Norm
Lamarra said...
From Mathematical Physics to Electronic
Engineering to Respiratory Physiology...
I first met Brian in 1979 as a grad student (in System Science) looking for an interesting dissertation topic -- having come from Physics and Electronics, I briefly explored the analysis of neural signals, but once I started work at HUCLA, following in the Engineering footsteps of Rich Casaburi, I became fascinated by the problems and consequences of proper measurements of dynamic gas exchange. During those pre-doctoral years, I would observe Rich and Brian arguing the relevance of the stimulus/response data to possible underlying mechanisms, and such arguments were the greatest stimuli of my academic life. When Rich left for Medical School, Brian took over mentoring the remainder of my pre-doctoral work, and then immediately welcomed me as a 'tauer' to continue work (along with Sue). He had that rare quality of making almost every capable student achieve more because of his boundless enthusiasm for the field, and his constant encouragement, mixed with challenge and rigor “by example”.
It's particularly shocking that Brian succumbed to heart disease after such an active and sporting life. I'm recalling games of squash we used to have at HUCAL the early 80s and then later at UCLA when he returned in the 90s -- his bounding around the court like a grey-bearded Tinkerbell, impossible to fake him out because he would almost always know where it was going even before I decided where to put it. After he finally 'retired' to Wales, I stopped playing, but just recently re-started (at age 59) – and think about him every time I play. If I happen to make a particularly good winning shot, I can hear Brian's typical compliment -- "Oh, Average!!" -- the longer the A sound, the higher the praise...
As far as Brian's mentoring -- he challenged many to achieve, but no-one more than himself, and I'm truly humbled by how he encouraged me to break into a field that was so alien for me at the start. With Brian's (and Sue's) mentoring, I learned to use phrases like "obligate determinant" and "tolerable duration of physical exercise", “deficit and debt” in approximately the right contexts. But I think an overriding reason that so many physicians and researchers became drawn to the field was because of Brian's teaching. It conveyed his enthusiasm to relate what was already known (presented so clearly and logically) to what was as yet unproven, systematically drawing connections and then showing their flaws, leading to convictions that were the most unassailable because of the clarity of the reasoning. Compared to the mostly opaque teaching I had experienced in my prior academic disciplines, Brian's approach was a model of clarity and simplicity, not to mention wit and humor (of course pronounced hiwmore). And despite apparently gruff responses to being teased or mocked, if one of us was sufficiently on-target with a rendition of some aspect of his Professorial mien, the 'gimlet blue eyes' would relax, and he would give in gracefully, revealing the humor of a person whose academic persona expanded only as far as necessary to fill a lecture hall or a scientific conference.
Although erudite in many areas, scholarly in more, Brian was devoutly family-oriented and a true Gentleman. His demeanor would change dramatically when talking about either his family or Wales, both beloved. After visiting our family in L.A. some years ago, I received a parcel from Amazon containing “The Rape of the Fair Country”, describing a world of the mining valleys so far from Brian's lofty academia yet so close to his heart and childhood. We have lost a giant of Physiology, whose stature can readily be seen from the recognition by all those whose academic and personal lives have been so profoundly affected.
I first met Brian in 1979 as a grad student (in System Science) looking for an interesting dissertation topic -- having come from Physics and Electronics, I briefly explored the analysis of neural signals, but once I started work at HUCLA, following in the Engineering footsteps of Rich Casaburi, I became fascinated by the problems and consequences of proper measurements of dynamic gas exchange. During those pre-doctoral years, I would observe Rich and Brian arguing the relevance of the stimulus/response data to possible underlying mechanisms, and such arguments were the greatest stimuli of my academic life. When Rich left for Medical School, Brian took over mentoring the remainder of my pre-doctoral work, and then immediately welcomed me as a 'tauer' to continue work (along with Sue). He had that rare quality of making almost every capable student achieve more because of his boundless enthusiasm for the field, and his constant encouragement, mixed with challenge and rigor “by example”.
It's particularly shocking that Brian succumbed to heart disease after such an active and sporting life. I'm recalling games of squash we used to have at HUCAL the early 80s and then later at UCLA when he returned in the 90s -- his bounding around the court like a grey-bearded Tinkerbell, impossible to fake him out because he would almost always know where it was going even before I decided where to put it. After he finally 'retired' to Wales, I stopped playing, but just recently re-started (at age 59) – and think about him every time I play. If I happen to make a particularly good winning shot, I can hear Brian's typical compliment -- "Oh, Average!!" -- the longer the A sound, the higher the praise...
As far as Brian's mentoring -- he challenged many to achieve, but no-one more than himself, and I'm truly humbled by how he encouraged me to break into a field that was so alien for me at the start. With Brian's (and Sue's) mentoring, I learned to use phrases like "obligate determinant" and "tolerable duration of physical exercise", “deficit and debt” in approximately the right contexts. But I think an overriding reason that so many physicians and researchers became drawn to the field was because of Brian's teaching. It conveyed his enthusiasm to relate what was already known (presented so clearly and logically) to what was as yet unproven, systematically drawing connections and then showing their flaws, leading to convictions that were the most unassailable because of the clarity of the reasoning. Compared to the mostly opaque teaching I had experienced in my prior academic disciplines, Brian's approach was a model of clarity and simplicity, not to mention wit and humor (of course pronounced hiwmore). And despite apparently gruff responses to being teased or mocked, if one of us was sufficiently on-target with a rendition of some aspect of his Professorial mien, the 'gimlet blue eyes' would relax, and he would give in gracefully, revealing the humor of a person whose academic persona expanded only as far as necessary to fill a lecture hall or a scientific conference.
Although erudite in many areas, scholarly in more, Brian was devoutly family-oriented and a true Gentleman. His demeanor would change dramatically when talking about either his family or Wales, both beloved. After visiting our family in L.A. some years ago, I received a parcel from Amazon containing “The Rape of the Fair Country”, describing a world of the mining valleys so far from Brian's lofty academia yet so close to his heart and childhood. We have lost a giant of Physiology, whose stature can readily be seen from the recognition by all those whose academic and personal lives have been so profoundly affected.
