Sandy Nield was born in Adelaide on 16 September 1931, the son of Hugh Kingsley Nield, a grain merchant, and Dorothy Hammond, née Cowell. He attended St Peter's College, Adelaide, whence he won a university bursarship to Adelaide University Medical School. There he won the Dr Davies Thomas scholarsh

George J M Abouna was a pioneering transplant surgeon who worked in the United States, Canada and the Middle East. He created many firsts in organ transplantation and, over the course of a career which spanned more than 50 years, saved thousands of lives across the world. Abouna was a true master of

John Prince Hopewell, a consultant urological surgeon at the Royal Free Hospital, London, was a pioneer in the introduction of dialysis into the UK and the development of kidney transplantation. He was born on 1 December 1920, the fourth child and only son of Samuel Hopewell and Wilhelmina ('Daisy')

Roger Blamey was professor of surgical science at Nottingham and a pioneering breast surgeon who developed the world-famous Nottingham prognostic index (NPI). He was born in London on 16 March 1935, the son of John and Cara Blamey. From Highgate School he went to Downing College, Cambridge, where he

Sir Peter Morris was the Nuffield professor of surgery, chairman of the department of surgery and director of the Oxford transplant centre at the University of Oxford and president of the Royal College of Surgeons of England from 2001 to 2004. He was born in Horsham in the state of Victoria, Austral

Ross Taylor was a consultant surgeon, director of the transplantation unit at the Royal Victoria Infirmary, Newcastle, and a pioneer of kidney transplantation. He was born in Calcutta, India, on 10 December 1932, the son of George Ross, a medical practitioner, and Helen Baillie Murray. The family ha

Geoff Giles was born in Coventry, Warwickshire, on 17 December 1936. He was educated at Bablake School and then obtained a major scholarship to enter the University of Manchester Medical School, qualifying from there MB ChB in 1960. After spending two years in junior appointments he commenced his in

Wilbert McNeill Orr, known as ‘Willie’, was a renal transplant researcher and surgeon, and later a general surgeon in Manchester. He was born on 3 April 1930 in Trim, County Meath, Ireland, the son of David Orr, a bank manager, and Wilamena McNeill, a teacher. He attended Sligo Grammar School and en

Michael Woodruff was a pioneering surgeon and researcher in the specialty of transplantation. He was born in Mill Hill, London, on 3 April 1911, where his father, Harold Addison Woodruff, was the Professor of Veterinary Medicine at the Royal Veterinary College. His mother was Margaret Ada née Cooper