- Email: [email protected]
Emeritus Professor Clifford H.G. Irvine
Theriogenology 58 (2002) 203±205
Personal report
Emeritus Professor Clifford H.G. Irvine
Emeritus Professor Clifford Irvine has had a remarkable career in which horses have played a vital part. As a young man from the south of New Zealand wanting to study veterinary science, he bet all his savings (£10) on the horse he was training for the milkman and it wonÐpaying enough to allow him to travel to Australia for study. Another horse trained on the Sydney University Oval (slipped into the University stables housing the demonstration horses) funded his years at veterinary school. Professor Irvine returned to the south of New Zealand and during 20 years in general practice, began to specialise in equine medicine, which included developing a test for measuring thyroxine levels in horses. A scholarship enabled him to pursue this study on thyroid function at the Otago School of Medicine, Dunedin; work which later earned him a Doctor of Science degree from Otago University. Professor Irvine then moved north to Canterbury in the South Island to take up a position as senior lecturer in veterinary science at Lincoln College. There were no horses at the College at this time, so Professor Irvine's research into thyroid function moved to sheep and humans (his students!). Access to horses opened the way to measurement of FSH and LH in mares, and the ®rst of these papers on the measurement of FSH during the oestrous cycleÐlater deemed by Dr. O.J. Ginther in his book to represent a milestone in understanding the endocrinology of the ovulatory seasonÐwas presented at the First International Symposium on Equine Reproduction held in Cambridge, England in 1974. 0093-691X/02/$ ± see front matter PII: S 0 0 9 3 - 6 9 1 X ( 0 2 ) 0 0 9 2 6 - 3
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Personal report / Theriogenology 58 (2002) 203±205
Professor Irvine continued his research into reproduction in the horse with investigations including the measurement of gonadotrophin changes associated with the foal heat ovulation, the seasonal changes in FSH, LH and testosterone secretion in stallions, and the use of GnRH to stimulate gonadotrophin secretion and ovulation during the nonbreeding season. One of the mares used in this research was bred by Professor Irvine, and he began training it as a race horse in between studies. This mare subsequently went on to win 36 races and when she retired at the age of 13 years, she was the greatest stake winning mare of all time in New Zealand harness racing. In 1976 Professor Irvine was appointed a personal chair at Lincoln, and in 1979 became the only veterinarian in New Zealand to become a Fellow of the Australian College of Veterinary Scientists by examination. His skill and reputation as a lecturer and researcher attracted a large number of graduate students during his years at Lincoln. While on leave at the University of California at Davis in 1982/1983, Professor Irvine was able to develop a technique which he had been thinking about for some timeÐthat was to access the blood leaving the pituitary gland in the horse. This was done by meticulously tracing the pathway from the pituitary sinus to the blood vessels on the face. This pioneering non-surgical technique allowed Professor Irvine to sequentially sample (as often as every 30 s) blood leaving the pituitary gland in the fully conscious, even racing, horses. Subsequent studies have provided minute to minute information on how the hypothalamus and pituitary gland respond to stress such as exercise, separation from others, cold, change in hydration, and information on the dynamics of GnRH and gonadotrophin secretion throughout the oestrous cycle, and the association between GnRH, FSH and LH. The discovery that GnRH, FSH and LH pulses are concurrent was again recognised by Dr. Ginther as a signi®cant milestone in our understanding of the mare's oestrous cycle. Other studies looked at the effect of the autumn transition on FSH, LH and gonadal steroid secretion, the effect of endogenous opioids on seasonal breeding and showed the important role of sexual stimulation on GnRH, FSH, LH and oxytocin secretion in mares and stallions. In all, Professor Irvine has published over 140 scienti®c papers, including books and book chapters in international scienti®c journals. Of special signi®cance is that Professor Irvine has attended and presented results of his studies at each of the International Symposia on Equine Reproduction, and has been a member of the International Committee (from 1980 to 1996) as well as a convenor and reviewer. Although retiring in 1986, Professor Irvine continued his research and in 1987 was awarded a substantial NIH grant. In recognition of his contributions to veterinary science, New Zealand's veterinary school at Massey University awarded him the degree of Doctor of Science honoris causa in 1989, and in 1990, his alma mater, the University of Sydney, bestowed on him their highest award, a Doctorate in Veterinary Science. In 1996 Lincoln University honoured him with the Bledisloe Medal for his outstanding contribution bringing credit to the University. Further recognition came in 2000, when HRH Queen Elizabeth II conferred The New Zealand Order of Merit (formally OBE) for services to veterinary science. As well as his work in the ®eld of endocrinology, Professor Irvine has been the veterinary consultant to both the New Zealand Harness Racing and New Zealand Racing Conferences and a member of the world body for the control of the use of drugs in racing, and has been
Personal report / Theriogenology 58 (2002) 203±205
205
vice president of the New Zealand Equine Research Foundation since its establishment in the late 1970s. We are delighted that Professor Irvine has accepted our invitation to be our honorary chairman for the Eighth International Symposium on Equine Reproduction. In welcoming him, we acknowledge the marvellous contribution he has made to equine reproduction, and look forward to sharing science, friendship and good humour throughout the Symposium. Margaret Evans Department of Endocrinology Endolab Christchurch Hospital, P.O. Box 4710 Christchurch, New Zealand E-mail address: [email protected] (M. Evans)
