Robert Andrew Lamb

Robert (Bob) Lamb was born in Muswell Hill, London, UK on September 26th, 1950. He lived with parents Robert and Rita and brother Brian in Henley upon Thames and attended the Haberdashers’ Aske’s Boys School. Bob later obtained his undergraduate degree from the University of Birmingham, UK and his Ph.D and Sc.D from the University of Cambridge.

After completing his Ph.D. he moved to Rockefeller University, New York to pursue a post doctorate fellowship, working with Purnell Choppin. He was appointed Assistant Professor at the Rockefeller in 1977.

In 1983 he joined Northwestern University as an associate Professor where he established the Lamb Laboratory. In 1991 he joined the Howard Hughes Medical Institute as an Investigator, a position he retained while working at Northwestern until the end of 2021.

His Honors included consecutive NIH MERIT awards. He was a past President of the American Society for Virology. He was elected to the National Academy of Science and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. In 2010 the University of Birmingham awarded him an honorary degree.

He was the Kenneth F Burgess Professor at Northwestern University and served as Chair of the Department of Molecular Biosciences there from 2011 until 2017.

During his career he published over 200 papers in peer reviewed journals and had many productive collaborations both in the USA and internationally.

Bob was a devoted and much-loved husband and father. He married Reay Paterson in 1989 and they had 3 children, Alexander, Duncan and Gabriella, of whom Bob was extremely proud.

The family holidayed in Europe every summer, visiting relatives in the UK and various destinations in Europe. The extended family have many happy memories of these trips. He particularly enjoyed visiting stately homes, historic buildings and gardens in all countries he visited.

Bob loved music and enjoyed the Lyric Opera in Chicago. Bob was quite musical himself. He played the piano in his youth and would often sing along to opera in the car. He also had a lifelong interest in trains, particularly steam trains.

He took a keen interest in current affairs in both the USA and the UK and was always ready to join in a lively debate on any hot issue. He was also a fan of both football and golf, although never took up either!

Having not grown up with family pets, Bob got great enjoyment from having both cats and dogs as an adult, as did Reay and the children. Bob was even known to help out with the family horses on occasion (under some duress).

Bob was greatly respected by many and greatly loved by his family and friends.

He will be sadly missed.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.WmScottFuneralHome.com for the Lamb family.