Professor Mary-Louise McLaws, the epidemiologist who guided Australians through the Covid-19 pandemic, has died at the age of 70 from brain cancer.
McLaws died in her sleep on Saturday night, her husband Richard Flook said in a statement to the Sydney Morning Herald.
“She had been so well cared for by the nurses and doctors at Wolper Hospital in Woollahra and had enjoyed the visits of her many friends who have been so supportive of her and our family,” Flook said.
The family will be planning McLaws’ funeral service to be held at Emanuel Synagogue in Sydney’s eastern suburbs in the coming days.
McLaws was diagnosed with brain cancer in January last year.
She was awarded an Order of Australia for her service to epidemiology, infection prevention and health administration as one of 92 Australians recognised in a special Covid-19 honour roll in last year’s Queen’s birthday honours.
McLaws was a professor of epidemiology at the University of New South Wales, a member of the NSW clinical excellence commission’s Covid infection prevention and control taskforce, and an independent adviser to the World Health Organization’s health emergencies program on Covid infection and control.
Because of time differences, her WHO meetings often took place at night and would run until the early hours of the morning. McLaws told Guardian Australia in 2021 she was “constantly jetlagged” but was always happy to sacrifice sleep to be informed by cutting-edge, ever-changing scientific research.
She became well-known outside of health circles during the first two years of the Covid-19 pandemic when she dedicated much of her time to communicating important health messages about infection control, often making herself available to journalists at all hours to help with their understanding on epidemiology.
The federal health minister, Mark Butler, told ABC Radio McLaws’ death was “such sad news”.
“Hers was an incredibly calm, articulate voice at a time that was very frightening to Australians. To hear her on programs like yours, to see her on TV outline in a very calm but authoritative and articulate way, the best way we could protect ourselves was a source of great reassurance to the Australian people,” Butler said.
“But it was only a small part of a lifelong career she gave in epidemiology and infectious diseases, particularly in NSW in areas like HIV and viral hepatitis,” Butler said.
The president of the Australian Medical Association, Prof Steve Robson, described her death as “a terrible loss for the country”.
“I was devastated to learn of Professor McLaws passing,” Robson said. “She was a towering figure both here and globally. Her counsel during the darkest days of the pandemic helped guide the profession and the country.”
Dr Susannah Eliott, CEO of the Australian Science Media Centre, which regularly interviewed McLaws about Covid and disseminated her insights to journalists, said: “During the height of the pandemic, the AusSMC was running a 24/7 news service, helping journalists find the right expert to help make sense of the confusing information about the virus.
“Whenever we had a particularly tricky question the most common phrase in the team was ‘ring Mary-Louise’, because we knew that she had answers to pretty much every question and would go out of her way to help. She was always calm, measured and available,” Eliott said.
“She had a skill for connecting with people through her boundless empathy and genuine willingness to help – she was a truly brilliant science communicator. She was also incredibly modest, asking for feedback on her interviews and open to suggestions on how she could improve.
“We were devastated when we found out about her illness. She will be sorely missed by scientists, journalists and by us.
“On a personal note, I once asked her if she would help my son with his research project on antibiotic resistance, thinking she might answer a couple of emailed questions. She told him to visit her at UNSW and spent over an hour with him and helped inspire him to study science after high school.”
The chancellor of UNSW, David Gonski, said “we mourn the passing of a UNSW academic who was locally grown and became a superstar while remaining tenacious, humble, hardworking and caring.
“We are grateful for all she did for UNSW and Australia, she will not be forgotten”.
Professor Vlado Perkovic, the dean of medicine and health at the university, said McLaws was a formidable force and will be dearly missed.
“Her 36 years in UNSW Medicine & Health were marked by her ground-breaking research, unwavering dedication and a relentless pursuit of improvements in infection control helping save innumerable lives.”
At a a ceremony last year celebrating her career at the university, former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull praised McLaws, saying: “You spoke truth, you took on the pandemic of disinformation, you helped keep us safe, for that we owe you so much.”
McLaws is survived by her husband, Richard, and her children Zia and Zachary.
