Glen Kennedy, Acting Executive Director, Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital

This week we received the sad news that Emeritus Professor Lawrie Powell AC passed away peacefully on Friday, aged 87.

Professor Powell was a highly respected member of the RBWH research community and one of Queensland’s most celebrated medical researchers. Lawrie held a long-standing and esteemed association with RBWH spanning over 60 years. His passion for medicine grew when he completed clinical training at the hospital, beginning a long-held clinical position as a hepatologist.

His work included leading international investigations into liver disease and cancer for many years. His research made significant contributions to the understanding of inherited liver disease and cirrhosis, especially haemochromatosis.

Professor Powell’s research career took him to London, North America and Copenhagen before returning to Australia where he secured an appointment as senior lecturer in the Department of Medicine at The University of Queensland and the Royal Brisbane Hospital. In 1990 he became the fifth Director of QIMR Berghofer. In addition to his own research, including over 400 publications, Professor Powell was a strong advocate and supporter of RBWH’s research performance. Immediately after retiring as Director of QIMR in 2000, he was invited by then hospital District Manager Dr John Menzies to establish the Director of Research position and research centre.

Lawrie received numerous national and international awards in recognition of his research achievement, including the Distinguished Achievement Award from the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, in honour of his sustained scientific contributions to the field of liver disease and the scientific foundations of hepatology. He was named one of the 2002 Queensland Greats.

His passing is a true loss to medical research. My thoughts are with his family and loved ones.

Regards,

Glen Kennedy
Acting Executive Director
Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital