Clifford W. Shults
Dr. Clifford W. Shults, professor of neurosciences at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and neurologist at the Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, passed away recently at the age of 56. Dr. Shults, a prominent Parkinson's disease researcher, completed his undergraduate work at Brown University and earned his MD from the University of Tennessee. Following training in internal medicine and neurology at the University of California, San Francisco and Albert Einstein College of Medicine, respectively, Dr. Shults conducted a fellowship at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Dr. Shults began his research in movement disorders and the roles of neuropeptides in the brain during his tenure at the NIH. Dr. Shults was the first to demonstrate a successful technique to slow progressive impairment in patients with early-stage Parkinson's disease using the antioxidant coenzyme Q10, an over-the-counter supplement. He coordinated a study by investigators at 12 locations nationwide as part of a 5-year, $7 million grant from the NIH to study multiple systems atrophy. Dr. Shults also facilitated the addition of the Veterans Affairs San Diego Medical Center as part of the national network of Parkinson's Disease Research, Education and Clinical Centers. Dr. Shults was a member of the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson Research. He was a recipient of the Junior Faculty Award by the Parkinson Disease Foundation, and in 2003, he was awarded the Mirapex Victory Research Award at the Parkinson's Unity Walk in New York City.
Leon J. Thal
Dr. Leon Thal, distinguished professor and chair of neurosciences at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine, was killed recently when the plane he was piloting crashed. He was 62. Dr. Thal also served as director of the UCSD Shiley-Marcos Alzheimer's Disease Research Center and director of the Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study, a consortium of more than 70 research centers established to test the efficacy of Alzheimer's disease drugs and investigate new methods for conducting dementia research. Dr. Thal, a foremost authority on Alzheimer's disease, received his MD from Downstate Medical Center in New York and completed his residency and fellowship training at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. He joined the faculty of UCSD in 1985 as an associate professor. Dr. Thal was a member of the Alzheimer's Association's National Board of Directors and the National Institute on Aging Advisory Council. In 2004, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger appointed Dr. Thal to the Independent Citizens Oversight Committee (ICOC) of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine. The ICOC recently voted to name the first round of grants supporting embryonic stem cell research Leon J. Thal SEED grants, in Dr. Thal's honor. Dr. Thal was awarded The Potamkin Prize of the American Academy of Neurology in 2004, one of the nation's highest honors in neurosciences. Dr. Thal authored over 300 peer-reviewed papers and directed more than $100 million in federally funded research grants.
Peter Kornfeld
Dr. Peter Kornfeld, a clinical professor of medicine at the Stanford University School of Medicine, passed away recently at the age of 81. Dr. Kornfeld, a highly respected internist, made important contributions to the understanding and treatment of the autoimmune neuromuscular disorder myasthenia gravis. Following service in the US Army from 1943 to 1946, Dr. Kornfeld completed his undergraduate work at the University of Buffalo. He earned his medical degree from Columbia University and completed his training at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York. Dr. Kornfeld served on the faculty at Mount Sinai Hospital for over 30 years as an active researcher, teacher, and clinician. From 1972 to 1987, he served as associate chief of the Myasthenia Gravis Clinic at Mount Sinai. Dr. Kornfeld retired to Portola Valley in 1992 and shortly thereafter volunteered to be an attending physician at Stanford Hospital.