Our Chief Executive and Medical Director paid tribute to BHF-funded surgeon Professor Donald Longmore, who sadly passed away last month.

Dr Charmaine Griffiths and Professor Sir Nilesh Samani said Professor Longmore’s collaboration with other pioneering surgeons paved the way for today’s life-saving heart transplant surgery.

gift of the heart

The surgeon first applied for BHF funding in 1963 with the idea that a heart could be transplanted from one person to another. He later said in an interview with BHF:

Sir Thomas Sellers and I applied for a British Heart Foundation grant in 1963 and were told that laughter could be heard a few blocks away. ”

Professor Longmore and his colleagues set up a laboratory at the Royal Veterinary College and amassed a huge amount of knowledge in this area in preparation for one day giving someone the gift of a heart. Despite skepticism from the scientific community, Professor Longmore and his team ignored advice that heart transplants were ineffective in humans and performed the first successful heart transplant in 1968.

Since then, thousands of patients around the world have been saved by heart transplants.

“Unwavering commitment”

Dr Charmaine Griffiths, Chief Executive Officer of the Company, said:

“Professor Longmore had an unwavering commitment to the advancement of heart transplant surgery. His legacy is etched in every heart he repaired and every life he saved, and we are proud to honor him for his commitment to cardiovascular medicine. We are grateful for his tremendous impact on the field of medicine. We extend our deepest condolences to his family, friends, and the entire medical community.”

“Enduring Legacy”

Our Medical Director, Professor Sir Nilesh Samani, said:

“Heart transplants now save lives around the world thanks to pioneers like Professor Donald Longmore, who spearheaded scientific research in the 1960s. is proud to support his efforts.”

Learn more about advances in heart transplantation