Peter Oswald Derrick Pharoah, 1934–2021

... I knew Peter when he was head of the Department Public Health at University Liverpool and worked closely with him for >10 years. My interest in paediatric perinatal epidemiology nurtured developed by him, eventually took over running Merseyside Cheshire Cerebral Palsy register. He also Editor International Journal Epidemiology during this time (1991–2000)—a responsibility seriously, spending many hours reading submitted papers, often before sending them out review. personal knowledge comes from stories would tell himself, his wife Margaret, four children grandchildren. proud all them, clearly loved dearly. born India, where parents were teachers. trained as a doctor St Mary’s Hospital Medical School, London, met who predeceased him. qualified 1958. While student, occasionally film extra. Peter’s first ambition (as told it) to become physician but had some difficulty passing MRCP so, 1963, young family, up post medical officer Rabaul, Papua New Guinea (PNG), followed positions Mount Hagen, Wewak Goroka. based learnt there areas highlands goitre cretinism common cause not been identified. On visit one these areas, Jimi Valley, that present years, endemic (which is characterized severe spasticity legs, squint, profound deafness mental disability, affecting infants children) new. According local inhabitants, problem seen after arrival ‘the White man’ (in 1959).