Terry Anderson was born in London, England in 1927. He graduated in medicine from Oxford University in 1955. After a one year internship he and his family emigrated to Canada. They lived in St. Catharines Ontario until 1963 where Terry was a family physician. During his last year in St. Catharines he commuted to the University of Toronto to study for a Diploma in Industrial Health. During this period, he discovered the field of epidemiology, and decided to make this his career. He and his family then moved to Toronto.

In 1967 Terry completed a PhD and was appointed Assistant Professor in what was then the School of Hygiene at the University of Toronto. For the next few years he taught and became involved in a variety of research projects. These ranged from the study of historical and geographical patterns of heart disease and stroke, to the evaluation of the value of Pap smears, and the effects of lead pollution on children living near battery plants. He also became involved in the controversy over “megavitamin therapy” and conducted large scale clinical trials of Vitamin C and Vitamin E.

Before moving out to UBC in 1980 to become Head of Health Care and Epidemiology, he became involved in studies of the effects of atomic radiation. This led to him becoming an advisor to the Atomic Energy Control Board of Canada and subsequently to an ongoing involvement in the health effects of the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear accident.

As head of the department, Terry was able to build a team of outstanding teachers and researchers. He also had the satisfaction of seeing a major expansion in departmental activities, both in degree programs and in interdisciplinary research groupings.

Terry retired in 1992 and went on to become a medico-legal expert witness, completing the book Life Expectancy in Court: A Textbook for Doctors and Lawyers in 2002. Terry passed away on March 16, 2018 at the age of 90.

In memory of Terry’s life, the TW Anderson Memorial Fund in Epidemiology will be established to support and encourage students in the School of Population and Public Health.

Your gift will pay tribute to Terry, and help continue his legacy by supporting students with the same drive and passion for the field of epidemiology as he demonstrated throughout his career.