Graham Liggins

Liggins was born in 1926 in Thames; his father was a doctor. == Career ==

Liggins worked as an obstetrician at National Women's Hospital in Auckland from the late 1950s where he carried out research into the reduction of death rates of premature babies. In 1971 he took up a chair as professor of obstetrics and gynaecological endocrinology at the University of Auckland. In 1972, following a trial of pre-natal corticosteroids, he published his study which established that hormone treatment could improve lung development and prevent respiratory distress syndrome in premature babies. == Honours and awards ==

Liggins was awarded the Polar Medal for Antarctic research in 1980. He was made a Knight Bachelor, also for services to medical research, in the 1991 Queen's Birthday Honours. == Death and legacy ==

Liggins died on 24 August 2010, aged 84, following a long illness. The Liggins Institute, founded by Peter Gluckman, was named in his honour. Gluckman described Liggins as New Zealand's greatest ever medical scientist and said he "showed the importance of serendipity in clinical science, and the importance of moving rapidly to application." == Selected publications ==

• • • • • • • • ==References==