Image: Laura Cliffe of Huddersfield Yorkshire England, lately of Athens, GA., aged 34 passed away on Saturday, October 11, 2014. She was born, January 15th, 1980, to Barbara Cliffe and the late Ian Cliffe of Huddersfield, England. She is survived by her loving partner, Robert Sabatini, her mother, Barbara, Barbara’s fiancé, Keith Midwood, her sister Leah Hirst, Uncle Phil and Aunty Di, cousins, Nikki, Kim and Adam Collins, Jenna and Daniel Cliffe. Laura was an amazing, funny, feisty, one of a kind gem who embraced life and feared nothing. She had a full life and made many friends wherever she went. Her friendship meant that you would be showered with loving attention, help when you needed it and invitations to parties at her home and rendezvous’ at her favorite bars or cafes. Among Laura’s many interests was science. She was a gifted student and researcher. She worked on human parasites and her discoveries have changed conventional views of how these organisms cause disease. With the loving support of her fantastic parents, Laura spent her early years joining Brownies, swim team, karate, playing cricket for Yorkshire girls, football for Huddersfield town girls, netball for college and university. She took advantage of any opportunity that was offered at school or college including many field trips to places such as Mount Sinai and locations in Portugal. Because of her personality, confidence and remarkable social skills Laura, at age 15, was given the rare honor for her age of being asked to be head girl at King James High School. Laura's interest in science began in Junior school when she was told that she should become an entomologist. Thus, she brought home insects, some of which bred, much to her parent’s dismay. In 2001 she earned her Bachelor of Science degree at the University of Nottingham in the UK and continued her studies with Dr. Richard Grencis at the University of Manchester, UK, receiving her PhD in 2005. In the Grencis’ lab, Laura’s passion for research blossomed focusing on the most unlikely of organisms an intestinal worm. Laura loved her worms and her research gave new insight into the biology of these important human pathogens. As a graduate student, she was primary author on a paper she and Richard published in the magazine Science. An exceptional accomplishment. Laura was a rare spirit who seemed to throw her entire being into everything she did. In 2003, she joined an extraordinary group of students and faculty at the Marine Biology Laboratory in Woods Hole, MA, for a summer course devoted entirely to parasites. For Laura, the combination of parasites and Cape Cod was heavenly. She was to return to Woods Hole often to attend meetings and eventually joining the laboratory of Bob Sabatini, at the Marine Biological Laboratory, as a postdoctoral fellow. During this time she began her studies on new parasite, the trypanosome, which causes human sleeping sickness and other important diseases. Being an avid swimmer, surfer, bicyclist, kayaker and runner she explored the Cape. She would often leave Woods Hole before dawn to surf off the National Seashore and then be back at the bench doing experiments before her lab mates had gotten to work. She lived every minute of every day to its fullest. Laura was a strong and courageous woman. She accomplished much in her short life and touched many people with her wit, grace and passion for life. She is dearly missed. Laura helped many with her kindness and you may wish to make a donation in her name to the Athens Daily Bread Community Kitchen (http://actionministries.net/locations/athens/donate-athens/).
