Robert Braidwood (Bob) Sim. 1951–2021: A Disciple’s Perspective

Three and a half months ago, we were very much saddened by the news of Bob Sim's passing away [...].

Viruses 2021, 13, 1111 2 of 3 him thanks to Valerie Dee, an Anglo-Uruguayan D.Phil. student in Bob's lab. Receiving Bob's long faxed response message was an unforgettable event. There I had, from this international authority in complement, all the detailed practical advice I could hope for in the most down-to-earth tone imagined. Just wonderful.
Thanks to a European Community joint research grant obtained by Ana and Bob, I became Bob's D.Phil. student. Whereas in Uruguay at the time long discussions and intellectual jousts were highly valued, as a new student in Bob's lab, I quickly felt under pressure to get on with experimental work, every day, no procrastination allowed. After some three months, I started to realise that under Bob's reasonable pressure and highly practical advice, my experimental work would move forward in a way that I had not experienced before. So whatever stress I initially felt gave way to a new feeling of professional self-esteem based on concrete gradual achievements, and also to a great deal of admiration for my supervisor. Over the following years, I rounded off my understanding of Bob' leadership: a leadership rooted in a sober but exceptionally strong personality, in duty and compassion as major values, and in a distinct love for science in its most tangible manifestations.
Bob had a tiny office next to the lab, the door of which was rarely closed (Figure 1). When he walked past us as we worked at the bench, he would emit a characteristic soft hum, as if saying "I'm here. I'm supervising, and my kind of supervision is friendly". No student wished to be "told off" by Bob. He would never raise his voice, but a few strongly emphasised words from Bob were enough to bring any student back into line. Yet Bob was highly liked by his students; the atmosphere in his lab was happy and friendly, as it happens in workplaces when the bosses are just. "Thank you for the hard work" was Bob's reply when we thanked him for the pub lunches to which he would often invite us.
Viruses 2021, 13, x FOR PEER REVIEW 2 of 4 M.Sc. student baffled by the practical difficulties of quantifying mouse C3 using a homegrown antiserum. Ana Ferreira, in our lab and also working on complement, suggested me to write to Bob for advice. Ana had visited Bob in Oxford in 1991, having contacted him thanks to Valerie Dee, an Anglo-Uruguayan D.Phil. student in Bob's lab. Receiving Bob's long faxed response message was an unforgettable event. There I had, from this international authority in complement, all the detailed practical advice I could hope for in the most down-to-earth tone imagined. Just wonderful. Thanks to a European Community joint research grant obtained by Ana and Bob, I became Bob's D.Phil. student. Whereas in Uruguay at the time long discussions and intellectual jousts were highly valued, as a new student in Bob's lab, I quickly felt under pressure to get on with experimental work, every day, no procrastination allowed. After some three months, I started to realise that under Bob's reasonable pressure and highly practical advice, my experimental work would move forward in a way that I had not experienced before. So whatever stress I initially felt gave way to a new feeling of professional selfesteem based on concrete gradual achievements, and also to a great deal of admiration for my supervisor. Over the following years, I rounded off my understanding of Bob' leadership: a leadership rooted in a sober but exceptionally strong personality, in duty and compassion as major values, and in a distinct love for science in its most tangible manifestations.
Bob had a tiny office next to the lab, the door of which was rarely closed ( Figure 1). When he walked past us as we worked at the bench, he would emit a characteristic soft hum, as if saying "I'm here. I'm supervising, and my kind of supervision is friendly". No student wished to be "told off" by Bob. He would never raise his voice, but a few strongly emphasised words from Bob were enough to bring any student back into line. Yet Bob was highly liked by his students; the atmosphere in his lab was happy and friendly, as it happens in workplaces when the bosses are just. "Thank you for the hard work" was Bob's reply when we thanked him for the pub lunches to which he would often invite us. Whenever the occasion was right, Bob would share with us some of his endless store of anecdotes. Never motivated by self-aggrandizement, Bob's selection of anecdotes was Whenever the occasion was right, Bob would share with us some of his endless store of anecdotes. Never motivated by self-aggrandizement, Bob's selection of anecdotes was instead shaped by his all-encompassing interest in how the world functioned and a predilection for subtly comic contradictions, which he expressed with understated sense of humour.
