Judah Folkman, MD, founder and director of the Vascular Biology program at Children's Hospital Boston, was a true visionary and scientific pioneer. When he first proposed, in the 1970s, that a cancer could be kept in check by cutting off its blood supply, he faced skepticism and even ridicule from a scientific community that simply wasn't ready for his ideas. But he persevered, even when there were setbacks, and today, more than 1,000 laboratories worldwide are engaged in the study of angiogenesis, the field he founded. Because of Dr. Folkman's vision, more than 10 new cancer drugs are currently on the market, and more than 1.2 million patients worldwide are now receiving anti-angiogenic therapy. Dr. Folkman was also a compassionate doctor, always willing to take calls from cancer patients anywhere in the world, and always passionate about trying to improve their care. A healer and teacher, he has surely lived up to the advice of his father, a rabbi, that he become "a rabbi-like doctor."
I met Dr. Folkman last year when I was interviewing for a position in his lab. I was so nervous and not quite sure what to expect because even at my age, I knew who he was. We had discussed his work in college and I had done research at a previous job that was based on his work. The whole idea of working for him was so surreal. So there I waited in the conference room, nervous and unsure of how to address him, and in walks Dr. Folkman, lab coat and all, with a big smile on his face. He introduces himself to me and while holding my resume in his left hand and shaking mine with his right one he says to me "Well, well... you have quite a lot of experience for someone who looks so young. Are you sure you're really 28?" I instantly relaxed and felt right away as if I were talking to my own grandfather. He was so sweet and so professional during the entire interview, even showing me around the lab and introducing me to everyone as if I were a relative just coming to visit for the day. I walked away from that interview being so impressed with Dr. Folkman that I immediately called a coworker of mine and told her all about it. I am happy to say that he did offer me the job, but unfortunately there were circumstances that kept me from being able to accept. Although I did not get a chance to work with him, he left a lasting impression. A man of such brilliance and who was so respected among his peers and in the scientific community was still able to be so accessible and helpful to all those around him... truly amazing. He will be missed my many, but forgotten by none. Keli Perron
When I learned the sad news about Judah Folkman, I immediately
thought of a quote--now poignant--from an article we ran on him in 2006: "When Verdi was in his seventies, people asked him what his best
opera was, and he answered, 'I haven't written it yet.' When he was
close to eighty, he wrote Falstaff. For me, the ideas keep coming, and
maybe because of experience, they're better and better. As long as these
kinds of ideas are coming and we're working on them, I should keep on
going." Paula Byron, Editor, Harvard Medical Alumni Bulletin
Truly sad news for a great researcher, scientist and physician. Over the years, he had survived peer rejection of his theory and gone on to develop drugs that did what he predicted they would do. The angiogenesis-blocker boom is on. His ideas will be greatly missed. Gregory D. Pawelski
My family and I met Dr. Judah Folkman during the most difficult time in our
lives. On December 25th, 1975, our beautiful baby boy, 2 years and 4 mos.,
was seriously burned with hot coffee. Our peditrician sent us to Childrens'
where Dr. Folkman was the covering physician. It was touch and go for
awhile but Dr. Folkman assured us that if we could get Billy past the next
three days, there was hope. We were terrifed, afraid that we would lose our
baby. Because of Dr. Folkman and the nursing staff at Childrens', Billy is
a college graduate, happily married Father of three children. Dr. Folkman
was the kindest, compassionate and loving physician we had ever met. He
personally took care of Billy for 14 years and when the time came for us to
deal with the scars, he guided us all the way. Our family has followed Dr.
Folkman's career since 1975, saving articles and thanking God everyday for
this fantastic man. We truly believe that without Dr. Folkman, Emma Joyce,
Matthew, Keira and their father would not be here. He earned a place in our
hearts that feels empty today but we know that Dr. Judah Folkman has a
special place with God. Rest in peace, dear Dr. Folkman, you will be sorely
missed. Our sympathies to his wife and daughters. Edward and Patricia Owens
I can think of no other scientist living today who has had as major an impact on both biology and medicine as Judah Folkman. And I am confident that he is one of the few scientists whose name will be remembered and revered for many years to come.
