Alistair John Cochran

August 3, 1936-March 9, 2026

With great sadness we announce the passing of UCLA Emeritus Distinguished Professor Alistair John Cochran on March 9, 2026. He died at home surrounded by family in Santa Monica, California, at the age of 89 after a brave battle with pancreatic cancer.

Alistair was born on August 3, 1936, in Glasgow, Scotland. He was the first in his family to pursue higher education when he matriculated at the age of 16 in the Faculty of Medicine at University of Glasgow and graduated with an MD in 1959. In 1963, he married Janie Paterson Burnie in the University of Glasgow Memorial Chapel. Alistair and Janie shared a love of family, friends, good food, art, and travel. Work took them to five continents and led them to live in both Stockholm and Lyon for significant periods.

Alistair began his career in the Department of Pathology of The Western Infirmary, University of Glasgow. In 1979, he was recruited by the University of California, Los Angeles and moved with his family to Santa Monica. He had a prolific career as an immunologist and as a world-renowned pathologist. His publications were numerous and most notably he collaborated on the development of S-100 stain and the sentinel node study to detect lymph node involvement in melanoma and breast cancer. He was highly sought after for his scientific expertise, lecturing, teaching, and contributing to research across the globe on melanoma and other cancers.

Alistair found great joy in downhill skiing in the Cairngorms, the Alps, and the Sierra Nevadas and hiking in the Scottish Highlands, South Downs, Alto Adige, and Santa Monica Mountains. He played the bagpipes and reached the rank of Pipe Major. A man of many interests, he loved to garden and was keenly enthusiastic about art, architecture, and archeology. Nothing made him happier than good conversations around the dinner table or telling stories to his grandchildren.

Alistair was predeceased by Janie in 2009. He is survived by his brother and sister-in-law, Kenneth and Jill Cochran; his sister and brother-in-law, Morag and John McCarthy; his son and daughter-in-law, Angus Cochran and Ann Eisenberg; his daughter and son-in-law, Sara Cochran and Eric Montgomery; and his partner of 13 years, Yvonne Caan. He will be greatly missed by his grandsons, Toby and Cosmo Cochran; Eric’s daughter and son, Katrina and André Montgomery; and Yvonne’s daughter and son-in-law, Sara and Damon Van Leeuwen, and their sons, Axel and Leo Van Leeuwen.

Whether he was known as Alistair, Big Al, Paw, or Grandpa, he leaves behind family, friends, and colleagues who will forever cherish his memory.