During those years, we had the privilege of visiting his laboratory and hearing the many outstanding presentations of

his students, Fellows and Faculty. Greg was proud of his group for regularly winning the annual HIF inhibitor race for having the most oral presentations selected for the annual meeting of the ASBMR. Greg’s early work identified his lifelong interest in cancer and the skeleton, but his interests were broad and his capabilities more so. When he started in San Antonio, this was just the beginning of bone cell biology – at last it was possible to get cells out of bone and study them. He made very many major contributions to understanding of the messages passing among the cells of bone – the cytokines and growth factors and how they acted and TGF-beta inhibitor were influenced by hormones. In fact, not much happened in this whole field that did not contain a significant contribution from the Mundy laboratory. This strong basis in the cell and organ biology of bone underpinned the outstanding work on the skeletal complications of cancer, but was also applied to development of ideas of the pathogenesis and new drugs for osteoporosis. His group’s work was pivotal in bringing to focus the idea first propagated by Stephen Paget in 1890, that the bone environment is especially hospitable

many to certain cancers. Greg worked hard on the idea of the importance of the bone microenvironment, and it is fair to say that he contributed more than any other individual to how important this is to how solid cancers, particularly of breast and prostate, spread to the skeleton and flourish there. Greg was a superb lecturer, whether talking about his own research or surveying the field, and had a real skill in cutting through complexity. For decades he was in much demand as a speaker

at international meetings. We all know how life as a scientist requires a competitive spirit. Greg was a great competitor – you could readily see the fast bowler from his early cricket coming out in his professional life – the questions asked at scientific meetings, the answers given, the determination to be first with the best information. He was great at the microphone. The “soft side” that his cricketing colleagues recall was not so apparent in his competitive research. Greg nevertheless had a genuine personal charm and enthusiastic boyishness that always came through. Collaborative work with him was always exciting and productive of ideas. Communication was instant – the advent of email meant that messages sent to GRM were answered immediately, and that was exactly what was expected of you. It was easy to be his friend and colleague even when the debates were fierce.