Emeritus Consultants Biographies

Krishnanmurthi SOMERS MB BCh (Witwatersrand) 1950 DCH 1952 MRCP (London) 1954 FRCP (London) 1969 MRCP (Edinburgh) 1967 FACC 1968 FRCP (Edinburgh) 1972 FRACP 1975 Physician and Associate Professor of Medicine

Professor Krishnamurthi (Krish) Somers was born in Durban, South Africa in 1926 and graduated from the University of Witwatersrand in 1949.  He left South Africa to work in London from 1952-57.  This was followed by a distinguished career in medicine at Makerere University, which was terminated by the military coup in 1971.  Krish was appointed Physician and Associate Professor of Medicine at Royal Perth Hospital in 1974.  Professor Somers major interest has been cardiology, particularly the cardiomyopathies and he has made significant contributions in this area.  He was one of the pioneers in the technique of intracardiac biopsy.

Krish Somers active research interests are reflected in the large number of scientific papers which he has written.  One hundred and twenty six papers and eight book chapters.  He has been the recipient of many awards and honours including:

• Wellcome Foundation Fellowship (1960)
• German Academic Exchange Service Fellowship (1968)
• World Health Organisation Fellowship (1970)

Krish has spent time as a visiting Professor at the University of the West Indies, Ministry of Health, Government of Pakistan, Aga Khan University College of Medicine, Karachi, Pakistan and St Georges Medical School London.

Editorial Consultant Appointments have included:

• Medicine Today
• The East African Medical Journal
• The South African Medical Journal
• Tropical Cardiology
• Heart and Vessels
• and most recently, Cardiomyopathy.

Professor Somers retired at the end of 1989 from his hospital and University appointment.