Chris McGuigan memorial bench unveiled

On Thursday 5^th July, the family of Professor Chris McGuigan unveiled a memorial bench dedicated to his legacy and life.

The bench, made of Portland stone and Welsh slate, has been placed at the entrance to the Redwood Building, the building where the late researcher did most of his work, and discovered new drugs that would earn him a place in the top echelons of the scientific community. Around the bench has been planted a grass-free lawn made up of various wildflowers such as violets, buttercups, cornflowers and bellflowers.

At the unveiling ceremony, Professor McGuigan’s wife and daughter, Maria and Phoebe, were joined by the staff of the School of Pharmacy, and colleagues from other schools, who spoke of the Professor’s generosity of spirit and crystalline vision as a scientist.

Combining a fervent spirit of discovery with a fastidious attention to scientific detail, Professor McGuigan rose quickly through the ranks from medicinal chemist to world-leading researcher, taking no fewer than four drugs into clinical trials, a feat almost unheard of in academia. Many of his discoveries were for anti-viral and anti-cancer drugs, and his enthusiasm for research was always tempered by the clear vision that at the end of the science was a patient. His drive for his discoveries to be of benefit to wider society is something of which his colleagues speak often.

The inscription on the bench reads, “Professor Chris McGuigan (1958-2016). An inspiring colleague, teacher, entrepreneur and maverick ‘drug hunter’. A man of integrity, compassion and vision whose far reaching legacy will endure.”