In Memory of
Mark Dunne
In memory of Mark Dunne, Professor of Physiological Sciences at the University of Manchester
Book Owner: Jenny Parr
Book Size:Â 200 Messages
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Elise Clarke
I was fortunate enough to be supervised by Professor Dunne some years ago for an undergraduate project. I was very sad to hear that he had passed. He was a patient and encouraging mentor, and he must be truly missed by his family and colleagues….
Ian Findlay
I first met Mark (1983?) when he, Cathy Fuller and Andy Morris joined OHP’s lab in the basement of the old Physiology/Med School building at Liverpool. All three were post-grads starting their PhDs. The core of the lab was exocrine acinar cell physiology/electrophysiology. I was working with the lacrimal gland. So, when OHP introduced me to Mark and said that we were to work together on the beta-cell, my reaction was what, endocrine? Mark’s reaction was, him? Thus began what I later described as “beta in the basement”. A separate line from the traditional exocrine studies in the lab. Mark’s work began with hunting for islets in the rat pancreas while I read the paper before setting up the patch rig. We moved on to maintaining the cells under culture conditions and finally to the insulin-secreting cell lines. At that time patch clamp consisted of List amplifiers, recording on reel-to-reel tape and taking Polaroid photographs of the oscilloscope screen. It was technically demanding stuff which Mark rapidly mastered and we were productive in both presentations and publications. For any post-grad moving to a new town, a new department and a new project are cumulatively a daunting experience. With Andy,…
Lindsey Rigby
Dear Karen, I was so deeply shocked and saddened to hear the dreadful news of Marks passing. He was an inspiration to many people in the CHI community. His ability to be able to explain extremely complicated science to the families that CHI affects was a joy to behold. He felt so deeply about this awful disease and the family’s, it really shone out in his work. Personally I found Mark supportive in my part of the CHI world, and this enabled me to better support the families I dealt with every day. Should there be a memorial of any type I would like to attend. My heart goes out to Karen and the girls. …
Les Satin
I was very sad to learn of Mark’s passing. He was a great colleague and someone with a great sense of humor, too. We had a particularly good time hanging out in Kyoto once at a K(ATP) channel meeting and then traveling by train to Nara together. He will be sorely missed. Deepest condolences to his family. Les Satin…
Samira Hosseini Alghaderi
I am very saddened to learn Mark’s passing. Mark was my MRes supervisor and mentor and I had the opportunity to work in his lab for almost a year. He taught me how to write a research proposal, conduct high quality research up to a MRes thesis. He first introduced me to the stem cells research and my whole research journey began in his lab. He was really very passionate about his research. I remember he created a competition for us in the lab to find the best name for the first insulin-producing progenitor cell line that they generated in the lab, it was fun. One day he brought a cake to the lab to celebrate Karen’s birthday, he was care about his family and people around him. Couple of years after I started my PhD in a different lab in the Smith building, I was often see him around or chat to him in coffee queue. He was always smiling and happy to hear about my PhD work and I was proudly telling my peers that he was my postgrad supervisor. He was such a humble person. Thank you Mark for being an inspiration and you will be…
Geoffrey and Susanne Straub-Sharp
Geoffrey and Susanne Straub-Sharp Dear Karen, this is so sad. We hope you and your daughters gain solace from your memories of Mark, a life well-lived, your combined achievements, and the acclaim of his many friends and fellow scientists – the sense of loss is widespread.I first met Mark during a poster session at an EASD meeting in the late 1980’s. We had an immediate bond because we were both working on the mode of action of galanin. His work was on the action of galanin to hyperpolarize the beta cell; my laboratory was working on its action independent of hyperpolarization! Susanne and I met you and Mark at various meetings later and spent a wonderful and productive 12-month sabbatical with you both in Sheffield. We learned a great deal about ion channels and human islets. It was his insight, drive and research expertise that led to those extraordinarily important studies on the mechanisms underlying congenital hyperinsulinism. Mark’s outgoing and engaging personality and his enthusiasm for work and life made it a very memorable period in our lives we still look at with great fondness. As you know best, Mark was fun to be with, had many friends who…
Maria Estebanez
It’s terrible sad news Mark‘s passing. He was my MPhil supervisor, and I am so grateful I had the opportunity to work in his lab. I learnt a great deal with him, Karen and both their students about basic science and research, beta-cells, pancreatic histology. I have very good memories of that period and fondly remember how fun and inspiring it was to have discussions with Mark. He was so knowledgeable, enthusiastic and passionate about his research on congenital hyperinsulinism. His contribution to the congenital hyperinsulinism field has been enormous and I truly enjoyed his presence in our meetings (either at RMCH or international CHI meetings), where he always gave fascinating talks and was so enthusiastic about his new findings and research updates (always showing amazing images and reconstruction of the pancreatic tissue!). He will be greatly missed by the CHI scientific community, clinicians and families, but his important discoveries and contributions will remain with us forever! My thoughts are with Karen and the girls. All my love and strength, Maria…
