Dr. Steven E. Pfeiffer, 67, died on Sunday, August 26, 2007 after a two year struggle with bladder cancer. Dr. Pfeiffer graduated from Carleton College in Northfield, MN and received his doctorate in molecular biology from Washington University in St. Louis, MO. He was a postdoctoral fellow with Dr. Gordon Sato at Brandeis University in Waltham, MA. For the past 38 years Steve worked as a professor of microbiology and neuroscience at the U Conn Health Center in Farmington, CT. Dr. Pfeiffer was world-reknowned for his knowledge of epigenetic regulators and stages of oligodendrocyte development. Steve was a founding member of and clarinetist for the Farmington Valley Symphony Orchestra and an avid traveler. He and his wife Carol shared their love of camping with their three daughters and their beagles. He created beautiful outdoor spaces, including the woods and path around his home and a Zen garden. Steve was a mentor to countless students and colleagues and a very active member of the Society for Neurochemistry. His keen intelligence, boundless curiosity, sense of humor, optimism and compassion will be deeply missed.

For a more complete tribute to Dr. Pfeiffer go to: Pfeiffer

Dr. Bernard Haber passed away on July 23, 2007, after a long battle with diabetes. Bernard was a member of the faculty of UTMB from 1971 until his retirement in 1999. Bernard was Editor in Chief of the Journal of Neuroscience Research and served as liaison between the American and International Societies for Neurochemistry until his health no longer allowed it. In 2005 the ASN created the Bernard Haber Award to recognize his outstanding contributions to the development and strengthening of relationships between the ASN and other neuroscience societies. He was semi-famous for his gourmet cooking and infamous for his wild and crazy parties. Bernard celebrated life and was unforgettable to those who had met him. Contributions to the Bernard Haber Award Fund may be made in his memory.

For a more complete tribute to Dr. Haber go to: Haber

Dr. Lloyd A. Horrocks, age 75, died unexpectedly at The Ohio State University Hospital on Saturday morning, August 18, 2007. Professor Horrocks earned his Ph.D. in physiological chemistry from The Ohio State University and worked as a Research Associate at the Cleveland Psychiatric Institute from 1960-1968 before rejoining the Department of Physiological Chemistry (now Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry) at The Ohio State University as an Assistant Professor in 1968. He was promoted to full Professor in 1973 and served in that capacity until he retired in 1992. Lloyd is best known for his research on brain phospholipid metabolism, especially plasmalogen metabolism, and on phospholipases A2 in the brain. He authored over 350 research publications, edited 7 books, and wrote 2 monographs during his career. He was the Editor-in-Chief of Neurochemical Pathology (now J. Molecular Neuroscience). He served ASN as a member of Council and on numerous ASN committees. He served on numerous editorial advisory boards (J. Neurochemistry, J. Lipid Research, Lipids, and Neurochemical Research), on grant review panels, and mentored many graduate students and post-doctoral colleagues. Dr. Horrocks was truly a gentleman who was liked and will be missed by his friends, students and colleagues.

For a more complete tribute to Dr. Horrocks go to: Horrocks

In Memory of
Robert E. Jewert
April 12, 1925 – August 13, 2007

Robert E. Jewart was born April 12, 1925, on Easter Sunday in Port Allegheny, PA. He had a passion for flying and joined the Air Corp in 1945. Just after the war, it was a great time for pilots with the startup of many small airlines. In 1951 he joined Eastern Airlines, and within one year became a Captain and then after 33 years of service retired from Eastern Airlines at Seniority #12. I am certain that many of you flew with Captain Jewart in your travels over the years. He was a man of few words yet communicated in a way that was understood and respected by every person he touched. Hunting, fishing, pruning…any activity outdoors is where you would find him. A man that was always willing to help in a way that taught you to grow and prosper for yourself. Life lessons…never a handout. He will be missed by family and friends. We wish him God’s speed on his last flight home.

ASN Members: I would like to thank all of you for your kind words, cards and support for the loss of my father. He was a giant in my eyes and I expected him to live forever. Your thoughts and prayers filled my heart and proved, once again, that ASN is indeed a wonderful family.

Sheilah Jewart

In Memory of
Dr. Eduardo F. Soto

May 21, 1927 - March 20, 2009

Dr. Eduardo F. Soto, 81, died on Friday, March 20, 2009. Eduardo obtained both his M.D. (1952) and Ph.D. (1957) degrees from the University of Buenos Aires, Argentina. After being an Associate Neurologist at the St. Mary’s Group of Hospitals in St. Louis, Eduardo was a fellow neuroscientist in the McLean Hospital at Harvard University, where he worked in the laboratory of Professor Jordi Folch-Pi. Eduardo pioneered research on encephalitogenic proteins and was particularly interested in the role of lipids and proteolipids in myelin membrane stability and in multiple sclerosis. In 1963, he returned to Buenos Aires where he assembled his own research group and began a lifetime commitment as an educator and researcher. He rose through the ranks becoming a full Professor in the Department of Biological Chemistry at the School of Pharmacy and Biochemistry in the University of Buenos Aires, where he was honoured with the title of Emeritus Professor in 2005. He authored numerous publications, chaired a myriad of both national and international symposia and served in several scientific societies. Together with his wife, Dr. Juana Maria Pasquini, he formed one of the most prolific South American training groups in neuroscience. He mentored countless young Argentine scientists, humbly and unwittingly influencing the minds of many colleagues around the globe. We will forever miss Eduardo, not only for his sharp intelligence but also for his keen smile, extraordinary kindness, unique sense of humour and wholehearted love for the advancement of the young.

In Memory of
Dr. Robert Katzman
Nov. 29, 1925 – Sept. 16, 2008

Robert Katzman, M.D., Professor Emeritus of Neurosciences, former chair of the Department of Neurosciences and founding director of the Shirley-Marcos Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (ADRC) at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine died Tuesday, September 16, at his home after a long illness. He was 82 years old.

"My only concern when Saul died was the relief that came with Bob's appointment and the feeling that ourfuture as a department was in good hands. Bob was always appreciative of our work and a firm supporter when support was needed" commented Bob Ledeen who was at Einstein during Katzman's tenure there.

An internationally known leader in Alzheimer’s research, Katzman was instrumental in establishing the ADRC at UC San Diego in 1984, one of the original five Alzheimer’s Disease Research Centers of its kind in the country funded by the National Institute on Aging. He held the Florence Riford Chair for Research in Alzheimer’s Disease at UC San Diego from 1984 until his retirement in 1995. Katzman was also a founder of the national Alzheimer’s Association, an achievement he once remarked was the one of which he was most proud. His landmark 1976 editorial in the American Medical Association’s “Archives of Neurology” was the first to state the prevalence and severity of Alzheimer’s disease, calling it a “major killer.” He was a strong advocate for increased funding for research in the disease and, in part due to Katzman’s influence, federal funding in Alzheimer’s research grew from $5 million in 1980 to over $300 million by 1996.

Dr. Katzman was an undergraduate at the U. of Chicago and attended Harvard Medical School, graduating cum laude in 1953. Katzman’s academic career developed at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, New York. He was chair of neurology there from 1964 until 1984, when he moved to UC San Diego. He received the 1960 S. Weir Mitchell Award from the American Academy of Neurology, and was a co-editor of the first neurochemistry text Basic Neurochemistry (1972), a book now in its seventh edition. His work on brain electrolytes was summarized in a book written with Dr. Hanna Pappius and published in 1972 entitled Brain Electrolytes and Fluid Metabolism.

A full biography of Robert Katzman can be found at: Dr. Robert Katzman