|
|
|
|
|
|
In Memory of
Dr. Steven Pfeiffer
August 13, 1940 -
August 26, 2007
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
|
In Memory of
Dr. Bernard Haber
July 20, 1934 -
July 23, 2007
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
|
In Memory of
Dr. Lloyd Horrocks
1932 -
August 18, 2007
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 |
In Memory of
Celia Campagnoni
February 24, 1941 - June 17, 2010
It is with great sadness that we note that Celia Campagnoni died June 17, 2010 in Los Angeles CA. Celia was an important investigator in the myelin field for over 40 years. She collaborated with her husband Tony Campagnoni throughout that time, first at the University of Maryland and later at UCLA, and they were a remarkable team. Celia received her MS at the University of Washington in physical chemistry, and then worked with Dr. Henry Mahler, in whose laboratory she met her future husband. The collaboration of Tony and Celia Campagnoni was extremely important for our understanding of the molecular biology of myelination, and, in particular, novel aspects of the myelin basic protein gene structure and function. Celia was remarkably accurate and precise in her research. She decided in the late 1980’s to screen cDNA libraries for all myelin basic protein related cDNAs and all myelin proteolipid protein cDNAs that could be found. This was a huge undertaking and it provided a treasure trove of new data on the expression of these two myelin genes. Only Celia could have screened for and then catalogued this group of cDNAs and dug into the sequence of the genes, which she had been sequencing herself, to identify a series of previously unidentified exons in these genes. This work led the Campagnoni team to an entirely new research area on a gene that overlaps the myelin basic protein gene, containing both unique and common exons but generating a very different protein.
Celia was quiet and steady, and she kept the Campagnoni lab organized. She was far more interested in generating the data about an exciting question than giving talks on it, and she published over 45 papers and reviews. Celia and Tony were like two peas in a pod: they always traveled together to meetings, attended the same scientific sessions, and checked out the same posters. When Tony would move onto the next poster, Celia would remain behind, ask probing questions about the poster’s content, and then discuss her thoughts with Tony. Many noted that the success of the Campagnoni group came from this wonderful mix of Tony’s communicative style and Celia’s solid research. She was highly respected for her science and for her common sense. She was so highly regarded that she was asked to run for Council of the American Society for Neurochemistry, and with her typical modesty, her first reaction was surprise. She won handily, and was a very valuable councilor for the society.
Celia loved to travel, and she and Tony spent sabbaticals in Europe, visited Asia and South America and truly loved seeing the world. When the Campagnonis entertained, which was always a gala affair, again it was a team effort by the two Campagnonis. Celia delighted in cooking wonderful baked goods and tasty dishes.
Celia was the most loyal of friends, helping many people over the years. She and Tony welcomed many colleagues from around the world to their home and lab for visits, fellowships and sabbaticals. She had a remarkable memory and always wanted to know the latest news about former students and their families. Celia loved her family, her pets, her friends, and her home. Her strength, her wry sense of humor and her intelligence will be greatly missed. |
In Memory of
Dr. Alan Boulton
1936 - November 13, 2010
We regret to inform you of the passing of Dr. Alan Boulton, a Past President of the International Society for Neurochemistry (ISN), the American Society for Neurochemistry (ASN) and the Canadian College of Neuropsychopharmacology (CCNP) and a former Chief Editor of the Journal of Neurochemistry, on November 13, 2010 in Nanaimo, British Columbia.
Alan received his PhD in 1962 from the University of Manchester and then served as an Honorary Research Fellow in the Department of Physiology at the University of Birmingham until his relocation to Canada in 1968. Upon coming to Saskatoon, heworked for the Psychiatric Research Division for Saskatchewan Health, with a cross-appointment as a Research Associate with the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Saskatchewan; he formally joined the Department as an Associate Professor in 1971. Alan quickly moved up through the ranks to the Provincial Director of Psychiatric Research and to full Professorship inthe Department of Psychiatry. He was Provincial Director of Psychiatric Research in Saskatchewan Health from 1972 to 1987 and from 1987 to 2000 was Director of the Neuropsychiatry Research Unit at the University of Saskatchewan. In 1976, Alan was awarded a DSc from the University of Manchester.
Alan’s accomplishments were vast. He was a pioneer in research on trace amines such as 2-phenylethylamine, tyramine, octopamine and tryptamine and their involvement in the etiology and pharmacotherapy of psychiatric and neurologic disorders. He was recognized as a world leader in the analysis of these amines in the central nervous system, and his work on monoamine oxidase inhibitors and their effects on levels of these molecules led him into research on neuroprotective/neurorescueagents. Several of these drugs ultimately set the foundation for a commercial venture, namely the biotechnology company ALviva Biopharmaceuticals Inc. Given Alan’s many years of investigation of the trace amines, it is gratifying to see that there has been a dramatic resurgence of interest in these neurochemicals in the past decade with the discovery of the so-called “trace amine-associated receptors”.
