MICHAEL DAVIES

Professor Michael Davies’ name is associated with the Society’s annual Young Investigator Award, which is sponsored by the British Heart Foundation.

Michael Davies (1937 – 2003), a long-standing member of the Society and its forerunner (the Atherosclerosis Discussion Group), died shortly after retiring from the BHF Chair of Cardiovascular Pathology at St George’s Hospital Medical School, a post he had held for over 20 years. For the last 3 of those years he was also the Assistant Medical Director at the BHF.

Michael was a modest man, but with an acute mind and a breadth of knowledge of the anatomy and pathology of the heart and vasculature second to none. His careful and elegant observations of post mortem hearts were instrumental in changing our views of atherosclerotic plaque development and provided key insights into the importance of plaque instability. It is for this work that he is currently best recognised internationally, being presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the American Heart Association in 2001, though his extensive publication list attests to significant contributions in many other areas.

In 1992 Michael was appointed as the Chief Editor of the British Heart Journal, overseeing its successful transformation to Heart before stepping down in 1999.

Appreciations of Michael’s life are published in Circulation (1) and Heart (2), and three key reviews that demonstrate the quality and inciseveness of his work (as well as his excellent photographic skills) are listed below (3-5).

Libby P, Henney AM (2003). Circulation 108: 124-125.

Mills PG, Hall RC (2003). Heart 89: 473.

Davies MJ (1990). A macro and micro view of coronary insult in ischaemic heart disease. Circulation 82 (Suppl): II38-I146.

Davies MJ (1996). Stability and instability: two faces of coronary atherosclerosis. The Paul Dudley White Lecture 1995. Circulation 94: 2013-2020.

Davies MJ (2000). The pathophysiology of acute coronary syndromes. Heart 83: 361-366.