Dr. Alan Wilkinson, Clinical Professor of Medicine and Nephrology at the University of California at Los Angeles, passed away peacefully on June 19, 2011. Dr. Wilkinson's life was devoted to exemplary patient care and physician education, and as such he was recognized nationally and internationally as a prime example of an outstanding transplant physician-educator. Alan contributed to the education of countless physicians through extensive publications, lectures, and the countless hours he volunteered to the American Society of Transplantation.

Dr. Wilkinson's research interests were in renal transplant immunosuppression and the long-term prevention of medical diseases in transplant recipients. His transplant program led the introduction into practice of several new immunosuppressive drugs and protocols. The research performed by his group involved multicenter trials investigating the role of daclizumab dosing in combination with tacrolimus, the function of mycophenolate mofetil in maintenance renal transplant patients, as well as the use of fenoldopan with early CSA in renal delayed graft function. Dr. Wilkinson also investigated the role of steroid withdrawal in renal transplant recipients in large multicenter trials.

Dr. Wilkinson's efforts were recognized last year at the 201 American Transplant Congress when he was honored with the AST Ernest Hodge Distinguished Achievement Award. The transplant community has lost one of its great physicians. Alan will be forever missed.

The following is an announcement by Dr. Wilkinson's friend and colleague, Dr. Gabriel Danovitch:

It is with great sorrow that we announce the death of Dr. Alan Wilkinson after a brave struggle with a cruel and devastating illness -- Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). Alan has been a leader, a colleague, and a friend for many years, and has been the devoted physician to thousands of kidney transplant patients. In his last months, Alan who loved to teach students and colleagues alike, taught all of those around him how to deal with crushing adversity with utmost dignity and unbending courage.

Alan was born in South Africa, a country he dearly loved, and in his youth was part of its long struggle for justice. His medical education was in South Africa and England, and was the source of his great clinical skills. He joined the Nephrology Division of the Department of Medicine at UCLA in 1985, and helped lead the Kidney Transplant Program to the excellence and national prominence that it has now reached. This was a much-deserved source of pride to him. So much of the burden of Alan's illness has fallen on his devoted wife, Angelika, his beloved daughter Rebecca, his dear sister Mary, and many close friends. He spent his last days and hours in the company of those he loved. He kept his sense of humor and his wry smile to the very end.

Read Dr. Wilkinson's obituary and share your memories and express your condolences.