Roland Levinsky facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Roland Levinsky
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| Born | 16 October 1943 Bloemfontein, South Africa
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| Died | 1 January 2007 (aged 63) Wembury, England
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Professor Roland Levinsky (born October 16, 1943 – died January 1, 2007) was a very smart scientist and a leader at universities. He studied biomedicine, which is about how the body works and how to treat diseases. At the time of his death, he was the vice-chancellor (like the head) of the University of Plymouth in the United Kingdom.
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Early Life and Family History
Roland Levinsky was born in South Africa. His parents were from a Jewish family. His father moved to South Africa from the Lithuania/Poland area to escape difficult times. Sadly, many of his relatives faced terrible hardships during World War II.
A Career in Medicine and Science
Professor Levinsky first became a paediatrician, which is a doctor who specializes in treating children. He became a world expert in studying diseases where the body's immune system doesn't work properly. These are called immunodeficiency diseases.
He worked for many years at Great Ormond Street Hospital in London. This is a famous hospital for children. While there, he achieved something amazing: he performed Britain's first successful bone marrow transplant. This was a huge step forward in medicine!
From 1990, he also worked as a leader at the Institute of Child Health at University College, London. He was in charge of research there. He wrote over 250 scientific papers, sharing his discoveries with other scientists.
Leading the University of Plymouth
In September 2002, Professor Levinsky became the head of the University of Plymouth. He wanted to make the university even better. He aimed to help it become as good as much older and more famous universities.
To do this, he made some big changes. He decided to bring most of the university's teaching to its main campus in Plymouth. This meant closing some smaller campuses in other towns like Exeter and Exmouth. These decisions were not always popular, but they helped the university grow.
Because of his leadership, the University of Plymouth became much more well-known. Its ranking in university guides went up a lot during his time there.
Tragic Death and Legacy
Professor Levinsky died in a sad accident on New Year's Day in 2007. He was out walking with his wife near his home in Wembury during a storm. Strong winds blew down power cables, and one of them touched him, causing his death.
To honor his memory, a new building at the University of Plymouth was named The Roland Levinsky Building. It opened in September 2007. A special fund was also set up in his name to support future work.
