Internationally renowned academic and clinical  immunologist who studied autoimmunity and inflammation and clinical and translational immunology

The Clinical School is sad to note the death of Professor Sir Peter Lachmann FRS FMedSci on Saturday 26th December 2020.

Professor Lachman made a major contribution, not only to scholarship in Cambridge, but also to the Clinical School, leading an MRC Unit and holding the Sheila Joan Smith Professorship.

Born in Berlin in 1931, Peter moved to London in 1938. He trained in medicine at Cambridge and University College Hospital graduating in 1956 and obtained a PhD (1962) and ScD (1974) in Cambridge in immunology.

Sir Peter was a fellow at Christ’s College and was elected to the Sheila Joan Smith Professor of Immunology in 1976.He served as President of the Royal College of Pathologists, Vice President and Biological Secretary of the Royal Society, and Founder President of the UK’s Academy of Medical Sciences among many other positions.

Peter’s posts specifically in immunology have included Head and Honorary Head of the Medical Research Council Group on Mechanisms in Tumour Immunity and Honorary Director of the MRC Mechanisms in Tumour Immunity Unit. From 1976 to 1999 he was Honorary Clinical Immunologist with the Cambridge Health Authority.

All in the School send his wife and children their deepest sympathy at the loss of an outstanding scientist and great man.

More details of Sir Peter’s life and achievements can be found on his college’s website and at the Academy of Medical Sciences.