Personal report
Emeritus Professor Clifford H.G. Irvine
Emeritus Professor Clifford Irvine has had a remarkable career in which horses have played a vital part. As a young man from the south of New Zealand wanting to study veterinary science, he bet all his savings (£10) on the horse he was training for the milkman and it wonÐpaying enough to allow him to travel to Australia for study. Another horse trained on the Sydney University Oval (slipped into the University stables housing the demonstration horses) funded his years at veterinary school. Professor Irvine returned to the south of New Zealand and during 20 years in general practice, began to specialise in equine medicine, which included developing a test for measuring thyroxine levels in horses. A scholarship enabled him to pursue this study on thyroid function at the Otago School of Medicine, Dunedin; work which later earned him a Doctor of Science degree from Otago University. Professor Irvine then moved north to Canterbury in the South Island to take up a position as senior lecturer in veterinary science at Lincoln College. There were no horses at the College at this time, so Professor Irvine's research into thyroid function moved to sheep and humans (his students!). Access to horses opened the way to measurement of FSH and LH in mares, and the ®rst of these papers on the measurement of FSH during the oestrous cycleÐlater deemed by Dr. O.J. Ginther in his book to represent a milestone in understanding the endocrinology of the ovulatory seasonÐwas presented at the First International Symposium on Equine Reproduction held in Cambridge, England in 1974. 0093-691X/02/$ ± see front matter PII: S 0 0 9 3 - 6 9 1 X ( 0 2 ) 0 0 9 2 6 - 3
204
Personal report / Theriogenology 58 (2002) 203±205
Professor Irvine continued his research into reproduction in the horse with investigations including the measurement of gonadotrophin changes associated with the foal heat ovulation, the seasonal changes in FSH, LH and testosterone secretion in stallions, and the use of GnRH to stimulate gonadotrophin secretion and ovulation during the nonbreeding season. One of the mares used in this research was bred by Professor Irvine, and he began training it as a race horse in between studies. This mare subsequently went on to win 36 races and when she retired at the age of 13 years, she was the greatest stake winning mare of all time in New Zealand harness racing. In 1976 Professor Irvine was appointed a personal chair at Lincoln, and in 1979 became the only veterinarian in New Zealand to become a Fellow of the Australian College of Veterinary Scientists by examination. His skill and reputation as a lecturer and researcher attracted a large number of graduate students during his years at Lincoln. While on leave at the University of California at Davis in 1982/1983, Professor Irvine was able to develop a technique which he had been thinking about for some timeÐthat was to access the blood leaving the pituitary gland in the horse. This was done by meticulously tracing the pathway from the pituitary sinus to the blood vessels on the face. This pioneering non-surgical technique allowed Professor Irvine to sequentially sample (as often as every 30 s) blood leaving the pituitary gland in the fully conscious, even racing, horses. Subsequent studies have provided minute to minute information on how the hypothalamus and pituitary gland respond to stress such as exercise, separation from others, cold, change in hydration, and information on the dynamics of GnRH and gonadotrophin secretion throughout the oestrous cycle, and the association between GnRH, FSH and LH. The discovery that GnRH, FSH and LH pulses are concurrent was again recognised by Dr. Ginther as a signi®cant milestone in our understanding of the mare's oestrous cycle. Other studies looked at the effect of the autumn transition on FSH, LH and gonadal steroid secretion, the effect of endogenous opioids on seasonal breeding and showed the important role of sexual stimulation on GnRH, FSH, LH and oxytocin secretion in mares and stallions. In all, Professor Irvine has published over 140 scienti®c papers, including books and book chapters in international scienti®c journals. Of special signi®cance is that Professor Irvine has attended and presented results of his studies at each of the International Symposia on Equine Reproduction, and has been a member of the International Committee (from 1980 to 1996) as well as a convenor and reviewer. Although retiring in 1986, Professor Irvine continued his research and in 1987 was awarded a substantial NIH grant. In recognition of his contributions to veterinary science, New Zealand's veterinary school at Massey University awarded him the degree of Doctor of Science honoris causa in 1989, and in 1990, his alma mater, the University of Sydney, bestowed on him their highest award, a Doctorate in Veterinary Science. In 1996 Lincoln University honoured him with the Bledisloe Medal for his outstanding contribution bringing credit to the University. Further recognition came in 2000, when HRH Queen Elizabeth II conferred The New Zealand Order of Merit (formally OBE) for services to veterinary science. As well as his work in the ®eld of endocrinology, Professor Irvine has been the veterinary consultant to both the New Zealand Harness Racing and New Zealand Racing Conferences and a member of the world body for the control of the use of drugs in racing, and has been
Personal report / Theriogenology 58 (2002) 203±205
205
vice president of the New Zealand Equine Research Foundation since its establishment in the late 1970s. We are delighted that Professor Irvine has accepted our invitation to be our honorary chairman for the Eighth International Symposium on Equine Reproduction. In welcoming him, we acknowledge the marvellous contribution he has made to equine reproduction, and look forward to sharing science, friendship and good humour throughout the Symposium. Margaret Evans Department of Endocrinology Endolab Christchurch Hospital, P.O. Box 4710 Christchurch, New Zealand E-mail address: [email protected] (M. Evans)