|
|
|
Print this article 
In Memoriam
|
In Memoriam
Bryan Ballantyne
Mildred Christian
Leo Kanegis |
Bryan Ballantyne (1934–2008) Internationally Acclaimed Toxicologist
Submitted by Tipton Tyler and Hon-Wing Leung
Dr. Bryan Ballantyne passed away on December 3, 2008, after a fall in his London, UK, home. He suffered severe head injuries, and died shortly thereafter without regaining consciousness.
Dr. Ballantyne was born on September 11, 1934, in Yorkshire, UK. He received his M.B., B.Sc., Ph.D., M.D., and D.Sc. degrees all from the University of Leeds. He was a member of the Royal College of Surgeons in England, a Licentiate of the Royal College of Medicine, London, and a Fellow of eight medical societies.
Following his time in clinical medicine and surgery, Bryan started his career as a member of the academic staff at the University of Leeds with academic and research interests in histology, histochemistry, and biochemistry, particularly with respect to the biological functions of cholinesterases and the role of enzymes in monovalent cation transport. In 1968, he left Leeds to become Senior Medical Officer at the U.K. Chemical Defense Establishment, Porton Down, Salisbury, UK, with the position of Head of the Section of Toxicology and Pathology. In this position, he conducted research and gained wide knowledge in a variety of areas of toxicology and with multitudes of toxicologically interesting chemical moieties. He was one of the world's leading experts in the toxicology of cyanides and riot control agents and had a particular interest in ocular toxicology.
Bryan left the UK in 1978 to become the Director of Applied Toxicology for the Union Carbide Corporation. This position took him to Charleston, West Virginia, where he maintained a home for the remainder of his life. He essentially designed and directed the corporate toxicology program for Union Carbide and nurtured a strong collaboration with the Union Carbide toxicology laboratory, initially the Chemical Hygiene Fellowship of the Carnegie Mellon Institute that later evolved into the Bushy Run Research Center. This association gained him much respect and camaraderie with many members and staff of Bushy Run. Notably Dr. Ballantyne was a prolific writer with over 500 major publications and 10 books, including co-editing the three volume set, General and Applied Toxicology, the 4 volume 3rd edition of which he was completing at the time of his death, and now is in press. He encouraged and assisted all of his colleagues and co-workers to publish their findings and contribute their knowledge to the many books he edited.
Dr. Ballantyne was a very private individual, yet he took an interest in his colleagues' careers and had compassion for their personal problems. He could on occasions demonstrate a somewhat volatile personality, particularly if his integrity was challenged, yet possessed a wry wit, as demonstrated in some of his classic letters probably yet found in the achieves of upper management and corporate attorneys. He is survived by his wife and four living daughters. He will be missed by those of us who learned from and worked with Bryan for the last 30 years.
Mildred Christian
Mildred Christian passed away on March 26, 2009, in Mechanicsville, Pennsylvania. She was the co-founder of Argus Research Laboratories (now a Division of Charles River Laboratories) and President and CEO of Argus International, Inc. She received her Ph.D. in developmental anatomy (teratology) from Thomas Jefferson University and was active in industrial toxicology for more than 30 years. She was an Adjunct Associate Professor in the Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology at Jefferson Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University since 1992 and an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences since 1997. She was a certified Diplomate in General Toxicology, The Academy of Toxicological Sciences. In addition, she was the Founding Editor of the International Journal of the American College of Toxicology and was its Editor-in-Chief for 10 years. Dr. Christian edited and/or contributed to several major textbooks and was the author of more than 100 papers and abstracts.
|
