It is with great sadness LSTM has learned of the passing of Dr Guy Barnish, retired senior lecturer in Parasitology.
LSTM Director, Professor David Lalloo, said: "It is with great regret that I heard the news of Guy's death – He has been a much loved colleague, lecturer and mentor for many of us. Even after his retirement in 2007 he remained very involved with LSTM and continued to teach students.”
Yorkshire-born Dr Guy Barnish majored in Zoology and Botany from University College of Rhodesia and Nyasaland before it gained independence as Zimbabwe. He was president of the University Exploration Society and led many expeditions in that capacity.
On graduation he worked for the nascent Ministry of Health in Zimbabwe as a Bilharzia Research Officer, controlling schistosomiasis in sugar cane irrigation systems. He then went to work for the Rockefeller Foundation in the Caribbean, studying the transmission and control of schistosomiasis. His career with LSTM began in 1982 when he took a sabbatical to do a Masters in Community Health. This was followed by a period of research into Strongyloides for LSTM in Papua New Guinea.
He returned to Liverpool as a lecturer and was employed by the Medical Research Council to open a malaria research laboratory in Sierra Leone. The escalating civil war in that country forced him to return to STM where he became a senior lecturer in Parasitology.
Towards the end of his professional career he has been project coordinator for the DFID funded Malaria Knowledge Programme, living and working in Namibia on projects to improve malaria diagnosis.
After his retirement he moved to France but stayed involved with LSTM in various capacities, including honorary lecturer and LSTM member.
LSTM wishes to send its sincere condolences to Dr Guy Barnish's family.