Jason Morrow
Jason Morrow, MD, chief of the Division of Clinical Pharmacology in Vanderbilt Medical Center's Department of Medicine, died on July 8 at the age of 51. Along with his colleague, Jackson Roberts, MD, Dr. Morrow discovered isopostanes in 1990. He joined the faculty at Vanderbilt in 1994 and was later named the F. Tremaine Billings Professor of Medicine and professor of Pharmacology. He began his post as chief of the Division of Clinical Pharmacology in 2005.
Dr. Morrow earned his bachelor's degree from Vanderbilt University and his M.D. from Washington University in St. Louis. He served his medical internship and residency at Vanderbilt, and was chief medical resident from 1987 to 1988, when he joined the Division of Clinical Pharmacology as a research fellow. He co-authored over 200 scientific papers and his work contributed to understanding implications of antioxidant vitamins C and E in cardiovascular health. He was an advocate for government regulation and oversight of over-the-counter dietary supplements.
Dr. Ralph D. Feigin
Dr. Ralph D. Feigin, Physician-in-chief at Texas Children's Hospital recently passed away. He is an internationally renowned expert in pediatric infectious diseases and has over 400 published articles or chapters in journals and books. Board certified by the American Board of Pediatrics (1967) and the American Board of Pediatrics Sub-board of Pediatric Infectious Diseases (1994), Dr. Feigin earned his AB degree from Columbia College in New York City in 1958 and his MD degree from Boston University School of Medicine in 1962. He subsequently completed a pediatric internship at the Boston City Hospital and served as a pediatric resident at the Boston City Hospital and at the Massachusetts General Hospital. He then completed a research assignment with the United States Army Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, and from 1967-68 he served as chief resident of the Children's Service at the Massachusetts General Hospital. He joined the faculty of the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri, as an instructor in pediatrics and was later named professor in 1974. He served as director of the Division of Infectious Diseases in the Department of Pediatrics from 1973-77 and as director of the Bacteriology and Serology Laboratories at the St. Louis Children's Hospital from 1972-77.
Dr. Feigin was appointed as the J.S. Abercrombie Professor of Pediatrics and chairman of the department of pediatrics at the Baylor College of Medicine and physician-in-chief of the Texas Children's Hospital in 1977. From 1987 to 1989 he served as executive vice president (interim executive director) of Texas Children's Hospital. He also served as physician-in-chief, pediatric services, Ben Taub General Hospital (Harris County Hospital District), and chief of the pediatric service, The Methodist Hospital, Houston, Texas. In 1990, Dr. Feigin was named as a Distinguished Service Professor by the board of trustees of the Baylor College of Medicine. Two years later, he was appointed senior vice president of Baylor College of Medicine and, in 1994, he was appointed dean of medical education for the Baylor College of Medicine. He served in these roles until his appointment as president and chief executive officer of the Baylor College of Medicine in 1996-a post he held until March 2003.
He was a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the Infectious Diseases Society of America. A member of the Society for Pediatric Research, Dr. Feigin served as its president from 1982 to 1983. Additionally, he served posts as president of the American Pediatric Society and the Association of Medical School Pediatric Department Chairmen. He was a member of numerous other national, state and local organizations, and served as a member of the board of governors and finance committee of the National Institutes of Health Warren Grant Magnuson Clinical Center. He recently served as a member of the National Association of Children's Hospitals Advisory Plan on Terrorism and Children's Hospitals and was chairman of the Medical Advisory Steering Committee of the City of Houston Task Force on Bioterrorism. He was also a member of the Texas Governor's Council on Science and Biotechnology Development.
Dr. Feigin received numerous awards and distinctions, including the Distinguished Alumnus Award from Boston University School of Medicine, the Joseph W. St. Geme, Jr., Leadership Award, and elected membership in the National Academy of Sciences Institute of Medicine. He also received the Distinguished Physician Award from the Pediatric Infectious Disease Society, and the 1997 American Academy of Pediatrics Medical Education Lifetime Achievement Award, and was awarded an honorary degree, Doctor of Humane Letters, from Boston University as part of the 150th Anniversary of the Boston University School of Medicine.