His scientific contributions resulted in Alan being made an Honorary Professor in several universities and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada; in 2002 he was awarded the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal. He was the recipient of numerous other awards, including the Heinz Lehmann Award (in 1989), the highest research award bestowed by the CCNP.
During his distinguished career, Alan published 216 refereed papers and 62 book chapters and review articles and edited or coedited 48 books. He supervised or cosupervised 21 graduate students and 8 postdoctoral fellows, many of whom have gone on to senior positions in academia, industry or government. In addition to being a prolific researcher, Alan gave yeoman service to the scientific community in general. He was a founding member of the World Federation of Biological Psychiatry as well as the CCNP. At various times in his career, Alan was President of the ISN, the ASN and the CCNP. He was on the editorial boards of numerous journals and served as Chief Editor of the Journal of Neurochemistry for 5 years and Series Co-Editor of the book series Neuromethods for 20 years. Despite his busy schedule, Alan still found time to give voluntary service tosupport local and provincial organizations for various sports. He will long be remembered by his many friends and colleagues for his unbounded enthusiasm and his dedication to the scientific community locally, nationally and internationally.
Alan is survived by his wife Anne, 3 of their children, 7 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren.
|
In Memory of
Dr. Francis N. LeBaron
1922 - November 2, 2009
Dr. Francis N. LeBaron |
|
In Memory of
Dr. Joseph Bernsohn
1914 - January 24, 2010
Dr. Joseph Bernsohn |
In Memory of
Dr. David Colman
January 4, 1949 - June 1, 2011 |
In Memory of
Dr. George Hashim
- June 11, 2011
It is with appreciation and humility that we celebrate the remarkable life of our good friend and trusted colleague, George Hashim, who passed away in June of 2011. George was truly passionate about his scientific pursuits and enlivened all around him with his quick wit, breadth of knowledge and keenness for a good debate. He contributed much energy, enthusiasm and leadership as a past President of the ASN and for the development of young scientists (as we ourselves were when we first met George). He formed lasting relationships with numerous colleagues throughout the scientific world, and we always suspected that his motive for developing such an extensive network was to travel and indulge with good friends wherever he was! Who wouldn’t enjoy life under those circumstances? Certainly George did.
Halina first met George early in her career when he invited her to present a lecture at Columbia University. She still remembers his graciousness as a host and his sincere interest in her presentation and ideas. Arthur remembers their first meeting in NYC when George fetched him from his hotel in his classic Lincoln convertible for the drive to Columbia University. That image of George leaning out the car window with a wink and a wry smile is indelibly inscribed and epitomized his love of life; it is one of the main reasons we all loved him and enjoyed his company. When the T-cell receptor was finally identified and sequenced in the mid 1980s, our thought was to explore their biological activity, and George, as a global leader in peptide synthesis, was the obvious choice to produce the TCR peptides. In those days, the nuances of peptide synthesis were still being worked out, and the TCR sequences posed some interesting challenges that George and his laboratory were able to overcome. The three of us teamed up to test immunological activity of T-cell receptor peptides from prominently expressed V-region genes and discovered that indeed they could induce regulatory T-cells for treatment of rats with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). Remarkably, injection of the TCR peptides could not only prevent, but also reverse clinical and histological signs of EAE. George went on to show that immunization of rats with TCR peptides could also increase EAE protective antibodies. The peptide sequences that emerged from this collaboration ultimately became components of a TCR peptide vaccine that was tested with promising results in Phase I/II trials in subjects with multiple sclerosis (MS). This formulation is still in development as a possible therapy for MS. George, we hope you are listening because this story is not yet finished.
Two other of George’s lovable and sometimes laugh-inducing traits were his ability to tell a good story and his insistence that some most recent publication failed to acknowledge his earlier work. Well, the stories were endless but were always told with a positive spin and usually involved jousts with professional competitors (ie. Marian Kies of NIH) or experiences with his good friends (ie. Bernard Haber). To his friends (we count ourselves lucky to be included on this list), he was both gracious and intensely loyal. He was very supportive to us and complimentary about us to other people. He listened carefully to our ideas and could be counted on to give insightful feedback. The effect was inspirational to say the least, and gave us the confidence to believe that we could accomplish almost anything. I’m sure that many others who worked with George must have benefitted in the same way from his unselfish and supportive persona. That is not to say that George was not fiercely competitive about his scientific and personal standing. Truth be told, George did know a lot and published much on a wide range of interesting questions, and it was no surprise to us that many new findings by others had roots in his explorations. With such a fertile career, George likely did think about and pre-sage later discoveries, and we always lent a sympathetic ear to his rumblings.
We and his many other colleagues and friends will miss George a lot.
Arthur A. Vandenbark & Halina Offner
|
In Memory of
Dr.
