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ALUMNI NEWSAlison BaumThe first strand to fill you in on is my much-loveduncle. He was an inspiration, with much passionfor his subject and such joie de vivre. He did greatthings in Bristol and became the first presidentof the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health.Tragically, while leading a fund-raising bike ridehe died of a heart-attack, on 5 September 1999.He is, and will always be, missed. The David BaumInternational Foundation, dedicated to internationalchild health, (www.rcpch.ac.uk/About-the-College/RCPCH-International/David-Baum-International-Foundation), provides a fitting tribute to thisgreat man.Guggenheim Fellowship, I approached St Catherine’s andwas honoured with a Christensen Fellowship for Hilary2008, and a Visiting Fellowship for Trinity 2008. I amstill basking in those few lovely and productive monthsI spent in Oxford. It was delightful to see that BarrieJuniper and other mentors are still active members ofthe College, and I enjoyed several scholarly discussionsover lunch in the Senior Common Room.Equally importantly, it was a pleasure to walkdown memory lane – and to teach my childrento punt. Perhaps there will be another Baum atCatz in the future…The news of the other ex-Catz Baums is all good,with our professional and personal successes based in nosmall part upon the support we received from our widerfamily and the excellent education we received at StCatherine’s. Three of us, myself, Buzz, and Jake continueon the academic track – in fact all of us run molecularbiological research groups. I study plant development andevolution at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, Buzzstudies normal and cancerous animal cells at UniversityCollege, London, and Jake is at the Walter and Eliza HallInstitute of Medical Research in Melbourne, studying howthe malaria parasite attacks blood cells. Alison, who wasfor a time a Horizon producer at the BBC, now heads thecharity Best Beginnings (www.bestbeginnings.info),which applies a scientific and media-savvy outlook toaddress inequalities in child health.Jake BaumJ David BaumThe final chapter – so far – is my recent return to College.When I was looking for a host institution for my40/DAVID BAUM