In Memoriam: John Robin Warren

Australian pathologist John Robin Warren has passed away at the age of 87. 

Warren was highly respected as a medical pioneer, specializing in histopathology. His most notable achievement, alongside colleague Barry Marshall, was the re-discovery of the bacterium Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) – a pathogenic organism widely recognized to be the cause of gastritis, peptic ulcer disease, and gastric cancer. This discovery led to the development of the C-urea breath-test for diagnosing H. pylori infection in ulcer patients. The duo received the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 2005 for their work, which proved to the medical community that this bacteria is the cause of most peptic ulcers. 

Alongside his Nobel laureate status, Warren was also awarded the RCPA Distinguished Fellow Award in 1995 and a Companion of the Order of Australia in 2007, amongst other prestigious awards.

Marshall shared the news of Warren's passing July 23, 2024 on X and was quickly inundated with condolences and well wishes from colleagues and pathologists across the world.

“RCPA is deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Nobel Laureate Professor John Robin Warren AC, an eminent and highly respected pathologist and medical pioneer [...] Professor Warren's legacy will be ingrained on #pathology and medicine forever”, wrote The Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia.

“[The University of Western Australia] is very proud of Robin Warren and the difference that he and Barry Marshall’s research has made to the lives of millions of people around the world," said Vice-Chancellor Amit Chakma, “Robin was a medical pioneer and along with Barry, he defied his detractors, dedicating himself to prove a theory that resulted in greater global health outcomes.”

All of us at The Pathologist offer our sincerest condolences to Warren’s family, friends, and colleagues.