Judah and I have worked closely together for over 20 years. He has been my mentor, my teacher, and my collaborator. And I have many fond memories of our times together. For example, I remember that one of the first things Judah did when I joined his lab was to drag me into our old conference room and pull out a movie projector. He told me he had a film I just had to see. I thought it would be of angiogenesis or capillaries growing in a dish, or cells changing shape, but it turned out to be an old, worn-out, black and white, 1950's Science education film entitled something like, "The Wonders of Surface Tension." I think it was made by the same people who made "Hemo the Magnificent." For those of you who have not heard of these, they are basically "cult films" of the scientific geek set. But I loved them, and it was a blast. For me this experience was like when you are a kid and you visit a friend's house and they pull out their best toys for you to play with, because they sense you will appreciate them just like they do, and he was right. What Judah taught me through this and many other experiences Is that the key to success in science, is to keep the child alive inside of you. And that it is okay to do this, even in an environment as imposing as it sometimes can be here at Harvard.
Another memory is when Judah first offered me a position in his group. We were in his old surgery office, upstairs in the Hunnewell building. We were both sitting in black, wooden "Harvard Chairs"... In retrospect, I wonder if it was "more than a coincidence?" In any case, I remember he said, "I can't offer you a big salary or a lot of space, I can only promise you one thing, and that is, creative freedom." And this is a promise he has always held to, To me, there is no greater value you can offer. And I now make the same promise to my young people. And I hope they pass on this legacy. Donald Ingber
I began working at Children's Hospital in 1977 as an administrative assistant in the Dept of Surgery -- Dr. Folkman was my very first boss at the age of 18. I have worked at Children's almost since that time and although I've worked for many wonderful people, he will always be my idea of one of the most perfect people I ever met -- I worked with him when he was still seeing patients and I have never forgotten that every single one of them had his home number and they utilized it quite frequently and he never minded. He never forgot my name even though I've been gone from his office for 20 years. My sister was dying from lung cancer three years ago -- I called his office and he had me come right over and spent over 2 hours with me getting the information so he could make calls (which he did!) and offered to fly down to FLA to get them moving!! She did not survive and I remember when he called me after her death to see how I was doing. I can't attest to his genius in the lab as I'm not educated in those areas of his life but I do know that this world will be a little less kind now that he's not in it. My heart breaks for what his loss means not only to his family and his staff of umpteen years, but for Children's Hospital -- if we were to name a mascot of good will and what it means to be a true and caring physician, he is it. Joanne Hutchinson
I never knew Dr. Folkman personally, but I cannot emphasize enough the impact he made on me
and my HMS classmates in the early '90s when he lectured to us on several occasions. We were
all aware we were in the presence of greatness. We joked among ourselves that if we were lucky,
one of us might some day rise to be such a role model: a great clinician, a great surgeon, a great
scientist, and a great man. If we saw him on the streets, we would whisper to ourselves as if
we had seen a celebrity: "there's Judah!"
I left the Boston area for many years, and returned the summer of 2007 to do a one year fellowship
here at Children's. I saw Dr. Folkman once this past fall as I was crossing Longwood Avenue. I
felt a thrill when I saw him: to know he was still here, at HMS, at Children's, was heartening.
As I wrote, I never knew Dr. Folkman personally; but I felt a very, very personal loss yesterday when I learned he had passed away. We are as a community less today. Jim MacDonald, MD
Back when I was starting out in some lowly jobs at the Longwood Medical area, I was constantly reminded of the greatness of certain of the people around me. But one of those people -- Judah Folkman -- stood out, not only because of his contagious delight and fascination with science, but because of his kindness and unassuming manner. The last time I saw Folkman it was on the Amtrak from DC to Boston about two years ago. Recognizing him immediately, I boldly put my hand out and said "Dr. Folkman, do you remember me?" (The circumstances of our previous meetings had been entirely forgettable of course.) He greeted me with his typical warmth, inquiring about my work, and then we were quickly talking about science. "Next time you're in the neighborhood, you must come to the lab," he said with characteristic glee. "We're doing some really amazing things." That was Judah Folkman. Malorye Allison
I remember vividly when I first heard about angiogenesis and Dr. Judah Folkman: I was a sophomore in high school, and having been assigned to write a paper on any science issue, I stumbled upon an article in a science magazine describing the new wave of anti-angiogenesis drugs. Fascinated, I delved deeper into the topic. After the completion of my paper, though, my curiosity wasn't quenched: I read more about Dr. Folkman's career and how his courage and persistency had made a difference in the lives of so many people.
