Harris, Prof Sir Henry, FRCPath (b.1925) (d.2014)

This collection contains the papers of Professor Sir Henry Harris, including correspondence with individual scientists and organisations, 1949-2008; working papers in connection with his career at the University of Oxford, 1974-1993; laboratory notebooks relating to cellular physiology and biochemistry, 1952-2002; research and patent papers, 1964-1992; lectures notes and slides, 1960s-1993; publications, 1950s-1994; and personal papers, 1963-1993.

Henry Harris was born in Russia on 28 January 1925. In 1929 he emigrated to Australia with his parents. Harris initially studied modern languages and then went on to study medicine at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in New South Wales. In April 1952 Harris was awarded an Australian National University scholarship to travel to Oxford to read a DPhil under Howard Florey at the Sir William Dunn School of Pathology. He completed his DPhil in 1954. In 1960 he was appointed as head of the new department of Cell Biology at the John Innes Institute, and in 1964 he succeeded Howard Florey as Head of the Dunn School. He also suceeded Florey in the Oxford Chair of Pathology and in 1979 he was appointed as Regius Professor of Medicine succeeding Sir Richard Doll.

Harris's research interests were primarily focused on cancer cells and human genetics. Harris and his colleagues developed some of the basic techniques for investigating and measuring genes along the human chromosome. Harris's pioneering work into tumour suppressor genes has greatly influenced the cancer research field. Harris died at his home in Oxford on 31st October 2014.