McLennan, Geoffrey

Professor Geoffrey McLennan, MBBS, FRACP, Ph.D., 62, of Iowa City, died of metastatic osteogenic sarcoma on Tuesday, July 27, 2010, at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. He was surrounded by his family's love.

Funeral services will be 3 p.m. Friday at First Presbyterian Church in Iowa City. Memorials may be made to the Geoffrey McLennan Faculty Fellowship Fund at the University of Iowa Foundation: UI Foundation, P.O. Box 4550, Iowa City, IA 52244-4550. Online condolences may be sent to Geoffrey's family at

Geoffrey McLennan was born in South Australia on Nov. 28, 1947. He obtained his medical degree, doctor of philosophy and membership to the Royal Australian College of Physicians in Adelaide, Australia. After completing his extended specialist training in Adelaide, he trained for two years in alveolar macrophage function at the University of Iowa under the guidance of Dr. Zavala before returning to Adelaide as a Senior Staff Specialist in Thoracic Medicine.

In 1992, Geoffrey joined the University of Iowa (UI) Faculty, and continued his significant contribution to bronchoscopy, establishing new directions in interventional pulmonology and receiving excellent National Institutes of Health funding for his research, continuing until his death. He forged close ties with universities in South Australia, and established the Transnational Academic Alliance (ISATNA) between universities in South Australia and the University of Iowa. He had been the National Academic Director of the National Lung Screening Trail for the past eight years. He incorporated VIDA Diagnostics to commercialize patented computer software that he and his UI colleagues developed. Professor McLennan helped establish and was the director of the Iowa Institute for Biomedical Imaging. He published more than 100 peer-reviewed articles over a distinguished career that impacted medical practices. He developed the concept of eidomics to describe the simplification of medical imaging into low-complexity image sets by using video game technology for the first time in medicine. In 2010 the University of Iowa honored him with the Most Innovative and Effective Faculty member award.

He was a truly brilliant man, taken too soon, but whose legacy will continue. He always made time to help others, and you were his friend no matter if you were his student, colleague, neighbor or associate. He was respected by hundreds for the way he changed the world and his dedication to medicine and his family. At the time of his death, Geoffrey was Professor of Medicine, Radiology and Biomedical Engineering at the University of Iowa. He was an inspiration to everyone he touched, a friend to many, a hero to his family.

He is survived by his wife of 40 years, Christine McLennan, who was always by his side; daughter, Rebecca McLennan and her husband, Cameron H.J. Cooper, of Kansas City, Mo.; sons, Benjamin McLennan and his wife, Rebecca, of Wellman, Iowa, and Samuel Thomas McLennan and his fiancee, Katharine J. Walker, of London, U.K.; grandson, Declan Geoffrey McLennan Cooper; mother, Audrey E.C. McLennan; and his loving extended family.

Gay & Ciha Funeral and Cremation Service in Iowa City is caring for Geoffrey's family and his services.