Dr Zainab Mohamed
Mark was an inspiring mentor and supervisor to me during my postgraduation at university. I first met him in 2015. He was full of life and energy, approachable, always there for colleagues when we needed his support the most. He has been an inspiration to me in the labs and as a doctor, during my time at Manchester children’s Hospital. My lasting memories are from the last time we met at the conference and chat over a coffee. We also spent two hours speaking about various aspects of life, karen and family, re-living memories of my time at manchester and talking so much about his ambitions for projects in Congenital hyperinsuliniam. I am deeply shocked with grief and disbelief to hear that he is no more with us. But his supportive spirit and inspiring nature to help the children with the rare disease has left lasting memories in my life. His teaching and experience he shared with me will always help me to help my patients and their families. He has been an inspiration for a future generation. My thoughts are with all his loved ones and family during the tough time. My deepest heartfelt condolence Zainab…
Peter Brown
Mark as a friend – I first met Mark in 1987 shortly after I had returned from the US. From the start Mark was welcoming, generous with his time and helpful. Over the intervening 35 years Mark was always supportive as a friend and latterly as a colleague. Mark as a father – My last conversation with Mark was in September last year. He talked with enthusiasm about his recent family holiday on the Mull of Kintyre, but he was mainly bursting with pride and excitment about taking his eldest daughter to university in Sheffield that weekend!…
Rachel MacGregor
I was so shocked by the news of Mark’s passing. Mark was always happy to stop and chat to us and have a laugh and I am really going to miss this. My heart goes out to Karen and their daughters….
Geoffrey and Susanne Straub-Sharp
Geoffrey and Susanne Straub-Sharp Dear Karen, this is so sad. We hope you and your daughters gain solace from your memories of Mark, a life well-lived, your combined achievements, and the acclaim of his many friends and fellow scientists – the sense of loss is widespread.I first met Mark during a poster session at an EASD meeting in the late 1980’s. We had an immediate bond because we were both working on the mode of action of galanin. His work was on the action of galanin to hyperpolarize the beta cell; my laboratory was working on its action independent of hyperpolarization! Susanne and I met you and Mark at various meetings later and spent a wonderful and productive 12-month sabbatical with you both in Sheffield. We learned a great deal about ion channels and human islets. It was his insight, drive and research expertise that led to those extraordinarily important studies on the mechanisms underlying congenital hyperinsulinism. Mark’s outgoing and engaging personality and his enthusiasm for work and life made it a very memorable period in our lives we still look at with great fondness. As you know best, Mark was fun to be with, had many friends who…
David Sheppard
I am shocked and saddened to learn of Mark’s passing. My thoughts are with his family at this time. Mark’s pioneering research on potassium channels in pancreatic beta cells inspired my own work for which I will be ever grateful. Thank you Mark….
Martin Steward
So shocked and saddened to hear of Mark’s death. He was a much-loved colleague and friend from the moment he arrived in Manchester. Prior to that I was well aware of his pioneering work, had seen him in action at Phys Soc meetings, and he was easily our first choice when a group of us sat down to think of ways to refresh physiology as a discipline in Manchester. Subsequently, as head of our research group he created a really warm and friendly atmosphere, made everyone feel welcome and valued, and managed two immensely complex moves of our offices and labs between buildings. He oversaw some important new appointments, led by example in his research work, and stood up for us as a group at faculty level. I enjoyed many hours of agreeing project and dissertation marks with him, where we almost always had trouble meeting deadlines and there was a standing joke with the teaching office about whether the marking was dunne yet. On a personal note, Mark was immensely kind when I was off work and having to lie flat on my face after eye surgery – even to the extent of sending me two Harry Potter…
Dougie Bovell
Dear Karen and family, I am so saddened by the news of Mark passing away. I first met Mark in 1988 and we instantly became friends. That was Mark, a really nice and friendly person. With me working abroad, Mark and I weren’t able to catch up in-person often, but when we did Mark was his usual friendly self. He will be sadly missed. My sincere condolences to you all….
Liz Fitzgerald
Mark was a wonderful colleague and friend. Always supportive, fun to be around, and a real inspiration. The news of his loss is devastating and I will miss him so much. My heart goes out to Karen and the girls xx…
