BHF pays tribute to Professor Sheila Glennis Haworth CBE

The British Heart Foundation today paid tribute to former BHF Chairholder, Professor Sheila Glennis Haworth CBE, who sadly died on 23rd October 2020.

Professor Haworth was the British Heart Foundation Professor of Paediatric Cardiology and subsequently of Developmental Cardiology at the Great Ormond Street Institute for Child Health - posts which she held for 17 years from 1988.

A world leading researcher investigating pulmonary hypertension in children, Professor Haworth was also known for her role as a global ambassador for improving diagnosis and treatment for the disease.

Transforming the way children are treated

Professor Haworth’s extensive work has helped transform the way we treat children with pulmonary hypertension, a rare but serious condition, which damages the arteries in the lungs and can be fatal.

In 2001 she founded the UK Pulmonary Hypertension Service for Children, which now provides state-of-the-art diagnosis, medical treatment and care for all children with pulmonary hypertension in the UK. Professor Haworth not only helped to lead the creation of the service, but also travelled tirelessly across the UK to review newly diagnosed children. As a result, she was awarded a CBE in 2007 for services to cardiology in the NHS.

Research without borders

Never deterred by borders, in 2011 Professor Haworth set about leading a task-force to gain international consensus on the classification of paediatric pulmonary hypertension. She was also a founding fellow of the international Pulmonary Vascular Research Institute, and its President from 2014 to 2016.  

Professor Martin Wilkins, a long-standing colleague and co-founder of the PVRI, said: “Glennis was an inspiration to all who knew her. Underneath her quiet manner was a steely determination to do the right thing; for young investigators, for the developing world and for her patients. This shone through her timely leadership of the Pulmonary Vascular Research Institute, ensuring a strong foundation to continue her work in the years to come.” 

BHF Professor Nick Morrell, also a long-standing colleague and co-founder of PVRI, added: “Glennis was a pioneer in the field of pulmonary hypertension and contributed enormously to moving severe pulmonary arterial hypertension from a death sentence to a manageable condition for many. Her research made a huge difference to children with PAH. She trained generations of investigators in her field and was admired and loved for her generosity and no-nonsense approach to getting things done for the benefit of her patients. She was a major advocate for training of physicians, particularly in developing countries, to recognise and treat children with PAH.”

Professor Haworth, pictured on the left, during a prize-giving at a BHF shop. 

A life-long friend of the BHF

Professor Haworth was a life-long supporter of the BHF not only as our very first female Chairholder, but also serving on our Executive Committee and our Research Funds Committee. Indeed, a connection to the BHF runs through her family, and she is survived by husband Major General Leslie Busk, our Director General between 1990 and 2004.

Professor Sir Nilesh Samani, our Medical Director, said: “Glennis was a pioneering researcher, helping to turn a once often fatal disease into a treatable one. Her work to ensure that children with pulmonary hypertension from across the UK receive the very best care is truly a remarkable legacy.”

Professor Haworth was a fellow of the Academy of Medical Science, the American College of Cardiology and a member of the Cardio-Pulmonary Committee of the American Heart Association. She was also president of the Pulmonary Vascular Research Institute.