Bob's empathy for others was evident in his painstaking teaching, using writing as the major means of communication, to a student newly arrived from China with essentially no oral English. Furthermore, in his unfaltering support of a student that had to endure a serious medical problem, or in him opening the lab to an intellectually restless and very pleasant senior scientist who was long past his retirement age. Bob was very distinctly supportive towards his younger collaborators' careers; he invariably helped his students organise their careers-academic or otherwise-past their stage in his lab. Bob was also, for 25 years, extraordinarily generous towards our extended research group in Uruguay, selflessly offering reagents, encouragement and scientific advice. For his contribution to the development of immunology in Uruguay, the School of Chemistry of our national University awarded Bob an honoris causa Doctorate in 2017 (Figure 2).
instead shaped by his all-encompassing interest in how the world functioned and a predilection for subtly comic contradictions, which he expressed with understated sense of humour.
Bob's empathy for others was evident in his painstaking teaching, using writing as the major means of communication, to a student newly arrived from China with essentially no oral English. Furthermore, in his unfaltering support of a student that had to endure a serious medical problem, or in him opening the lab to an intellectually restless and very pleasant senior scientist who was long past his retirement age. Bob was very distinctly supportive towards his younger collaborators' careers; he invariably helped his students organise their careers-academic or otherwise-past their stage in his lab. Bob was also, for 25 years, extraordinarily generous towards our extended research group in Uruguay, selflessly offering reagents, encouragement and scientific advice. For his contribution to the development of immunology in Uruguay, the School of Chemistry of our national University awarded Bob an honoris causa Doctorate in 2017 (Figure 2). Bob's love for science was a part of his passion to understand how the world functions. His practice of science was rooted in a quiet confidence in his capacity to operate on the material world around him. I imagine that this confidence stemmed from the practice of manual tasks as a child in his various rural homes. Certainly, this kind of confidence, in addition to intellect, must have been at play when, being a D.Phil. student and short of money, he worked during holidays at the Tay Salmon Fisheries, and was chosen by his fellow workers as foreman. The passion for understanding meant that Bob followed students' bench work very closely, analysing each result with genuine interest and curiosity. With Bob as mentor, results ruled over any previous ideas, as it should be. Bob's practical nature meant that his advice was not only highly adapted to reality, but also supported by his direct participation in the trickier procedures. It was normal to see Bob engrossed in organising the lab's cold room or freezer space, together with Beryl Moffatt, who was Bob's long-time technician and for a few years also his M.Sc. student.
Following the closure of the MRC Immunochemistry Unit, Bob worked, and shared his unique collection of reagents, with a range of scientists in Pharmacology in Oxford, at Kingston University, and with Wilhelm Schwaeble in Leicester. He also collaborated extensively with Uday Kishore at Brunel University. Despite the fact that the Unit always held a special place in his affections, Bob adapted to the circumstances. His stoicism, courage, and thankfulness for the life he had were never more obvious than when he dealt with cancer in 2012, and during his final battle with a second unrelated cancer in 2020. Bob's love for science was a part of his passion to understand how the world functions. His practice of science was rooted in a quiet confidence in his capacity to operate on the material world around him. I imagine that this confidence stemmed from the practice of manual tasks as a child in his various rural homes. Certainly, this kind of confidence, in addition to intellect, must have been at play when, being a D.Phil. student and short of money, he worked during holidays at the Tay Salmon Fisheries, and was chosen by his fellow workers as foreman. The passion for understanding meant that Bob followed students' bench work very closely, analysing each result with genuine interest and curiosity. With Bob as mentor, results ruled over any previous ideas, as it should be. Bob's practical nature meant that his advice was not only highly adapted to reality, but also supported by his direct participation in the trickier procedures. It was normal to see Bob engrossed in organising the lab's cold room or freezer space, together with Beryl Moffatt, who was Bob's long-time technician and for a few years also his M.Sc. student.
Following the closure of the MRC Immunochemistry Unit, Bob worked, and shared his unique collection of reagents, with a range of scientists in Pharmacology in Oxford, at Kingston University, and with Wilhelm Schwaeble in Leicester. He also collaborated extensively with Uday Kishore at Brunel University. Despite the fact that the Unit always held a special place in his affections, Bob adapted to the circumstances. His stoicism, courage, and thankfulness for the life he had were never more obvious than when he dealt with cancer in 2012, and during his final battle with a second unrelated cancer in 2020.
I like to think that Bob's legacy, as much as in the discoveries in which he participated, is in the values that he transmitted to those who were his disciples; sense of duty and care for other people, applied to scientific mentoring in particular. Within the sometimes tough world of competitive science, a legacy of decency at its highest level.