Fred Mendelsohn, one of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) and Medical Association for Prevention of War’s most distinguished, wise and endearing elders died surrounded by family on 19 September.

Frederick Arthur Oscar Mendelsohn was born in 1942 and first lived in Lara, near Geelong.

Clinical medicine and neuroscience
A brilliant physician and neuro-endocrine researcher, Fred gained a Personal Chair in Medicine at the University of Melbourne until 1996 and was Senior Physician at the Austin Repatriation Medical Centre. He then became Director of the Howard Florey Institute and R Douglas Wright Professor of Experimental Physiology and Medicine at the University of Melbourne from 1997 to 2009.

Fred’s research focused on the chemistry of neural communication, especially neuropeptides and their receptors. He pioneered the concept that angiotensin acts at the local tissue level by direct analysis of peptide levels, by defining the anatomical locations of the relevant enzymes and receptors and by subsequent physiological studies. The modern investigation of the brain angiotensin system started with his seminal mapping of brain AT1 and AT2 receptors, that directed much subsequent
experimental elucidation of angiotensin’s central functions.

These discoveries underlie contemporary concepts of the pathophysiology of hypertension, heart failure and renal disease and underpin their current treatment with ACE inhibitors and angiotensin antagonists. His group discovered that the AT4 receptor is a transmembrane spanning enzyme that has prominent effects in memory and learning, and their cloning of the AT4 receptor opened up a new field regarding regulation of learning and memory.

He published over 300 papers in international scientific journals. Fred was a Chairman of the Angiotensin Gordon Conference in the USA (1998), Member of the Wills Committee on Health and Medical Research Strategic Review (1998-2000) and was the Eccles Lecturer to the Australian Neuroscience Society (2001). He was elected a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science in 2003 and was President of the Australian Neuroscience Society. He became an Officer in the Order of Australia in 2004.

Soon after Fred became Director of The Florey in 1997, he recognised the need to broaden the focus of the institute to prioritise the brain. This vision led to Fred leading – and raising $150 million for – the herculean task of merging the now Florey Neuroscience Institute with the Mental Health Research Institute, the National Stroke Research Institute, and the Brain Research Institute to become The Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, now a world leader in neuroimaging, discovery science, brain-body interactions and drug development.

Medical Association for Prevention of War (MAPW) and International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN)
As co-ordinator of the Victorian Branch of MAPW in the late 80s/early 90s, Fred was warmly inclusive and encouraging, down-to-earth and visionary, disarmingly honest, with thoughtfulness that went both deep and wide. That a physician so senior and well-regarded was a champion of MAPW assisted and encouraged the more junior of us in itself, and being warmly included and welcomed in his circle was an honour.

His insights, wise counsel and enthusiasm enriched MAPW nationally, and when the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPN) and MAPW agreed in 2005-6 to develop ICAN, with MAPW taking the lead, Fred was an inaugural member of the first ICAN board and provided vital and ongoing support. Early ICAN meetings were held in the Florey boardroom and the first staff working on ICAN, then a project of MAPW – Felicity Ruby and then Nancy Atkin – were accommodated in the Florey.

In Fred’s view, preventing nuclear war was a scientific and medical imperative. When ICAN was first publicly launched at Parliament House in Melbourne on 23 April 2007, Fred joined former Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser, retired International Court of Justice Judge Christopher Weeramantry, Joseph Camilleri and Tilman Ruff in launching the campaign. He was a committed, active and proud supporter of ICAN always.

I was delighted Fred was able to be Oslo and join the ceremony when ICAN was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 2017, the first such prize given to an entity born in Australia. He belonged there.

In recent years Fred lived with a challenging and progressive illness with myriad manifestations. He dealt with this with courage, humility and strength, and more than a little grace, ever focussed on the bigger picture and what mattered most, sustained by the remarkable loving care and support of his wife Lynne.

Vale dear Fred, it was a privilege to know and work with you and be your friend. We honour and celebrate all you gave in your rich life, and express our condolences to your family.

Dr Tilman Ruff AO