The very next summer, I found myself conducting research at Stony Brook University on angiogenesis-related topics. It was my first experience with research, and it made me quiver knowing that I was following in the steps of such a giant. I continued my work at Texas Tech University, ultimately spending two summers researching angiogenesis. Throughout this time, Dr. Folkman remained my role model: his dedication and persistency were inspiring, and tales of his humility, patience, and genuine care for all of his patients touched all of us.
When I started college last year at Harvard, the school Dr. Folkman taught at and loved, I hoped I would one day meet such an amazing person. Though this day never materialized, sadly, Dr. Folkman's legacy and his influence will continue to live in me. He was a true inspiration to all of us, and his family, the scientific community, and humanity have lost a wonderful person. Condolences to all of his family and loved ones. Jeremy Hsu '11
I first met Dr. Folkman as he was starting his career at Children's Hospital Boston and I was a 20 year old novice RN on a surgical floor. Long after other attendings had gone home for the night and he had tucked his own children into bed, he would return to Division 24 to begin his rounds. He checked on every little detail of his patients' care. Nothing was beneath him as he would be running around getting them glasses of water or toys to play with. Using every moment as a teachable one, he would be drawing diagrams on scraps of paper or even the bed sheets as he made his points. Warm, witty and wise, he was such an incredible combination of heart and brains. Anyone who knew him could share a million anecdotes that demonstrated his kindness to others. As his international stature grew, he never failed to say hello to those who knew him all those years ago.
He leaves shoes that can never be filled. I had so hoped he would win a Nobel prize. Mary Ellen Pierce
I did a fellowship with Professor Ingber from 1998-2000 and arrived at
Children's and the Folkman empire in the middle of the ruckus after the
NY Times article that spring. New to cell biology, I was often working
late hours, seven days a week in the very high energy atmosphere that
defines the Vascular Biology program at Children's. Late one Saturday
night, around 10:30 PM, I was calling it a day, and as I closed the door
to the lab in the Enders building to head home, I saw Dr. Folkman, ~66
years young, walking down the hall wearing a tie, sleeves rolled up,
and carrying an ice bucket of full of reagents down to the lab for his
experiments. I was a bit shocked to see him that late at night, but
distinctly remember saying "There is no WAY I am going home before HE
does." So I spun around and went back in the lab to keep working. Now
that I am a professor and PI myself, I now, more than ever, appreciate
the will to win that Dr. Folkman had and stand in even greater respect
of the graceful manner in which he conducted himself. But that late
night in the lab, I just thought Dr. Folkman was a hoss.
Over the next couple of years we had a few conversations about my ideas
about cardiac arrhythmias and heart failure and the idea of taking the
lessons learned from the cancer work of Drs. Ingber and Folkman back to
look at the heart. Dr. Folkman was always encouraging and gave his
estimate of how long I would have to develop the problem before others
would join in. The most important conversation I had with Dr. Folkman,
though, was when I met with him after my return from Afghanistan, just
as I was starting my faculty position at Harvard. Rather than talk about
science, his primary interest was my well being, comforting my angst
about having taken a year off of science for the war, and pressing me
hard to write a book about my experiences of going from combat to
academia. I was flattered that he had enough interest in me to ask me
about my experiences and thought that they were important enough that
others might be interested. Sometime later I gave a talk in one of his
weekly seminars and showed what our new lab was doing and he seemed to
be genuinely excited for me when we chatted about the talk. He
congratulated me on the fast start our lab had gotten. For a young
faculty member, it was a relief and emboldened me to double my efforts.
