A large crowd gathered in the HMRI Building this week to farewell distinguished immunologist and research mentor Emeritus Professor Robert Clancy AM.

A large crowd gathered in the HMRI Building this week to farewell distinguished immunologist and research mentor Emeritus Professor Robert Clancy AM.

Professor Clancy recently retired from the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Newcastle, where he served as Foundation Chair of Pathology.

He was a pioneer in researching and developing therapies for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) otherwise known as emphysema, as well as bronchitis.

Professor Clancy’s group concentrated on the link between the gut and the lung, providing evidence that the best way to create immunity against infection in the respiratory tract was to stimulate the gut immune system. These activated cells migrate to the lung, where they make antibodies against organisms responsible for the infection.

In 1985 he developed the vaccine Broncostat at the University of Newcastle, which was found to reduce attacks of acute bronchitis by up to 90%. Broncostat was commercialised in 1989.

Outside his professional medical interests, Professor Clancy is a noted historian with a keen interest in medical and cartographic history. An avid antique map collector, he has written two books on the mapping of Australia and Antarctica.