September 14, 1937 – February 22, 2022
Beloved alumnus Brian S. Bull ’61, an inventor and one of the world’s leading experts on hematology, who served as dean of Loma Linda University School of Medicine (LLUSM) for a decade, died Feb. 22, 2022, at age 84.
Dr. Bull was born in Watford, a suburb of London, England, on Sept. 14, 1937. He attended high school in Jamaica where his father served as a school administrator. He then attended both Pacific Union College and what is now Walla Walla University before coming to LLUSM.
Graduating in 1961 at the top of his medical class helped him land residencies at Yale University and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), where he collaborated on numerous groundbreaking research projects. He also completed fellowships at the NIH and the Royal Postgraduate Medical School in London. He returned to LLUSM as an assistant professor of pathology in 1968, became associate professor in 1971, and served as department chair for 40 years, beginning in 1973.
Dr. Bull was a prolific inventor, creating numerous methods and instruments to better understand blood platelets and their function, including clotting. His colleagues estimate he was granted 17 patents and authored 230 papers. At the NIH, he helped invent the Coulter Counter analysis, an electrochemical cell with a small hole in it to count blood platelets as they pass, similar to what had already been invented for blood cells. He also created “Bull’s Algorithm” in the 1970s, an equation for blood lab technicians to quickly determine if equipment is working correctly, still widely used in most lab equipment today. He published the algorithm instead of thinking to patent it, which he later laughed about.
He is also credited for increased monitoring of how cardiopulmonary bypass patients metabolize heparin to reduce post-operative bleeding, enabling the medical community to significantly reduce mortalities in the early days of open-heart surgery. His lab served as the nation’s reference laboratory for blood counting and measuring equipment for many years. He also served on an FDA committee that evaluated devices for blood coagulation.
As LLUSM dean (1994–2003) he sought to empower students and increase graduation rates. His approaches included creating systems for more students to perform well on national exams and to better pinpoint key attributes of successful medical students, which colleagues then used to more effectively interview applicants. He was a thoughtful leader and caring professor—known to offer tutoring to any medical student, even meeting as early as 5:00 a.m.!
His numerous awards over the years include Walla Walla University Alumnus of the Year in 1984, Honored Alumnus (1987) and Alumnus of the Year (2009) by the Alumni Association, the Community Commendation and the Humanitarian Award from the School of Medicine in 1991, and the William L. Cover, MD, Outstanding Contribution to Medicine Award from the San Bernardino County Medical Society in 1994.
Dr. Bull was perpetually curious and known for being incredibly knowledgeable about nearly any subject. He enjoyed playing tennis, studying geology, discussing theology, and had a broad spectrum of interests. He particularly enjoyed visiting mineral and rock shows in Arizona, where he was known as a strong negotiator with sellers, using skills he had learned as a teenager in bustling Jamaican markets.
Dr. Bull remained active in his work through December 2021, including a series of journal articles highlighting new research on the pathology of COVID-19 infection.
He is survived by his wife, Maureen H. Bull ’57, and daughters, Beverly and Beryl H. Harrison ’94.