James W. Lance


James Waldo Lance AO, CBE, often referred to as James Lance and James W. Lance, was an Australian neurologist. He was the founder of the School of Neurology at the University of New South Wales and president of the International Headache Society in 1987–89, and a "world authority on the diagnosis and treatment" of headache and migraine.

Early life and education

Lance was born in Wollongong, New South Wales on 29 October 1926. His parents operated a local department store in Wollongong. His maternal grandfather, James Douglas Stewart, was professor of veterinary science at the University of Sydney and a member of the CSIRO.
He was sent to study at Tudor House School, Moss Vale, in the Southern Highlands of the New South Wales and then at Geelong Grammar School and The King's School, Parramatta.
Lance studied medicine at the University of Sydney, from which he graduated as MBBS in 1950.

Sydney, London, Boston

In the years 1950–51 he was resident medical officer at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and in 1952–53 he took up a fellowship at the National Health and Medical Research Council at Sydney University, graduating with a Doctor of Medicine degree.
In 1954 Lance trained in London, United Kingdom as a neurologist and then worked as assistant house physician at the National Hospital in Queen Square, London.
Returning to Sydney, he worked as a tutor at St Paul’s College and a visiting lecturer at Sydney University, then at the Northcott Neurological Centre, Cammeray, Sydney Hospital and St Luke’s Hospital, Elizabeth Bay.
In 1960 he travelled to the United States where he undertook research at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.

University of New South Wales

In 1961 he joined the just established School of Medicine at the University of New South Wales was the founder of the Department of Neurology. He was to stay at this university for his whole academic career, beginning as senior lecturer, and being later appointed as associate professor, as professor of neurology, and finally as Professor Emeritus.
During this period he also saw patients at the Prince Henry and Prince of Wales Hospitals and served as foundation director of the Institute of Neurological Sciences.
In 1980 he was elected as a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science.

Scientific achievements

Following early physiology experiments with special reference to the corticospinal tract, Lance published a paper in the 1950s on an "attempt to regrow the severed pyramidal tract" and "restore movement to paralysed limbs".
While at the Northcott Neurological Centre, having noted that "less than 50% of migraine sufferers" were receiving effective treatment from their healthcare providers, he undertook to analyse 500 case histories of migraine and vascular headache patients. This "Herculean task" resulted in a paper published in 1960 that is now recognised as a "citation classic".
While in Massachusetts in 1963, he worked with the neurologist Raymond Adams on post-hypoxic myoclonus.
During his period at the Prince Henry Hospital, he conducted research on the physiology of migraine, with special reference to serotonin and its "effects on blood vessels and brain pathways involved in pain". This work led to the "groundbreaking" discovery of the triptan family of drugs, including of sumatriptan, the first clinically available triptan and a key medicine now used to resolve acute migraine attacks.

Awards and honours

James Lance was married for almost 70 years to Judy and they had five children.
He died on 20 February 2019.

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