Dr. Richard K. Root, Founding Chief of University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine Division of Infectious Diseases
Dr. Richard K. Root, the founding chief of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine Infectious Diseases Division in the 1970s, passed away recently at the age of 68. Dr. Root was killed by a crocodile in Botswana in Southern Africa during a 2-month assignment with the Penn-Botswana program. Dr. Root was teaching at the Princess Marina Hospital in the capital city of Botswana, Gaborone, and providing medical care for patients, many of whom were infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Dr. Root most recently served as professor and vice chairman of the Department of Medicine at the University of Washington and chief of medical service at the University of Washington Medical School. Dr. Root had held emeritus status since 2002.
Yale School of Medicine Neurologist Lawrence M. Brass, MD
Yale University School of Medicine neurologist Lawrence M. Brass, MD, died recently from lung cancer at the age of 49. Dr. Brass, an internationally recognized stroke expert, was a professor in the departments of Neurology and Epidemiology and Public Health at the Yale School of Medicine. He also served as chief of neurology at the West Haven Veterans Administration Medical Center and as co-director of the Yale Cerebrovascular Center. Dr. Brass was recognized for his use of innovative epidemiologic methods to study stroke. From 1993 to 2001, Dr. Brass directed one of the first studies to investigate estrogen as a therapy for the prevention of vascular disease, the National Institutes of Health-funded Women's Estrogen for Stroke Study. During the same time, Dr. Brass also led the significant Hemorrhagic Stroke Project, which established a connection between phenylpropanolamine and eventually resulted in the removal of phenylpropanolamine from the market. Dr. Brass is also responsible for establishing the first complete database of stroke among the elderly in the United States, using data from Medicare beneficiaries covering a 14-year period. Dr. Brass was a strong supporter of the development of quality measures for evaluating the care of patients with stroke. He was also an outstanding teacher and mentor. Since 1987, Dr. Brass had supervised numerous postdoctoral fellows, faculty members, and students. He successfully mentored three junior faculty members with career development awards. Dr. Brass was born in Brooklyn, New York. He received his bachelor's degree in mathematics from the University of Pennsylvania and attended Tufts Medical School. Dr. Brass completed an internship at Newton-Wellesley Hospital in Massachusetts, after which he completed his residency and chief residency in neurology and a stroke fellowship at the Neurological Institute of New York at Columbia University. Dr. Brass joined the Yale faculty in 1987 to establish a stroke service. His work earned him widespread recognition as an authority on stroke care and research. He played important major roles in the National Institutes of Health and the American Heart Association in the areas of stroke research and clinical care policy.
Katherine M. Detre, MD, DrPH, University of Pittsburgh Public Health Professor
Katherine M. Detre, MD, DrPH, distinguished professor of epidemiology at the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health (GSPH), passed away recently at the age of 79. Dr. Detre was one of the top epidemiologists in the nation, known best for conducting large-scale studies examining cardiovascular disease. University of Pittsburgh Chancellor Mark A. Nordenberg described Dr. Detre as an exceptional person and scientist whose work provided significant advancements to the cause of human health. In 1980, Dr. Detre founded the Epidemiology Data Center at the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health, a center that has now grown to include more than 120 faculty and staff. The Center has been responsible for coordinating the design, data management, and statistical analysis activities for more than 60 medical research projects. In 2000, Dr. Detre served as principal investigator for the Bypass Angioplasty Revascularization Investigation (BARI 2D), a 40-site, 7-year initiative to ascertain the best method of treating individuals with both type 2 diabetes and early coronary heart disease. A grant for the study of $52.2 million from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute represented one of the most substantial research awards in the history of the University of Pittsburgh. Dr. Detre was honored in 2005 by the National Library of Medicine's “Changing the Face of Medicine,” which recognizes the many ways in which women have affected and improved the practice of medicine. Dr. Detre was born in Budapest, Hungary, in 1926, and resided there during the Nazi occupation during World War II. She attended Pazmany Peter Medical School in Hungary and in 1949 received an International Student Service Award to study in Canada. She completed her medical degree in 1952 at Queen's University Medical School in Kingston, Ontario, and then completed her residency training in internal medicine at Queen Mary Veterans Hospital. Concurrently, she became reacquainted with her future husband, Thomas Detre, MD, who had also immigrated to the United States from Europe. In 1967, Dr. Detre received her DrPH in biometry from Yale University. After completion of her doctorate, she joined the Veterans Administration Cooperative Studies Program as principal statistician for the Veteran Administration Coronary Bypass Study. In 1974, Dr. Detre became an associate professor of epidemiology at the University of Pittsburgh GSPH. She was promoted to tenured professor in 1979 and in 2002 was honored as a distinguished professor. Dr. Detre enjoyed a productive career and was supported by funding from federal grants and private philanthropies. Dr. Detre authored or coauthored more than 200 journal articles and more than 30 book chapters. She was a member of numerous professional organizations. In 1992, she became an honorary fellow of the American College of Cardiology, and in 2003, she was awarded the Marion Spencer Fay Award for Women in Medicine and was named a Distinguished Daughter of Pennsylvania.