Marjorie Lees
1923 - January 18, 2012
Marjorie Berman Lees, Professor (Emeritus) of Biological Chemistry and Neurology at Harvard Medical School, died January 18, 2012 after a long illness. Marjorie was a truly unique scientist who inspired numerous people throughout her life. She was born in New York in 1923 and graduated from Hunter College. She obtained a Master’s degree at the University of Chicago and then moved with her husband Dr. Sidney Lees to Boston, where she started working with Dr. Jordi Folch-Pi, and decided to obtain a Ph.D. She was supported at Radcliffe College with one of the first NIH-sponsored pre-doctoral fellowships. Her work with Dr. Folch-Pi resulted in the discovery of a novel chloroform-methanol soluble protein in total lipid extracts of the brain, i.e., the myelin proteolipid protein (PLP). She continued studying myelin lipids and the PLP for her entire career. She spent a number of years at Dartmouth Medical School, and then returned to Harvard Medical School, first to the Biological Laboratories at McLean Hospital and later at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver Center for Mental Retardation from 1976 to her retirement.
Marjorie was a remarkable role model for many people. As was noted numerous times at her memorial service, Marjorie was determined. She accomplished whatever she set out to do. She had long-term grant support from the NIH throughout her career. She was very active in the American Society for Neurochemistry, serving on its Council, as Treasurer from 1975-1981 and as President from 1983-1985. She was Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Neurochemistry from 1986-1989. She sequenced PLP, one of the most difficult, hydrophobic proteins, by brute force using Edman degradation, at a time when there was no DNA cloning and sequencing. When the PLP gene was subsequently isolated and sequenced, her amino acid sequence was beautifully accurate, differing only in some species-specific amino acid residues. She then moved on to investigate the role of PLP in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). She was among the early investigators in the 1950s who had suggested that PLP could be an encephalitogenic protein, but those observations were overwhelmed for several decades by the extensive data on the encephalogenic potential of the myelin basic protein. Through that time, all mention of the possibility that PLP might play a role was dismissed as likely contamination of the PLP preparation with myelin basic protein. However, Marjorie was determined, and in the 1980s she demonstrated unequivocally that PLP can also be an autoantigen and a potent promoter of EAE. Further studies showed that multiple sclerosis patients have antibodies against PLP as well as numerous other myelin antigens.
For those of us who worked with her, she was an amazing mentor. We all have stories of sitting at her kitchen table or in the living room working on manuscripts. No sending computer files back and forth; one sat and worked over every sentence until it was right, or there was the realization that as beautiful as the sentence was, it didn’t fit and it was gone. She truly cared about her people and about her science. She made major efforts to support her trainees and numerous other junior investigators as they built their careers. Her wonderfully broad smile was a cherished reward for a job well done.
No mention of Marjorie’s life is complete without mention of her family. Marjorie was devoted to her three sons, David, Andy and Elliot, and always felt the loss of her young daughter Constance. She adored her wonderful grandchildren. She and Sid were married for over 60 years. They had a remarkable life together, focused both on their science and their family. A lasting memory for all of us who knew them will be their joy at discussing their science and their family.
Marjorie Lees was a determined, remarkable force of nature, who never worried about whether she could succeed. She just did it. She is truly missed.
|
In Memory of
Dr.
George Hauser
December 12, 1922 - September 28, 2012
George Hauser, Ph.D., Harvard Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry (Biochemistry), died on September 28, 2012 at age 89 after a long illness. With his passing, we have lost a scientist of immense talent and impressive accomplishment. George was born in Vienna, Austria and only with great difficulty and good fortune was he able to leave that country in 1939 for England and then the United States. His college years were interrupted by World War II, during which he was seriously wounded in France and endured a long recovery. In 2008, he received the Legion d’Honneur from the French government in recognition of his service in the liberation of Normandy.
After finishing his undergraduate studies at The Ohio State University, he became a graduate student in the laboratory of Dr. Manfred Karnovsky at Harvard Medical School and completed his degree in 1955. Thereafter, he was recruited by Dr. Jordi Folch-Pi to the Research Laboratory at McLean Hospital to initiate a program for study of the biochemistry of brain lipids. He remained at McLean for his entire career and served as Interim Director of the Ralph Lowell Laboratories from 1983 to 1993.
Over a 40-year period, George made many distinguished scientific contributions to our knowledge of phospholipid and glycolipid metabolism, with particular emphasis on the role of phosphoinositides in cell signaling. He was a superb colleague and a talented mentor for a succession of trainees who passed through his laboratory. His achievements in neurochemistry were recognized by award of the Austrian Cross of Science and Art, First Class and by being named a Fellow of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science. George also served on the American Society for Neurochemistry Council, and for many years he was a Deputy Chief Editor of the Journal of Neurochemistry.
George was happily married to Louise (Russo) for more than 50 years. He will be greatly missed by her, as well as his friends and colleagues, not only for his keen mind, but for his old world courtliness, his generosity and his sly sense of humor.
|
|
|
|
