ABOUT

As part of my MSci Immunology from the University of Glasgow, I am researching the life and scientific contribution of pathologist Sir Robert Muir. This is part of a scheme to bring information out of the University archives and in to the public domain. Then, as I am undertaking an outreach project, a key aim is to develop an educational resource.

My project began in the University of Glasgow Archive looking at the University's historical links to Immunology. There I came across the papers of Sir Robert Muir, a pathologist who had been knighted for his contribution to the field of immunity. An eminent scientist who spent much of his career at the University of Glasgow, Muir was certainly an interesting character.

My interest in Muir deepened, and I discovered that in 1924, he published the world's first textbook of pathology in English. Perusing this work, I realised that whilst much of Muir's writing still holds true today, he was missing fundamental scientific information. Muir's writing on immunity is broad and extensive. For the purposes of this project, I have focussed on the section which most piqued my interest - that of sepsis. Sepsis is still a healthcare problem, despite the 91 years since Muir wrote about it in 1924. Views have changed radically, but there is still a lot to be discovered, and this is what has made sepsis an interesting topic for my project

This website gives an overview of Muir and his life, and then goes on to discuss sepsis, how perspectives on the illness have changed since Muir wrote about it, treatments today and challenges for the future.

Thank you for reading the website, and I hope you find it interesting and informative!

The Project