People
•
Obituary: Prof. Alex E. Felice
A renowned scientist, architect of modern biomedical research in Malta, and devoted mentor has just left us. By his humble yet inestimable influence, Prof. Alex E. Felice touched the lives of numerous individuals.
Alex was a graduate of the Medical School of the University of Malta and went on to secure a PhD in the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta, U.S.A. in 1981, setting the course for his career. Under the mentorship of Titus Huisman, he found himself as Programme Director in the Veterans’ Administration Medical Research Service, specifically in the haemoglobin division, and Associate Professor in the cell and molecular biology and paediatric haematology departments at the Medical College of Georgia. With grants from the U.S. Veterans Administration and the National Institutes of Health, he organised a population programme to identify haemoglobin and sickle cell disease.
His academic life’s passion was the epidemiology, genetics and gene control of human haemoglobin and thalassaemia. His return to Malta in 1989 revolutionised the biomedical science and rare illness diagnosis in the country. At the University of Malta, St Luke's Hospital and later on, Mater Dei Hospital, along with Dr Joe Louis Grech, and as a small group of collaborators, he established the Thalassaemia and Molecular Genetics facilities. Within a couple of years, he became the mentor of a tight-knit team made up of undergraduates, postgraduates and postdoctoral researchers, which set the stage for the Molecular Biotechnology Research Programme, encompassing Human Genomics and the Malta BioBank.
Drawing on his medical background, he conceptualised a structured Thalassaemia Clinic and developed a newborn screening programme for haemoglobin disorders. He led the integration of modern molecular diagnostics into routine clinical care and laid the foundations for the molecular oncology and genetics laboratory at Mater Dei Hospital. It would not be an exaggeration to describe Alex as a pioneer in biobanking and rare disease networks. As a founding member and later coordinator of the EuroBioBank (EBB) Network, he initiated Europe's first operating rare disease biobank network, providing DNA, cell, and tissue samples to the research community across multiple countries. He was also one of the co-founders of what is now the largest European Health Research Infrastructure Consortium for Biobanking and Biomolecular Research (BBMRI-ERIC). Alex’s vision placed Malta at the forefront of European research initiatives, even before the term “research infrastructures” was widely used.
He also understood that a healthy scientific ecosystem needs institutions, not just laboratories. In 1992, together with a small group of colleagues, he founded the Malta Chamber of Scientists and served as its first President. The Chamber sought to bring together scientists and researchers, to promote science in Malta, and to engage the public. Its activities - from Science in the City to Kids Dig Science, Malta Café Scientifique, CineXjenza and the journal Xjenza - all reflect his belief that science belongs in the public square, not behind closed doors. I had the honour of serving as the first Secretary of the Chamber at his side.
Throughout his career, Alex authored dozens of manuscripts, abstracts and international presentations. His article “The Beautiful World of Human Haemoglobin” is not only a scientific review, but encapsulates his love journey between Malta, the United States, and back, creating labs, fostering students, planting international relationships and demonstrating that minuscule countries can truly make a difference in global sciences.
Though Professor Felice was well known in several international scientific, haematological and human genetics societies, and was deeply respected by colleagues across continents, for many of us, his greatest achievement was his mentorship. Together with Prof. Connie Bezzina and Prof. Mohamed Marwan, I was among his first group of PhD graduates from the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery. Under his guidance, we were trained not only in techniques and protocols but in how to think as scientists.
He had a unique way of combining intellectual rigour with quiet encouragement. He could review a draft paper or research idea with disarming precision, but rather than discouraging, he inspired us to do better. Many of his students have since gone on to become professors, consultants and leaders in Malta and abroad. In each of our careers, there are traces of his influence, in the way we approach data, in the questions we choose to ask, and in the standards we try to uphold.
Being a visionary, his work with rare diseases, biobanking and newborn screening anticipated what we now call “genomic medicine” and “personalised healthcare”, decades before those terms became household terms.
His passing has left a profound void in his family, the Faculty of Medicine & Surgery, the hospital services he helped to develop, the Malta Chamber of Scientists, EuroBioBank, BBMRI-ERIC, the National Alliance for Rare Diseases Support - Malta, and in the many national and international networks that benefited from his wisdom.
For me personally, he was not only a supervisor and mentor, but a guide and example. To have been one of his first PhD students and later to help continue the work he started has been one of the great privileges of my professional life.
May we honour Professor Alex E. Felice not only by remembering his achievements, but by continuing the work to which he devoted his life: rigorous science, service to patients, and a deep belief that knowledge, shared generously, can change lives. And may we carry forward the curiosity and uncompromising scientific integrity he taught us.
On behalf of his former students and colleagues
Latest articles
