Robert Williamson: key obituary facts
Is Robert Williamson dead? Yes. Robert Williamson died on October 10, 2026, at age 88.
Cause of death: Robert Williamson's cause of death has not been publicly confirmed.
What was Robert Williamson known for?
He was an Australian molecular biologist.
More about Robert Williamson
Born: 14 May 1938.
Place of birth: Cleveland.
Gender: male.
Nationality: United Kingdom.
Employer: University of London, University of Glasgow.
Awards: King Faisal Prize in Medicine, Fellow of the Royal Society, Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science, Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of London, Fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists, Officer of the Order of Australia, Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences.
Also known as: Richard Edward Williamson, Bob Williamson, Williamson, Robert, 1938-, Robert (Bob) Williamson.
Robert Williamson, the British–Australian geneticist and molecular biologist, died on October 10, 2026, aged 88.
Born in Cleveland, Ohio, to Scottish parents, he moved to Britain at 16 when his family returned to the United Kingdom. He attended the Bronx High School of Science in New York and Wandsworth School in South London, then studied at University College London.
Williamson began his academic career at the University of Glasgow in 1963, serving first as a lecturer and later as a senior lecturer in developmental biology. His work focused on mapping human genetic disorders, identifying the genes involved and improving their diagnosis. In 1995 he emigrated to Melbourne to lead the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, then known as the Murdoch Institute, and became professor of medical genetics at the University of Melbourne. Alongside his research and institutional leadership, he edited several books on genetic engineering and the ethical questions raised by the new genetic sciences. His honors included the King Faisal Prize in Medicine, election as a Fellow of the Royal Society and the Australian Academy of Science, and appointment as an Officer of the Order of Australia. He was also a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians of London, the Royal College of Pathologists and the Academy of Medical Sciences.