The pioneering researcher in infectious diseases, particularly HIV/AIDS, Ebola, and SARS, died in Kenya aged 67 on Feb 4, 2020.
Frank Plummer, world-renowned microbiologist and professor at the University of Manitoba (Winnipeg, Canada) was, in the words of former colleague Gary Kobinger (University of Manitoba), “an unassuming giant in the field of infectious diseases”. Best known for his ground-breaking research in Africa in understanding HIV transmission and working on developing an HIV vaccine, Plummer's other contributions were equally huge globally, including supporting the development of an Ebola vaccine and leading the response to the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) epidemic while Scientific Director General of Canada's National Microbiology Laboratory (NML; Winnipeg).
Born in Winnipeg on Dec 2, 1952, Plummer went on to study medicine at the University of Manitoba and became interested in infectious diseases early in his career. In 1980, he responded to a request from Herbert Nsanze (University of Nairobi, Kenya) to assist in the control of an outbreak of chancroid occurring in Kenya. In 1982, while still in Kenya, he began working on identifying the transmission routes of the newly recognised disease AIDS, remaining in Kenya for the next 14 years to continue his research. Allan Ronald (Professor Emeritus, University of Manitoba) who worked with Plummer in Kenya recalls “[Frank] noted that HIV was being acquired in women engaged in commercial sex and that their uncircumcised partners, particularly those who had acquired chancroid, were far more likely to become HIV-infected. He initiated programmes to reduce transmission of both HIV and chancroid.”
Plummer helped to identify many of the key factors involved in HIV transmission, particularly that HIV could be passed onto women or babies through breast milk. Perhaps his most widely known contribution to AIDS research was his identification of Kenyan female sex workers who seemed to possess natural immunity to HIV-1, remaining uninfected despite decades of sex work. Ronald commented “Frank's research in Kenya and Canada focused on these women and identified immunological and genetic features that appeared to partly explain their reduced susceptibility to acquisition of HIV”. The project provided vital new information for HIV vaccine and drug development, and Plummer was hopeful that he was on the path that would lead to the discovery of an HIV vaccine.
Joshua Kimani (University of Nairobi), who worked with Plummer on several HIV/AIDS studies in Kenya remembers him fondly. ”Frank was an easy going, intelligent, team leader. He was passionate about science and the impact it had on society, and disseminated the importance of targeted HIV prevention programmes.” Kimani continued “In Nairobi, we have a long-standing research collaboration between Canada and Kenya, a level 3 laboratory, and a HIV vaccine institute that Frank helped to create. We lost a great scientist at a young age, a friend who didn't care about colour or creed”.
In 1999, Plummer returned to Winnipeg to build the NML, remaining at the helm for 13 years. He was almost immediately confronted with the SARS epidemic, which was contained partly due to his leadership. Research on Ebola virus during his time at NML led to a vaccine that proved to be more than 95% effective in preventing infections in west Africa and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Kobinger, who worked with Plummer in developing the vaccine, commented: “It should come [as] no surprise that Frank believed all along that the vesicular stomatitis virus-based Ebola vaccine was going to offer a unique solution. He had this rare gift of understanding the global potential of discoveries from the first sparks”. Kobinger also recalled Plummer casually refer to ground-breaking discoveries he had made, such as a human parvovirus causing erythema infectiosum-like illness, which became important in the field of adeno-associated virus gene therapy.
Besides his contribution to research, Plummer was also the first person in North America to receive deep brain stimulation for alcohol addiction in a trial done at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre (Toronto, Canada) by Peter Giacobbe and colleagues in Dec 2018. Plummer wrote his blog 1 year on, detailing how he felt the surgery was a success and that he had reclaimed his joy of life back. Giacobbe commented “Through [Frank's] dedication to the advancement of medical science and generous sharing of his story, he helped to de-stigmatise addiction and encouraged continued research of neuromodulation to address mental health illness”.
As David T Barnard (President and Vice-Chancellor, University of Manitoba) commented: “[Dr Plummer] was a prime example of dedication and passion in one's profession. He was admired and regarded highly by academics and researchers around the world, and his legacy of seeking to develop an HIV vaccine remains one of the landmarks of infectious disease prevention”.
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