Obituary: Dr John Baxter

The European Society of Endocrinology is sad to announce the death of Dr John Baxter. Here, Professor Jan-Åke Gustafsson from the University of Houston pays tribute to Dr Baxter:

"Dr John Baxter passed away 6 October 2011. His untimely death is a tremendous loss to his friends, to biologists and in particular to endocrinologists.

"John Baxter was a true pioneer; he was one of the leading figures in the unforgettable groundbreaking development of biotechnology towards the end of the 70s and the beginning of the 80s, including for example, cloning of the growth hormone gene. He was also responsible for very early and important research on the mechanism of glucocorticoid and thyroid hormone action. Most significantly, he was one of the first scientists to successfully bring academic research into the commercial arena, to the benefit of patients. John Baxter founded several biotech companies which continue to flourish. He was a brilliant and extremely creative scientist. Above all, to many of us John was a dear friend with a big generous heart, a love and appreciation for the work of other scientists and an inspirational mentor to young scientists."

Obituary by Professor Jan-Åke Gustafsson, M.D., Ph.D., Department of Biology and Biochemistry - University of Houston, Director, Center for Nuclear Receptors and Cell Signaling, Science & Engineering Research Center Bldg 545, Houston, TX 77204-5056. USA.