ARTHRITIS & RHEUMATOLOGY Vol. 67, No. 5, May 2015, pp 1143 DOI 10.1002/art.39089 C 2015, American College of Rheumatology V
IN MEMORIAM
Nathan J. Zvaifler, MD, 1927–2015 Dr. Nathan J. Zvaifler, Professor of Medicine at the University of California, San Diego for more than 40 years, died on January 28, 2015 at the age of 87. He was internationally recognized as an outstanding clinician, a gifted scientist, and an educator. In 1980–1985, he was Editor-in-Chief of Arthritis and Rheumatism (now Arthritis & Rheumatology). Originally from New Jersey, Dr. Zvaifler attended Haverford College and graduated from Jefferson Medical College in 1952. He was an intern at the Jefferson Medical College Hospital. His formal medical training was interrupted when he served as a Captain in the US Air Force Medical Corps for two years. He then completed his internal medicine residency at the University of Michigan Hospital and did fellowships at Rackham Arthritis Research Unit, University of Michigan and at the National Institutes of Health. He joined the faculty at the Georgetown University School of Medicine, where he received tenure. In 1970, Dr. Eugene Braunwald invited him to start a rheumatology division at the University of California, San Diego. He was Director of the Division of Rheumatology for 20 years and served as interim chair of the Department of Medicine for two of those years. He remained active in the teaching mission of his division after he became emeritus in 1998. Perhaps his greatest legacy is that of a devoted educator and the large number of trainees who have gone on to leadership roles in rheumatology. In the laboratory, Dr. Zvaifler identified many immunologic phenomena in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) that are now ascribed to the innate immune system. Most notably, in a classic 1973 monograph he provided perhaps the most comprehensive description of RA pathogenesis and concluded that the disease has many features of a complement-mediated local immune complex disorder (Zvaifler NJ. The immunopathology of joint inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis. Adv Immunol 1973;16:265–336). Later, he helped formulate and propose the role of cytokine networks in RA and the notion that fibroblast-like synoviocytes are a critical element of joint destruction. His work in these areas contributed to the advent of anticytokine therapy for rheumatic disease. Dr. Zvaifler was an active contributor to the discipline of rheumatology, and his service included membership on the American College of Rheumatology Board of Directors (1987–1990) and on the Food and Drug Administration
Arthritis Advisory Committee. In 1971–1975 he was a member of the Certifying Board Test Committee in Rheumatology for the American Board of Internal Medicine. He served on numerous editorial boards and edited several of the major rheumatology textbooks. His many honors include Master, American College of Rheumatology (1993), the Jan van Bremen Medal and Oration to the Dutch Society for Rheumatology and the Dutch League Against Rheumatism, Amsterdam, Netherlands (1994), the Carol-Nachman Award, Weisbaden, Germany (1998), Hasinger Lecturer, Berlin, Germany (1998), and the American College of Rheumatology Gold Medal (1999). Nate Zvaifler will be remembered by those he trained directly through his teaching, as well as by the many readers of his papers. His writing style was distinctive, with thoughtful descriptions and classical allusions that were a joy to read. His most unique skill was the ability to absorb information and synthesize it in ways that eluded others. Dr. Zvaifler liked to say that he was an explorer who kicked over rocks to see what was underneath. He had a wry sense of humor and an encyclopedic knowledge of rheumatology, and was one of the key individuals who led the rapid growth and scientific focus of our field. His dedication to rheumatology, his trainees, his collaborators, and his friends has earned him a place of honor, and he will be missed but will continue to inspire those who knew him. Gary S. Firestein, MD Maripat Corr, MD University of California, San Diego School of Medicine 1143
Copyright of Arthritis & Rheumatology is the property of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use.
IN MEMORIAM
Nathan J. Zvaifler, MD, 1927–2015 Dr. Nathan J. Zvaifler, Professor of Medicine at the University of California, San Diego for more than 40 years, died on January 28, 2015 at the age of 87. He was internationally recognized as an outstanding clinician, a gifted scientist, and an educator. In 1980–1985, he was Editor-in-Chief of Arthritis and Rheumatism (now Arthritis & Rheumatology). Originally from New Jersey, Dr. Zvaifler attended Haverford College and graduated from Jefferson Medical College in 1952. He was an intern at the Jefferson Medical College Hospital. His formal medical training was interrupted when he served as a Captain in the US Air Force Medical Corps for two years. He then completed his internal medicine residency at the University of Michigan Hospital and did fellowships at Rackham Arthritis Research Unit, University of Michigan and at the National Institutes of Health. He joined the faculty at the Georgetown University School of Medicine, where he received tenure. In 1970, Dr. Eugene Braunwald invited him to start a rheumatology division at the University of California, San Diego. He was Director of the Division of Rheumatology for 20 years and served as interim chair of the Department of Medicine for two of those years. He remained active in the teaching mission of his division after he became emeritus in 1998. Perhaps his greatest legacy is that of a devoted educator and the large number of trainees who have gone on to leadership roles in rheumatology. In the laboratory, Dr. Zvaifler identified many immunologic phenomena in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) that are now ascribed to the innate immune system. Most notably, in a classic 1973 monograph he provided perhaps the most comprehensive description of RA pathogenesis and concluded that the disease has many features of a complement-mediated local immune complex disorder (Zvaifler NJ. The immunopathology of joint inflammation in rheumatoid arthritis. Adv Immunol 1973;16:265–336). Later, he helped formulate and propose the role of cytokine networks in RA and the notion that fibroblast-like synoviocytes are a critical element of joint destruction. His work in these areas contributed to the advent of anticytokine therapy for rheumatic disease. Dr. Zvaifler was an active contributor to the discipline of rheumatology, and his service included membership on the American College of Rheumatology Board of Directors (1987–1990) and on the Food and Drug Administration
Arthritis Advisory Committee. In 1971–1975 he was a member of the Certifying Board Test Committee in Rheumatology for the American Board of Internal Medicine. He served on numerous editorial boards and edited several of the major rheumatology textbooks. His many honors include Master, American College of Rheumatology (1993), the Jan van Bremen Medal and Oration to the Dutch Society for Rheumatology and the Dutch League Against Rheumatism, Amsterdam, Netherlands (1994), the Carol-Nachman Award, Weisbaden, Germany (1998), Hasinger Lecturer, Berlin, Germany (1998), and the American College of Rheumatology Gold Medal (1999). Nate Zvaifler will be remembered by those he trained directly through his teaching, as well as by the many readers of his papers. His writing style was distinctive, with thoughtful descriptions and classical allusions that were a joy to read. His most unique skill was the ability to absorb information and synthesize it in ways that eluded others. Dr. Zvaifler liked to say that he was an explorer who kicked over rocks to see what was underneath. He had a wry sense of humor and an encyclopedic knowledge of rheumatology, and was one of the key individuals who led the rapid growth and scientific focus of our field. His dedication to rheumatology, his trainees, his collaborators, and his friends has earned him a place of honor, and he will be missed but will continue to inspire those who knew him. Gary S. Firestein, MD Maripat Corr, MD University of California, San Diego School of Medicine 1143
Copyright of Arthritis & Rheumatology is the property of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use.
