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• Majorie Robinson

Majorie Robinson Fund

Miss Marjorie Robinson left a legacy of £100,000 to the Society for Endocrinology in 1986, which is equivalent to over £367,000 in 2024.

Marjorie, who lived in Hampshire, and her family had been the only personal donors to the Society from 1979 to the mid-eighties.   Marjorie suffered from Cushing’s disease and had undergone surgery on both the adrenal and pituitary glands, and as a result asked that her gift be used to support research into diseases in these areas.  

Recipient Professor Chris McCabe

From correspondence we can see that the Society’s Chairman, Professor Lesley Rees, and Treasurer, Professor D.R, London visited Marjorie in June 1984 at her home in Basingstoke to discuss endocrinology and agree how best such a donation could be used.

The Society made the decision to set up a specific investment fund in Majorie’s name to maximise the impact of the donation for future endocrinologists.  The first award from the Marjorie Robinson was given out in 1987 and for 16 years a bi-annual Fellowship Award of £14,000 was awarded.  In 2001 Professor Chris McCabe, Birmingham, was the recipient.

“I was fortunate enough to be the recipient of the Marjorie Robinson Fellowship in 2001. At that time I had recently returned from a stint in Professor Shlomo Melmed’s lab at UCLA, Los Angeles, and was a Post Doctoral Research Fellow on an MRC Career Development Grant to Dr Neil Gittoes at the University of Birmingham. Gaining the Fellowship gave my career an undoubted boost in three ways. First, it provided me consumables funding to pursue my own research direction. Second, through salary support, it facilitated a tangible degree of autonomy. Third, it helped in my subsequent application and award of a non-clinical Lectureship at the University of Birmingham. “

The legacy continues to support the Society’s grants programme.  Since 2000 over £420,000 has been given out to support the next generation of endocrinologists alone. 

If you would like to discuss leaving a legacy to the Society for Endocrinology please email us at [email protected] 

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