Dr. Durie was a visionary in the field of myeloma, a type of blood cancer that affects plasma cells. His 1975 pioneering work, the Durie-Salmon Staging System, shed light on the myeloma tumor burden and how it impacts other cellular functions. A prolific researcher, Dr. Durie authored over 700 research papers and, up until his death on October 12 at age 82, was energetically engaged in myeloma research projects around the world.
He was passionate about sharing the latest treatment options and guidance with thousands of myeloma patients, many of whom lacked convenient access to state-of-the-art medical information. He stressed the importance of treating the individual, not just the disease, and made lifetime friends of patients around the world. For decades, Dr. Durie served as an inspiring mentor for new generations of myeloma researchers.
In 1990, Dr. Durie, along with Susie Novis Durie and Brian Novis, co-founded the IMF — the first patient advocacy organization dedicated exclusively to multiple myeloma. The organization created a global network of myeloma patient support groups, as well as the International Myeloma Working Group (IMWG), whose hundreds of myeloma experts conduct collaborative research and publish disease-treatment guidelines for physicians. To accelerate a cure for the disease, Dr. Durie established the IMF Black Swan Research Initiative (BSRI) in 2012. Most recently, he collaborated with researchers from the University of Iceland, led by Dr. Sigurdur Kristinsson, on the groundbreaking iStopMM (Iceland Screens, Treats, or Prevents Multiple Myeloma) Project, which investigates the earliest signs of disease using the country’s deep reserve of genetic data.
On this page, visit his "Ask Dr. Durie" video series and read Dr. Durie's blogs. To learn more, read this press release.
