Professor Alan G. Jardine: 27th August 1960–3rd April 2025, aged 64

Professor Alan Jardine was born in Thurso, Caithness, the most northerly tip of Scotland. His father George worked as a physicist for the government at Dounreay, the nuclear power establishment. As a young child, Jardine moved with the family to Glasgow and would spend much of his life in that city. He excelled at school, and graduated as Dux of Bearsden Academy. Jardine commenced medical school at Glasgow University in 1977 at the age of 17, and had a stellar undergraduate career, with a string of preclinical prizes. In 1979, Jardine stepped away from the usual medical school curriculum to undertake an intercalated degree in Physiology. This degree added 2 years to the undergraduate career, which meant that he would graduate in the class of 1984. He achieved a first class BSc, together with the Honours prize, but more importantly in December 1982 he met his future wife, Kate Pickering. In those days medical students would carry out locums when the junior house officer was on leave. Kate was also a medical student in the class of ’84, and they were timetabled to carry out student locums together at the Victoria Infirmary in Glasgow that Christmas. Their relationship blossomed, although that did not stand in the way of Jardine achieving even more prizes and graduating MBChB with commendation. After prestigious preregistration houseman posts under Professor John Reid at Stobhill Hospital in Glasgow and Professor David Carter at Glasgow Royal Infirmary Jardine joined the much sought-after Western Medical Rotation, the training programme for junior doctors. He achieved MRCP at the earliest possible opportunity and then began a five-year attachment to the Medical Research Council (MRC) Blood Pressure Unit at the Western Infirmary in Glasgow, which was to shape his career thereafter. The MRC Unit made substantial contributions to the developing knowledge about hypertension through the latter part of the 20th century, and Jardine worked with John Reid, Tony Lever, Gordon McInnes, Henry Dargie, Anna Dominiczak, John McMurray, John Connell and many others. During this time Alan and Kate had three children – Jennifer, Alan and Johanna – all now doctors. In 1998 Jardine was appointed Senior Lecturer and then Reader in Medicine and Honorary Consultant in Medicine & Nephrology at the University of Glasgow & Western Infirmary, and his career really began to take off. CONTRIBUTIONS TO RENAL MEDICINE Jardine was a highly respected leader in academic nephrology. He pioneered research into the excess cardiovascular risk associated with all stages of chronic kidney disease 1 and led a number of international clinical trials, notably the ALERT and AURORA trials, addressing cardiovascular risk in kidney transplant and dialysis patients respectively 2–4. He supervised a series of research fellows funded by the British Heart Foundation, who collectively provided novel insights into the cardiomyopathy associated with chronic kidney disease 5–7. Fundamentally, he demonstrated that the excess premature cardiovascular mortality in patients with advanced chronic kidney disease cannot be simply ascribed to premature coronary atherosclerosis, paving the way for clinical trials addressing heart failure and cardiovascular death in this population. He was an early adopter of nocturnal dialysis care in Glasgow 8, supervising this for a number of years, and would often call in to review his dialysis patients late into the evening at the dialysis unit which was a short walk from his home. He was additionally a respected transplant nephrologist and notably was one of the leaders of the IMPACT and VICTOR trials which still influence clinical guidelines on prophylaxis of cytomegalovirus in solid organ transplant recipients 9,10. In addition to his participation in numerous guideline committees, trial management groups, and editorial boards in nephrology, he was extremely proud to host the European Society of Organ Transplantation Congress in Glasgow in 2011 as joint local organizing chair. He trained numerous students and clinical colleagues, many of whom are now consultant nephrologists and professors of nephrology across the globe. Under his guidance, his fellows went on to win prestigious awards including the Renal Association Raine award and the Stanley Shaldon and Eberhard Ritz Young Investigator awards from the European Renal Association. CAREER AS HEAD OF THE MEDICAL SCHOOL, GLASGOW In 2008 Jardine took charge of the Intercalated BSc Course at the University of Glasgow, and began to develop the administrative expertise and diplomacy necessary to run a major division. Equipped with these skills, he then took over as Head of the Undergraduate Medical School at the University of Glasgow from 2010. It then came as no surprise that Jardine was appointed as Head of the School of Medicine, Dentistry and Nursing at the University from 2013 to 2016. This came at a time of major restructuring of medicine, veterinary medicine and life sciences at the University, and it is probably fair to say that studying medicine in Glasgow was not among the most popular choices of future UK doctors before Jardine took over and brought medical education into the 21st century. Cutting down the outdated concept of problem-based learning to a minimum and instead taking advantage of the rich clinical experience across the NHS in Greater Glasgow & Clyde and neighbouring Health Boards, Jardine decluttered the curriculum and engaged outstanding clinicians including general practitioners as well as world-leading academics in the teaching of medical students, so that the best could learn from the best. He truly integrated medicine, dentistry and nursing in Glasgow. Of the many skills that Jardine had, he was not known to be a maritime enthusiast, but the speed with which he turned the oil tanker of an ancient medical school around and steered it into a bright future would have put every seasoned captain to shame. Developing the School of Medicine, Dentistry and Nursing into one of the top medical schools in the country and in fact, worldwide, is one of many of Jardine's achievements that will live on for generations of students. WORK IN HYPERTENSION AND DYSLIPIDAEMIA Alan Jardine was also a much respected and admired inaugural fellow of the British and Irish Hypertension Society. He was held in such esteem that he was in the first tranche to be awarded Fellowship of the Society in 2014. As a renal physician who had also trained in the renowned Glasgow MRC Blood Pressure Unit, he was fully aware that most subjects with renal disease developed hypertension and that hypertension, left uncontrolled, led to significant acceleration of worsening kidney function. Jardine researched the causes and novel treatments of hypertension in renal disease including renal denervation, endocrine mechanisms and mineralocorticoid antagonists 11–13, and the management of dyslipidaemia in renal disease 2–4, studies that continue to impact on our management today. He authored many very high impact studies and his contribution to both the basic and clinical science of hypertension in renal disease has been immense. In particular, Alan's work with colleagues in Scandinavia led to longstanding friendships that endured till the end. LATE CAREER CHANGES AND CHOICES Over his career Professor Jardine published >200 papers and gave >100 international lectures. In 2018 seeking new challenges Alan and Kate moved to Hervey Bay, in Queensland, Australia, where Jardine quickly streamlined acute medical admissions structure. Despite the Professorships at the University of Queensland, and the George Institute in Sydney, Alan and Kate returned to Scotland to the small town of Oban, and injected new life into the hospital service there. In 2019 Jardine, after a period of weight loss, was diagnosed with stage 4 carcinoma of the colon. Given <1 year to live, Alan fought the condition bravely, and underwent several major surgical procedures, and survived until 2025. Far from retiring, he continued to work in general medicine and in hypertension. Indeed, his research and clinical trials work showed no signs of slowing. From the time of diagnosis of cancer until his death Jardine published a further 34 papers, and there will be still more to come that will bear his name. Jardine continued to carry out clinical trial meetings until two weeks before his death. Alan Jardine died on 3 April 2025, aged 64. His memorial service was attended by hundreds of mourners, and Alan is survived by his wife Kate, their three children and four grandchildren. For all his achievements and remarkable intellect Alan was a very likeable and indeed humble individual. His huge contribution to Medicine in Glasgow and worldwide will endure in our memories for the rest of our lives. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Conflicts of interest There are no conflicts of interest.