Internationally respected phytochemist Andrew Marston, PhD, passed away on March 26, 2013. The cause of death was cerebral bleeding that resulted from a brain surgery intended to manage his Parkinson’s disease.¹

Dr. Marston was born November 16, 1953, in what is now the African country of Zambia (formerly Northern Rhodesia). He attended University College in London, where he earned his BSc in chemistry. In 1979, he obtained his PhD on peptide synthesis from Liverpool University, after which — through 1983 — he conducted his post-doctorate work at the German Research Centre in Heidelberg.¹

Dr. Marston was a natural products chemist for 26 years at the University of Lausanne in Switzerland. Beginning in October of 1983, Dr. Marston worked at the University of Lausanne’s Institute of Pharmacognosy and Phytochemistry. In 1994, the Phytochemical Society of Europe bestowed upon him the Rhône-Poulec Rorer Award. Dr. Marston published 35 review articles and book chapters as well as more than 150 research papers.¹

Stefan Gafner, PhD, the American Botanical Council’s chief science officer, met Dr. Marston in 1994 when he commenced his graduate work at the University of Lausanne. “Andrew was one of the most knowledgeable people in matters of medicinal plants,” said Dr. Gafner (email, October 3, 2013). “He was almost a living encyclopedia of phytochemistry and everything related to isolation of secondary metabolites, a topic in which he was one of the world’s foremost experts.”

“In particular,” continued Dr. Gafner, “he was one of the pioneers in liquid-liquid separation. He was very passionate about his work, not only about the chemistry, but also the beauty of the plants the chemicals would come from, and he would take pictures of plants during his many trips, which culminated in a huge compilation of boxes with slides of medicinal plants from all over the world.”

In 2009, Dr. Marston took a position in the University of the Free State’s (UFS) chemistry department in South Africa. In a memorial article for UFS’s website, Professor André Roodt, head of the university’s chemistry department, said “[Dr. Marston] has made valuable contributions to the UFS in terms of teaching and postgraduate supervision, as well as research. In his short stay at the UFS, he already co-authored more than ten papers in international chemistry literature.”²

“Beyond his many contributions as a scientist,” Dr. Gafner recalled, “Andrew was a kind, generous, and caring person. I remember that he used to invite all the new graduate students to his home to spend an evening with his family, his wife Christine, and his two sons Jonathan and Mark, whom he loved dearly.”

Dr. Marston was an excellent mentor, according to Dr. Gafner. “He would be the person we would turn to for discussing matters of philosophy or to talk about personal things,” he said. “He was always very polite and perfectly mannered, a true gentlemen in every aspect of his life, but most of all, a wonderful human being and a true friend.”

“Around two years ago, Andrew lost within four months his mother, his father, and his wife, and he was diagnosed to suffer from Parkinson’s disease!” wrote Kurt Hostettmann, PhD — head of the pharmacognosy and phytochemistry research group at the Universities of Lausanne, and later, Geneva, in Switzerland, and who oversaw Dr. Marston for 26 years — in an obituary for Dr. Marston. “He was born in Africa and he died in Africa,” continued Dr. Hostettmann. “He has always had special links to this continent and was a true friend of Africa throughout his life.”¹

Dr. Marston is survived by his sons, Mark and Jonathan, and his brother Keith.¹

—Ash Lindstrom

References

1. Hostettmann K, Sarker S, Röthlisberger MJ. In memoriam, Andrew Marston, November 16, 1953 – March 26, 2013. Phytochem Anal. 2013;24:289. Available at: http://epgl.unige.ch/pharm/docs/editos/In_memoriam_Andrew.pdf. Accessed October 3, 2013.
2. Two academics will be sorely missed. University of the Free State website. Available at: www.ufs.ac.za/templates/archive.aspx?news=2671. Accessed October 3, 2013.