David Price, 1954-2012

As well as being a renowned expert on the legal and ethical aspects of organ donation, David Price was a man of wide interests, ranging from tennis to sudoku to hill walking.

Born in 1954, Professor Price studied law as an undergraduate at Trent Polytechnic before completing a postgraduate certificate in higher education at Huddersfield Polytechnic.

In 1977, he joined Leicester Polytechnic, which later became De Montfort University, where he was to remain for the rest of his career. Originally appointed as lecturer in law, he was promoted to senior lecturer in 1987, principal lecturer in 1990 and professor of medical law in 1998.

He received a Fulbright scholarship in 1988-89 and that year taught as visiting professor of law at the Dickinson School of Law, Pennsylvania State University.

His academic speciality was the law and ethics relating to transplantation and the use of human tissue. This led to his becoming a member of the government's Organ Donation Taskforce, which investigated the potential impact of an opt-out system for organ donation in the UK, in 2008.

In 2010, he became the only legal representative on the Nuffield Council on Bioethics working party, examining the issues relating to the donation of organs and other bodily material.

Professor Price was also a member of the International Forum for Transplant Ethics and the World Health Organisation Task Force on Organ Transplantation, as well as a member of the Leicestershire Clinical Ethics Committee and an expert member of the Ethical, Legal and Psychosocial Aspects of Transplantation working group.

Within academia, he was the associate editor of the International Review of Law, Computers & Technology, a member of the editorial board of the Medical Law Review and a fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

David Wilson, deputy vice-chancellor and dean of business and law at De Montfort, said that Professor Price was "one of the kindest and most collegiate colleagues" as well as a researcher of "real distinction".

"David won the respect and affection of everyone who came into contact with him, and we are all going to miss him far more than words can ever express," he said.

Ronnie Mackay, professor of criminal policy and mental health at De Montfort, was a longtime friend and colleague of Professor Price. "It's difficult to find the words to sum him up," he said. "He was one of the nicest men you'd hope to meet, as well as an outstanding scholar."

Professor Wilson added that Professor Price's work benefited many hundreds of students. "David's all-too-short life conferred so much upon all of us."

Professor Price died on 3 January after a short illness. He is survived by his wife, Arlene, and his two children.

sarah.cunnane@tsleducation.com.