Sir Henry Harris. 28 January 1925—31 October 2014

Abstract

Henry Harris was the first member of his family to attend university, where he initially read modern languages before embarking on medicine. During the course of his medical studies he developed a passion for experimental work that led him to forsake clinical medicine for a career in research. His most significant and enduring legacy was the demonstration that a virus causing respiratory disease in mice could be used to fuse cells together almost regardless of type or species of origin. This not only opened up novel approaches to the study of both normal and cancer cell genetics and biology but also enabled the production of monoclonal antibodies, reagents that are of increasing value clinically as well as in biomedical research. From very early in his career he showed striking independence in the choice of topics that he regarded as important and interesting, entirely ignoring evanescent trends that determine the course of all too many research careers. Moreover, he continued to engage in benchwork up to, and even beyond, retirement.