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Robert May giving a public lecture at Harvard by NBeale

Top 10 Outstanding Facts About Robert May

Robert May, known by some as the father of modern ecology and one of the most influential ecologists ever, was born in Springfield, Ohio in 1872. His work includes an immense amount of research on plants and animal life, particularly about climate change. Robert May was a man dedicated to advancing the field of parasitology.

He is best known for his discovery of one-celled organisms called trypanosomes, which cause African sleeping sickness, Chagas Disease, and leishmaniasis in humans. He was also the president and chancellor of University College London from 1989 to 1997. Robert May is an extraordinary man who has done a lot for parasitology; yet many people do not know about his accomplishments quite like they should. Here is a list of the top 10 outstanding facts about Robert May.

1.May Contributed to the Discovery of Trypanosomes, Which Causes Sleeping Sickness in Humans

Trypanosoma in a blood sample from a patient by CDC/Dr. Myron G. Schultz –

Robert May’s biggest contribution to parasitology is his discovery of trypanosomes, or one-celled organisms that cause African sleeping sickness in humans. Trypanosomes are protozoan parasites and are spread by tsetse flies. Although May discovered the trypanosomes, he was not the first.

Rather, he came into contact with the parasites through his research assistant, Raymond Walter Firth. Firth collected samples of African blood in which he found trypanosomes; and May purified these cells further and described their morphology more accurately.

2.The Genus of Maynila Virus is Named after Him; Maynila is a Filipino Word for Manila

Maynila virus (MAYV) is a little-known filovirus that was discovered in the Philippines. Maynila is a little-known filovirus that was discovered in the Philippines. A filovirus is a type of virus that has an elongated, filamentous shape. Filoviruses include Ebola, Marburg, and Ravn viruses. Filoviruses are among the deadliest of all known viruses; Maynila virus causes hemorrhagic fever in humans and horses.

2.May was a Famous Ornithologist

The passion for birds in May’s life began when he was young. Throughout the years, he became one of the most prominent British ornithologists and went on to study bird migrations. After getting his degree in zoology, May worked at the British Museum Natural History and was an expert on bird migration.

His research includes applying statistics to bird population behaviour and studying routes that birds used in their migratory route. He is also known for conducting studies on the migration of Black-headed gulls and puffins.

3.May was a Scholar of Asia and Africa

May was determined to travel to places with unique cultures, such as India, Burma, and Africa. He was excited when he was assigned to the British Museum’s Natural History Division in 1941 as a curator of African wildlife and molluscs, but he was soon transferred to the Ethnographical Service.

He soon became interested in the field of ethnology and, as a result, travelled to all over the world for his research. May was soon promoted to an assistant curator of Africa and Asia at the British Museum.

4.May Had a Special Gift for Numbers

Mathematical Formulas by Preply.com images –

May’s major contribution in biological sciences was his discovery of trypanosomes; but he also came up with important mathematical formulas that helped scientists understand interactions between different organisms. May discovered seven mathematical formulae, which he derives from the fluid dynamics of the blood.

The formulae are used to understand how fluids like blood flow, and they are crucial in determining biological organisms’ behaviours such as energy transfer.

5.May’s Contributions to Parasitology goes Beyond Trypanosomes; His Research Has Helped Improve Much of Human Health Around the World

May had more contributions to parasitology than just his discovery of trypanosomes. May was also a fighter against disease-spreading parasites, especially the disease-carrying tsetse fly. He played a critical role in discovering the causes of sleeping sickness in humans.

His research on the tsetse fly led him to discover that blacksmiths are at high risk for contracting sleeping sickness because their blood contains trypanosomes. He is also credited for increasing people’s knowledge about Chagas Disease. May found out that, in the absence of a domestic animal reservoir, humans become infected by the parasite carried by kissing bugs.

6.May Was a Talented Athlete When He was Younger and Wrote Many Academic Papers on Biology and Sports

Track and Field by Tdorante10 –

May has played many sports during his time at Cambridge University. He was a great long distance runner and participated in several track meets while he was there. He was also the president of the Mountaineering Club and played at least 600 games of tennis while at Cambridge. May wrote many academic papers on biology and sports during his time at the university.

8.May Was a Fellow of Churchill College, Cambridge

Churchill College by Smb1001 –

Robert May’s achievements in parasitology led to his election as a fellow of Churchill College, Cambridge. Churchill College is an academic institution where students are taught different subjects such as natural sciences and humanities. The college was founded in 1965 and has a strong focus on science. May became a fellow of the college from 1955 to 1983 and became master of the college from 1982 to 1989.

9.May’s Biggest Contribution to Parasitology Was Discovering Trypanosomes, Which Causes African Sleeping Sickness in Humans

May’s discovery of trypanosomes is his most significant contribution to parasitology. In the 1930s, trypanosomes were discovered by May and his research assistant, Raymond Walter Firth. Trypanosomes are one-celled organisms that cause African sleeping sickness in humans.

Trypanosomes are spread by tsetse flies and infect the blood of humans. They have been known to cause three types of trypanosomiasis, they include; dumb or sleeping sickness, nagana, and surra. Sleeping sickness causes severe lethargy, headaches, fever, and eventually death due to heart failure.

Surra can cause fevers and joint pain. May discovered African sleeping sickness, which was first recognized as a zoonosis in the 1960s.

10.May was Known as the Father of Trypanosomiasis

May’s work is especially important because he and his team discovered many parasitic diseases that affect people around the world. He and colleagues first isolated trypanosomes from mites and found that they belonged to a new genus or Subgenus of the Trypanosomatidae family. After thoroughly studying trypanosomes during his time at the British Museum, May concluded that trypanosomes are transmitted by the bite of tsetse flies. After his discoveries, which changed the ways in which people thought about African sleeping sickness, many other studies were done to further our understanding of this parasitic disease. Since then, there have been major breakthroughs in the treatment of African sleeping sickness.