Friends of Philip C. Robinson, MBChB, PhD, FRACP, Associate Professor of Medicine at the Royal Brisbane Clinical Unit at the University of Queensland, celebrated his life after he died on January 3, 2023, at the age of 43, according to reporters from Healio. Those who worked with him and knew him best highlighted that he will be remembered for his qualities as a rheumatologist and as an individual—inspiring self-confidence in others, offering bold and clear insights, championing collaboration, supporting his peers and junior colleagues, and committing to positivity and excellence. A clinician-researcher as well as an educator and physician, Dr. Robinson worked tirelessly to improve the lives of patients with rheumatic diseases and was an advocate for improving the quality of life for patients with gout, who he felt were underserved. He was the Cofounder and Steering Committee Chair of the COVID-19 Global Rheumatology Alliance, a resource that collected data from 22,000 cases for rheumatologists and their patients to consult for COVID-19–related questions. The initiative helped him fill an information gap by publishing 45 papers on COVID-19 in rheumatic disease and was his proudest achievement. “I hope he will be remembered as someone who gave…freely and deeply to others without any expectation in return, [except for] the hope he could lift them up,” concluded David Liew, MD, a consultant rheumatologist and clinical pharmacologist at Austin Health, Australia, underscoring that “He was an incredible mentor, and I am so much more for his impact on my life.” Dr. Robinson is survived by his wife and two children.


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