Ahmed Abdel Aziz Yacoub, widely known as Ahmed Abdel Aziz, was a pioneering Sudanese cardiothoracic surgeon. A charismatic leader and gifted teacher, he was a staunch advocate of training in surgery in the Sudan. He was born in Gubbat Salim, Abri, in northern Sudan on 12 January 1931. His father was

John Laurence Mercer was a consultant cardiothoracic surgeon at Broad Green and Fazakerley hospitals, Liverpool. He was born in 1932, the elder son of Major Laurence Walter Mercer, studied medicine at St Thomas's Hospital Medical School and qualified MB BS in 1958. He won the Hallett prize in 1960 a

Hamilton D'Arcy Sutherland was born in Adelaide in 1913. His father, Alan, was killed in 1917 as a result of a flying accident while serving as a pilot officer in the Royal Flying Corps - predecessor to the Royal Air Force. D'Arcy's only sibling, Lance, joined the RAAF and died in a very similar acc

Patrick Magee was a consultant cardiothoracic surgeon at the London Chest Hospital, St Bartholomew's and the London Hospital. He was born on 25 February 1947 and qualified MB BCh BAO from University College, Dublin, in 1971. Two years later, he obtained a first class BSc degree in anatomy and physic

Hubert Percival was a cardiothoracic surgeon. He was born on 13 May 1938 and studied medicine at Birmingham University. An early post was as registrar at Northwick Park Hospital and Clinical Research Centre, Harrow and he also lectured in physiology at the Sherrington School of Physiology, St Thomas

Andrew Drain was a cardiothoracic surgeon who was born in Northern Ireland on 9 June 1974. In 2006 he worked in the department of cardiothoracic surgery at Papworth Hospital, Cambridge. He was working at a prestigious New York hospital and about to return to the UK as a consultant when he was diagno

Kausik Bhattacharya was a cardiothoracic surgeon at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh. He trained at St George's Hospital and qualified MB BS from London University in 1990. Early appointments were at Ysbyty Gwynedd, Bangor and the John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford (1995-97). He passed the fellowship i

Ben Milstein was a consultant thoracic and cardiovascular surgeon at Papworth Hospital, Cambridge. He was one of the unsung heroes of cardiothoracic surgery. He was born in Dublin on 30 September 1918, the first son of orthodox Jewish immigrant parents, Hershel and Rebecca Milstein. The family later

Alan Mearns was a cardiothoracic surgeon in Bradford. He studied medicine in Liverpool, qualifying MB ChB in 1963, and continued his surgical training in the city, passing his FRCS Edinburgh in 1969 and his FRCS in 1970. After a post as a senior registrar in cardiothoracic surgery at Killingbeck Hos

James Baird was a cardiothoracic surgeon in Wellington. He was born on 24 January 1922 in Hastings, New Zealand, the son of Hugh William Charles Baird, a director of a drapery company, and Jeanie Aiton Baird née Aitken. He was educated at Mohora School in Hastings and then Wellington College. He wen

Nanalal Jivan Shah, usually addressed as John Shah, was born in the Seychelles on 25 April 1921, and after going to school there, subsequently came over to Guy's Hospital to study medicine and graduated MB, BS in 1945. He won the Hallett Prize at the Primary Fellowship, and completed the FRCS in 194

Desmond Gerard Taylor was a cardiothoracic surgeon in Sheffield. He was born in Belfast on 12 December 1925 and was educated at a Christian Brothers' School. He then studied medicine at Queen's University, Belfast. After qualifying in 1948, he went to London, where he worked in Great Ormond Stree