NZSG farewells Dr Kamran Rostami

Dr Kamran Rostami moved to Palmerston North, New Zealand from the UK in 2018 with his wife Adele and sons Cyrus and Kianush. He quickly became a valuable part of our gastroenterology service, and he and his family a vibrant part of our community life.

Kamran was well known for his research on coeliac disease and non-coeliac gluten sensitivity. He collaborated with Prof. Michael Marsh on duodenal pathology in coeliac disease, and was part of the research thread that validates antibody diagnosis of coeliac disease in cases where titres are high. His ongoing research interests were on gluten-related disorders and nutrition therapy in Inflammatory Bowel Disease, as highlighted in his 149 publications. His work influenced gastroenterology care in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Kamran grew up with family in rural Iran. He received his MD degree from Carol Davila University Bucharest, completed his Artsexamen qualification from the University of Nijmegen, and completed his PhD at the University of Amsterdam. He undertook his specialist training in Internal Medicine at Twenteborg Hospital in Almelothen, the Netherlands, and completed his specialist gastroenterology training through the West Midlands Deanery in the UK. This journey saw him practice medicine in three 'second languages' - Romanian, Dutch and English! He enjoyed language and quickly found fun in playing with the kiwi accent in the endoscopy room -- "Wait everybody! just a munut!"

Kamran and Adele enjoyed the space and quiet of a 5 acre block on the outskirts of Palmy, where they were wonderful hosts of many memorable occasions. Our annual gastroenterology get together was held repeatedly by the Rostamis for a number of years, and they were much valued by the team and contributed to the wonderful camradarie experienced by the staff of the department.

Recently Kamran returned to the UK where he passed away on Friday the 14th of August. He will be sadly missed and our condolences go out to his family during this time.

James Irwin and the Palmerston North gastroenterology department.