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Professor Kristin Henry, who passed away peacefully on October 11th 2021, was a world leader in Pathology, a renowned academic and gifted diagnostic histopathologist. She was a tireless educator, a mentor and great friend to many, and a major force for many years in the International Academy of Pathology.
Kristin was born in India on the border with Pakistan. She attended school at Malvern College and read Medicine at St Thomas’ Hospital University of London, having enrolled aged only 17 years. After receiving her FRCP and FRCPath Kristin was appointed in 1970 to the Royal Postgraduate Medical School and Hammersmith Hospital, moving in 1974 to The Westminster Hospital and Westminster Children’s Hospital where she was appointed Academic and Service Head of the Department and awarded a Personal Chair in 1982. In 1987 Professor Henry was appointed to the London University Chair of Pathology at Charing Cross and Westminster Medical School. On retirement in 1998 she was appointed Emeritus Professor of Pathology at Imperial College London.
Kristin was a superb general histopathologist and cytopathologist but her particular area of interest was in haematopathology including the thymus gland. She was widely and warmly referred to as “The Queen of Lymphomas”. As a member of the Westminster Children’s Bone Marrow Transplant Team and as the lead Pathologist for the Melanoma Unit her skills were greatly utilised and appreciated. She published extensively in these areas and presented teaching seminars all over the world. She founded the British Lymphoma Group and was also a co-founder of the European Bone Marrow Working Group in 1993.
Kristin’s contribution to pathology nationally and internationally has been immense. She served as a Council Member of the British Division of the International Academy of Pathology (BDIAP) and as its Treasurer for eight years. She was elected President of the BDIAP in 1995 and proudly received its two most prestigious awards, The President’s Medal in 1995 and The Cunningham Medal in 1997 for her longstanding and enormous contribution to the British Division
Professor Diana Kristin Henry
Professor Diana Kristin Henry
1932-2021
1932-2021
.She was pivotal in the establishment by the BDIAP of the first overseas British School of Pathology in collaboration with the International Academy of Pathology (IAP). This model of post graduate education and continuous professional development (CPD) was greatly appreciated by her pathology colleagues and friends in the Arab Division of the IAP across 23 countries of North Africa and the near and Middle East. Her contribution to the Arab British School of Pathology was recognized when presented the IAP’s David F Hardwick Gold Medal award in 2006. This very successful model of education was used by the BDIAP to develop other equally successful projects including the Bosnian British, Sri Lankan British and East African British schools of Pathology.
Professor Henry was the major driver for the establishment of the IAP Education Committee and was its inaugural Chair. She ensured the provision of financial support for Divisions in providing education opportunities around the world, particularly for underserved pathology communities in low and middle income countries. In 2010 Kristin was elected President of The International Academy of Pathology (IAP), the leading body of international histopathology with members from 55 different IAP Divisions. She was keen to promote links between junior members of IAP Divisions and was instrumental in the development of the International Junior Academy, jointly by the German and British Divisions. She remained an active member of the IAP until 2 years before she died.
She served on the editorial committees of several histopathology journals including Histopathology, The Journal of Ultrastructure and was an Associate Editor of International Journal of Surgical Pathology. Her vision to facilitate and enhance education in pathology led to her establishing the Current Diagnostic Pathology journal, recently renamed Diagnostic Pathology. She intended this journal in particular to assist trainees in histopathology and it has been remarkably successful in this endeavour.
Kristin had indefatigable energy. She was courageous and a great optimist with a “can do, will do” attitude. A charming, vivacious, convivial, warm, kind hearted and generous person, she loved nothing better than good company and keeping up with her many friends and fellow histopathologists. She was a devoted animal lover and regularly had a menagerie of dogs, cats, pigeons and even an occasional fox in her home.
This Titan of Laboratory Medicine will be remembered for her untiring contribution to the understanding and development of histopathology and for her enthusiasm and passion for furthering education in this specialty. Her inspiring personality, generosity of spirit and her humanity made her a role model for many pathologists, especially women, throughout the world.
Kristin was predeceased by her beloved husband George 8 years ago, who was well known to many IAP members as an accompanying spouse at meetings around the world. She is survived by her son Dominic, her daughter Georgea and her three grandchildren Romily, India and Orlando, who were a great source of pride and comfort to her, particularly in her latter months.
Mary Leader, Dublin
Ann Sandison, London
Ray McMahon, Manchester
This article can also be found in the IAP Hall of Presidents
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