Royal Mail Medical Breakthroughs stamp competition

Ronald Ross stamp

University staff have the opportunity to win one of five sets of Special Stamps issued by Royal Mail.

Pioneering UK breakthroughs in medicine and surgery, which have saved lives and improved the health of millions of people across the world, are being celebrated on Royal Mail’s latest set of Special Stamps, Medical Breakthroughs.

Of the six stamps that have been put ‘under the microscope’ to highlight important medical breakthroughs, two have University connections.

Achievements celebrated on the set of six Special Stamps, include the pioneering work of Sir Ronald Ross, who was a lecturer at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine when he became the first Briton to win the Nobel Prize for Medicine, in 1902. The following year he was appointed to the Sir Alfred Jones Chair of Tropical Medicine in the University.

In his research into the origin of malaria he traced for the first time the mechanism by which the disease is transmitted to man by the mosquito. This discovery helped to eradicate malaria in temperate climates and saved many millions of lives in the tropics. His breakthrough features on the 88p stamp.

The 1st Class stamp recognises the achievements of Honorary Graduate, Sir James Black (Hon DSc 2005), for his work around heart-regulating beta-blockers. Black was awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 1988 for work leading to the development of propranolol and cimetidine.

Thanks to Royal Mail, we have 5 sets of stamps to give away. To win a set, answer this question:

What year did Sir Ronald Ross win the Nobel Prize for Medicine? Email answers to: precinct@liv.ac.uk closing date Friday 22 October 2010.

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