australia.
Tributes to Robin Warren
Full obituary: The Washington Post
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