1943-2023

Professor Martin Ferguson, who died in December 2023, was one of the pioneers of Oral Medicine in the UK, helped establish academic Oral Medicine in New Zealand and was a significant force for good for many outside the world of traditional Oral Medicine. Martin was qualified in Medicine and Dentistry, had a BSc in Anatomy and was a Fellow in Dental Surgery of the Royal College of Physicians & Surgeons of Glasgow. A Nuffield Research Fellowship was amongst Martin's successes prior to his initial major academic post as Senior Lecturer in Oral Medicine in the University of Glasgow. In 1986, he was appointed Professor of Oral Medicine and Surgery to the University of Otago in Dunedin, New Zealand - a position he held for many years before becoming Emeritus Professor.

Martin's mark upon health care was remarkable. He generated a wealth of research publications (including one he published in Nature in the mid-1960s) that embraced a wide spectrum of clinically relevant problems including the adverse consequences of medication, the diagnosis and management of complex salivary gland disease, the impact of haematological and allergic disease upon the oral mucosa, and the clinical presentation of orofacial granulomatosis. He was a genuinely good teacher - able to engage undergraduates and postgraduates in the intricacies of Oral Medicine - using a humorous, non-threatening and informative manner. He wrote well and hence was a key contributor to various key textbooks.

However, perhaps Martin's greatest achievements were the contributions he made to helping the vulnerable and those requiring end-of-life care in Scotland, New Zealand and indeed other international communities. He just quietly, without any fuss, helped an almost endless number of patients and their families in very many ways - that, rightly, was recognised by his award of Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2007. Martin exuded humour that ranged from including single best answer questions on pixies in undergraduate examinations to changing the signage of the hotel room of a (very) senior academic.

Martin Ferguson was married for 54 years to Janet. Without doubt she supported him along the many different paths of a life well lived - and hence very many patients, students and clinicians should be thankful of Martin - and Janet Ferguson.

Stephen R. Porter, David Felix and Philip Lamey