I am proud to be one of his scientific descendants and mourn his passing
both as a scientist and a role model. Kit Parker
Last december I gave a seminar in Dr. Folkman's department. I am probably the last person to have had the honor of having Dr. Folkman in the front row of my seminar. It is hard to think of anybody else that is so enthusiastic and supportive of the research that we are doing. With Dr. Folkman we have lost a great scientist and a friendly and caring person. Arjan Griffioen, Maastricht, The Netherlands
I have known Judah Folkman since when I was Research Associate at the
Department of Pathology of Harvard Medical School in 1968-69. I have
greatly admired his contributions in the fields of tumor biology and
neoangiogenesis. We have met at several meetings and have had always
interesting and lively discussions. I have been particularly grateful to
him when he has accepted with a short delay to present the opening
conference at the International Vascular Biology Meeting that my
coworkers and myself have organized in September 2002 in Geneva,
Switzerland, in substitution of Ramzi Cotran, seriously ill at that time.
I would like to present my deepest sympathies to his family. Giulio Gabbiani
I worked with Dr. Folkman over the last 15 years. He was a surrogate father to me. Although we were very close, it was common knowledge that only his wife and a few others called him Judah. To the rest of us in his department, he was Dr. Folkman. He enjoyed the respect of his profession and returned that respect to his colleagues. That is why you would find him in a suit and white coat even when we were driving to a talk in Florida and it was 90 degrees. I would try, without success, to get him to take off the white coat or suit coat because I worried that he would over-heat. However, he had a routine that he resisted altering. As a former chief of surgery, he came in very early in the morning to round. After he transitioned to mostly lab work, he still kept the same hours. This meant that he was always the first at work and the last to go home, leaving those that worked for him feeling like we had it easy.
I came as a postdoc to work with him in 1992 and stayed on faculty to this day. I was persuaded by his vision to continue to work towards his dream of developing therapies to treat angiogenic diseases. Our individual lab projects were complementary and on occasion we would package our projects together for grants. Thus we would often travel together to make our presentations. During these trips, I learned many things from Dr. Folkman. He taught me always to return patients calls and find some way to give them hope. He taught me that perseverance was necessary to bring forward truly novel ideas. He showed me by example that I needed to understand our patients' suffering and use that as motivation to find better treatments for them. He was a man who put his patients first and used the laboratory as a weapon for them.
He was strong but still cared about what his peers thought. He taught me to avoid publicity at all cost because peer jealousy would undermine one's ability to work. He very rarely appeared on TV despite hundreds of requests. Unfortunately, given the revolutionary aspect of his ideas, his work was controversial. Many scientists couldn't envision the potential of anti-angiogenic therapy. It would have been tempting to give up and try something else. However, for Dr. Folkman, the controversy increased his resolve and determination. He worked relentlessly even as he grew older. We argued with him that he had done enough for the field and that he should pass the burden down to the next generation. However, he knew that anti-angiogenesis therapy would save thousands of lives and he felt that he had to work to make sure that it reached fruition. He knew that it was his burden to make this a reality. This is why he would fly to California to convince Genentech to continue working on Avastin, after their interest had waned in the early years of preclinical development. This is why he would fly to the NCI to convince them to take up trials of angiogenesis inhibitors. It never stopped.
So the untold story of this man is that he gave his very life to make these therapies possible for patients. I loved him as my father for what he taught me, but you should love him for what he gave to humankind. A gift that is quite rare. And we should thank Mrs. Folkman and his family for sharing this wonderful man with the rest of the world. Their gift is just as great. Robert D'Amato, MD, PhD
I first heard Dr. Folkman speak about his work at a conference in
Wisconsin organized by Bob Auerbach in the late 1980's. It was such a
wonderful presentation -- the science, the humor, the excitement, the
clarity -- I felt it was one of the best talks of its sort I had ever
heard. This continued to be the case over the years, and whenever his
name appeared on a symposium program, I always felt a great sense of
pleasurable anticipation, knowing that it would be one of the
highlights of the meeting, and I was never disappointed. Perhaps my
fondest memory of Dr. Folkman came about 10 years later. I was at a
Gordon Research Conference on angiogenesis, and one morning Dr.
Folkman stopped at our table of nobodies from nowhere in particular,
and asked if he might join us for breakfast -- of course we said yes!
