Cardiologist and Consultant Physician
Born in Naxxar, Joseph Zammit Maempel was educated at the Lyceum and the UM, from where he graduated PhC (1933) and MD (1937). Being awarded scholarships by Strachan (1937-1938) and the British Council (1945-1946), he attended the Royal Postgraduate Medical School in London. He also followed an advanced course in medicine at the Royal London Hospital Medical School of London University (1938), and a special postgraduate course in cardiology and cardiography at Vienna University. In 1946 he was elected member of the Royal College of Physicians of London and, in 1965, a fellow.
Zammit Maempel began his career as a house-physician at the central teaching hospital (1938) and as assistant to the professor of medicine at the RUM (1939-1945). He served as assistant visiting physician at St Francis emergency hospital (1941-1945), and physician (1946-1963) and senior physician (1963-1973) at St Luke’s teaching hospital. He was professor and head of department of materia medica and therapeutics (1947-1967), dean of the faculty of medicine (1963-1966), professor and head of department of medicine (1967-1973), and examiner of the faculty of medicine in clinical pharmacology (chairman, 1947-1973), medicine (1952-1973), and physiology (1952-1962). He was a member of the faculty board of medicine and of the Senate (1947-1973) and the Council of the UM (1966-1973). He was also a member of the Medical Council (1966-1973), serving as acting president in 1972 and as civilian consultant in medicine to the Royal Navy in Malta (1970-1979).
Zammit Maempel served on numerous government and medical boards and commissions. He served as member of the British Medical Association (president, Malta Branch 1950-51), He was elected a fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine (1967) and member of the Unione Medica del Mediterraneo Latino/Società Medica Interna (1969). He was also national representative for Malta at the International Society & Federation of Cardiology, in connection with the ‘Europe Heart Week’ public health campaigns (1971).
Zammit Maempel has published numerous scientific papers in medical journals. His most significant and long-lasting contribution is his pioneer clinical research on diabetes in Malta and its cardiovascular complications.
Zammit Maempel has been nominated knight of the Military and Hospitaller Order of St Lazarus of Jerusalem (1966), deputy grand hospitaller (1969), knight order of merit (1971), and knight commander (1979).
Zammit Maempel was one of the 25 persons to whom the American Five Thousand Personalities of The World (1994) is dedicated.
Zammit Maempel married Evelyn Camilleri in 1944 and they had three sons, Joseph, Frederick, and Elia, and two daughters, Carmen and Marisa.
This biography is part of the collection created by Michael Schiavone over a 30-year period. Read more about Schiavone and his initiative here.