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Remembering Some Of The Epidemiology Colleagues We Lost In 2019
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Died:
Bill Jenkins, on Feb. 17 in Charleston, S.C. He was 73.
The cause of death was sarcoidosis. Bill was a former CDC
epidemiologist who worked to address racism in health care and had
been a champion for the participants in the Tuskegee study.
As one acquaintance paid tribute, “…his
whole life spoke powerfully for racial justice and healing
especially in public health, past and future, and the role we all
can play in making that a reality—not by denial but by
acknowledgement, however painful, and active repair. Oh, I miss
that laugh. . .” |
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Died:
Melinda Moore, on January 17, 2019 of ovarian cancer at age
68 at her home in Darnestown, Maryland. She was a former Epidemic
Intelligence Service officer at the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC) and had a career in global health in over 45
countries while employed by CDC, at the Department of Health and
Human Services, and at RAND. Her obituary in the Washington Post
states “she will be remembered for her adventurous spirit, moral
and intellectual leadership, and eternal optimism.”
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Died:
Gina Pugliese, age 70 on March 4, 2019 of complications
from uterine cancer. Gina was an expert on infection control and
hospital epidemiology. Minnesota epidemiologist Michael
Osterholm described her as a pioneer in the field and told the
Chicago Tribune that “Gina was one of the most respected
colleagues in our business—she was never wrong because of doing
her homework to always know the facts.” She most recently served
as Vice President of the Safety Institute at Premier Healthcare
Alliance. |
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Died:
Paul
Godley, 61, of a heart
attack, on March 31, 2019 while recovering from a previous heart
attack. Godley was adjunct professor of epidemiology at the
Gillings School of Public Health. Til Sturmer, chair of the
department, called
Godley “a major force in medicine and epidemiology whose work made
a significant difference in oncology (specifically prostate
cancer) and in reducing health disparities”. |
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Died:
Alan Kristal, 66, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
epidemiologist of pancreatic cancer on March 22, 2019. He studied
how diet can lower cancer risk. His colleagues paint a vivid
picture of him—“he will be especially remembered for being an
iconoclast, for having a wicked sense of humor, and for his
authenticity,” and “the excellence of Alan Kristal’s science is no
accident…It is the result of high intention, sincere effort, and
intelligent execution. What a beautiful legacy.” |
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Died:
Sarah Luna,
age 31, in a plane crash in Metlakatla Harbor Alaska. She was a
senior epidemiologist in the Liver Disease and Hepatitis Program
of the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium and was traveling to
the area in partnership with the Diabetes team. The Consortium
described her as a person truly committed to the health and
well-being of Alaska Native people. |
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Died:
August Hale Vandermer,
from hepatic failure earlier this ear in Prince Frederick,
Maryland. He was a senior epidemiologist during his career with
the US Environmental Protection Agency and had served as EPA's
representative in the United Nations Environmental Program. |
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Died:
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