David McKay Hart, MD, FRCS (Glasgow), FRCOG

David McKay Hart, who died last year aged 84, was a distinguished Consultant Obstetrician and Gynecologist in Glasgow, Scotland. He qualified in medicine at the University of Glasgow and decided to follow the path of his father, also named David McKay Hart, who was an eminent obstetrician and gynecologist in Glasgow. In addition to a large and busy clinical practice, David also pursued a remarkable academic career in menopause research. His early studies, in collaboration with physicians Mark Aitken and Robert Lindsay, focused on bone. Using a novel (and at that time state-of-the-art) single-photon absorptiometer measuring bone mineral density in the metacarpal, he commenced a prospective randomized, placebo-controlled trial of estrogen replacement in women undergoing bilateral oophorectomy. Ably assisted by his wife Helen, who was the Nursing Sister in their menopause clinic, they formed a clinical partnership beloved by the patients (how else would they have persuaded surgically menopausal patients to enroll in a study knowing they could be taking a placebo for many years?). David’s research group was one of the first to establish convincingly that estrogen was fully effective in preventing postmenopausal bone loss. In his practice at Stobhill Hospital, Glasgow, he trained many junior doctors and research fellows who themselves went on to become consultants and academics in menopause medicine. David was a founder member of the British Menopause Society (BMS). Being a true Scotsman, he actually played the bagpipes at an annual BMS dinner held in Glasgow. He piped in the main course and happily accepted the traditional dram of whisky! He was an excellent and entertaining speaker with a wonderfully dry sense of humor. In accord with the traditional good-natured rivalry between Stobhill Hospital and the larger Glasgow Royal Infirmary, he would occasionally in his talks show a photograph of the statue of John Knox which is situated on a plinth looking down on Glasgow Royal Infirmary. When describing this David would add ‘I also look down on Glasgow Royal Infirmary…….’! It was an enormous pleasure and privilege to have known David McKay Hart and he is sadly missed by friends and colleagues around the world. He will long be remembered for his major contribution to menopause research.