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William Reynish arrived in the Department of Internal and Geriatric Medicine
in Toulouse on 1st August 2000. He came to us from Edinburgh, where he
had completed his postgraduate training in internal medicine, and had
begun enthusiastically to specialize in the field of geriatric medicine.
One of the problems which we face in geriatric medicine is the difficulty
of attracting young and gifted co-workers. William Reynish was one such
individual. In the space of just nine months in this department, he had
been able to complete a longitudinal follow-up study of some 400 patients
with Alzheimer's disease, he had contributed to the production of six
peer-reviewed publications, including an invited editorial in the journal
"Age and Ageing" and this special issue of the Journal of Nutrition,
Health and Aging related to Diet and Vascular Disease
The numerous qualities of William Reynish greatly impressed all his colleagues
in Toulouse: his enthusiasm for work, his sensitive nature, his diverse
interests, his exacting scientific rigor and his superb clinical ability.
His efforts allowed this department to secure a significant financial
grant from the European Commission in order to establish the European
Alzheimer's Disease Consortium.
William Reynish died in an accident on 13th May 2000 in the Pyrennees.
His death is an incalculable loss for the world of geriatric medicine
and our on-going struggle against Alzheimer's disease. We can only hope
that others will be able to continue those tasks which he had decided
to undertake with so much passion and skill. To his wife, Dr Emma Armitage-Reynish,
to his son Felix and to his family, we offer our deepest sympathy at the
time of this tragic loss.
Professor Bruno VELLAS
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