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Bert Geoffrey Achong was born in Port of Spain, Trinidad on
December 6th 1928. He was an outstanding student, who copped the
national Jerningham Gold Medal for top performance in the Higher
School Certificate Examinations in 1946. He also won the Science
Scholarship from his alma mater, St. Mary’s College.
He studied medicine at the University College in Dublin, Ireland
and then trained as a clinical pathologist at Lambeth Hospital
in London, England. He conducted electron microscopy work with
Dr. Yvonne Barr and Sir Anthony Epstein, a leading researcher in
viruses associated with cancer at the Bland Sutton Institute,
Middlesex Hospital.
The team studied in vitro cultivation of Burkitt’s lymphoma (an
African childhood tumour) and Achong’s electron micrographs were
critical in pinpointing particles of a herpes virus family. This
virus then became known as the Epstein-Barr Virus or EBV.
Achong’s findings spearheaded further work in many research
areas.
Apart from this major breakthrough, Dr. Achong also discovered
the “Foamy Virus.” This virus belongs to the family of
retroviruses (viruses which contain RNA as the hereditary
material in place of the more common DNA) and was the first
example of this type of infection in man.
Dr. Achong wrote several scientific articles and books on his
research and discoveries. Key among these was a book co-edited
with Sir Anthony Epstein, “The Epstein-Barr Virus”. He lectured
at the Department of Pathology at the University of Bristol in
England where he had the gift of inspiring students.
He was bestowed with the Doctorate in Science and the Doctorate
in Medicine by the National University of Ireland, and was also
a Foundation Fellow of the Pathology Faculty of the Royal
College of Physicians of Ireland, and Fellow of the Royal
College of Pathology, England.
For his contributions to science, Dr. Achong will forever be
recognised as one of our region’s gifted sons. He passed away at
the age of 67 on November 20th 1996.
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