Memorial lecture honours 'father of gastroenterology'

Almost two years after his death, gastroenterology luminary Professor Solly Marks was remembered at the inaugural Solly Marks Memorial Lecture delivered by visiting Professor Eamonn Quigley.

Titled The Gut Microbiota: Learning to know and understand our bacterial partners, Quigley's lecture gave a perspective on his pioneering research to investigate the human microbiome in health and disease. The gut microbiome refers to the bacterial ecosystem in the gastrointestinal tract.

Among the guests at the memorial lecture were Marks' wife, Inge, his daughter, Karen Tolman (pictured with Quigley at the event) and sister Freda Davis.

UCT's Division of Gastroenterology created the visiting professorship, which sees a leading academic gastroenterologist invited to amongst others interact with young and mature counterparts regarding clinical and research aspects of the field.

Quigley is a specialist of considerable stature, who currently holds the David M Underwood Chair in Digestive Disorders and serves as the chief of the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology at the Weill Cornell Medical College in Houston, Texas. He is also a principal investigator at his alma mater, University College's Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre in Cork, Ireland.

Staff reporter. Photo supplied