That to me was the essence of the man -- he was always so excited about
his work and always so interested in what others were doing. It
wasn't just that he was brilliant and innovative- he was humane too.
I feel he is the best role model for how a scientist should be that I
have ever encountered, and think it is a great privilege to work in
the field he created. We are all going to miss him very much. Brenda Coomber, University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada
I was very surprised to hear that Dr. Folkman died unexpectedly in Denver. I feel sympathy. When I was working at Dana-Farber, he called me to ask us for collaboration, just after the publication of the angiostatin study in CELL in 1994. He was very enthusiastic to listen to my visionary idea, although he met me for the first time. For me, his lecture at the annual meeting of the AACR is of my great interest and amazing. In addition, I learned of his manner of talking with humor. It was the last time that I listened to his lecture at the AACR meeting in 2004. Thank you very much for giving me the dream of dedicating angiogenesis research for the development of cancer therapy. Toshihide Tanaka, MD
I had the great fortune to spend a month in Dr. Folkmans laboratory when I was a senior in high school in 1985. Those days I spent in Enders as a bright-eyed adolescent, injecting chick embryos with India ink, observing mouse surgery, and assisting when the entire lab mobilized to purify angiogenic factors from hundreds of rat tumors, were formative in my decision to pursue a career in academic pediatric hematology-oncology. Dr. Folkman had one-on-one teaching sessions with me, despite his busy schedule. And to my amazement, he could assess my knowledge base within minutes of talking to me, and gear the discussion at exactly the right level, neither too esoteric nor oversimplified. This gift for knowing how to explain his work equally well to a 16-year-old, to a clinician, or to a colleague in his field is something that impressed me, and distinguished him, because it demonstrated his ability to empathize with any person he touched. He transcended the barriers of age and position with his enthusiasm. Our community has experienced a great loss. Sung-Yun Pai
As a cancer researcher in Colorado, I had read all of Judah's exciting papers on angiogenesis. This came in handy when I was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer in November 1994. Surgery to remove the sigmoid tumor was uneventful. My case required adjuvant chemotherapy since the probability of relapse was about 80% without therapy and 50% with therapy. Conventional adjuvant chemotherapy is unpleasant, intensive and given for six months or so and based on the concept that tumor growth was continuous. However, Judah's work proposed that tumor growth can include dormancy while the cancer is small and waiting for a blood supply to form. I had come to similar conclusions based on computer simulation of clinical breast cancer data. These caused me to doubt that intensive chemotherapy after surgery was optimal. So, instead of using conventional adjuvant chemotherapy, with the guidance of oncologist Bill Hrushesky, I started a low dose (70% of long term tolerable 300 mg/sq m per day) infusional protocol using the old drug 5-fluorouracil. I used it every night starting at bedtime and continuing for 5 hours. I would disconnect the pump in the morning and flush the lines -- just leaving a short plastic tabulation plugged in to a port in my upper chest. This therapy had been used in late stage disease for extended periods with some success by Hrushesky and others but never as a therapy for early stage cancer.
At the time I joined the Folkman lab in 1996 as Lecturer in Surgery, I was already on the therapy for 1.5 years and disease-free but considering stopping. There was no toxicity but there was a lot of fussing. However, by then I wondered if infusional 5-fu might be partly antiangiogenic since all chemotherapy drugs developed resistance over time and antiangiogenic drugs were thought to never develop resistance. Also infusional 5-fu was useful in a number of cancers in addition to colon. That sounded more like what would be expected by an antiangiogenic drug than by a cytotoxic drug. If that were the case, my therapy should be continued for who knows how long.
After one lab meeting in 1996 I told Judah about my disease and therapy. I asked if they ever tested 5-fu for angiogenesis properties. He said yes and it was not found to be antiangiogenic. But then I asked how it was tested since bolus 5-fu has 20 minute half life in the body. He immediately brought Tim Browder into the room. Tim was doing the experiments. They had not tested 5-fu other than as bolus and there were technical problems preventing Tim from doing so. He eventually bought some micro-pumps that could be implanted in mice. They found that 5-fu and other common cytotoxic drugs had antiangiogenic properties at low dose and for prolonged times. It took Tim a few years to get this published since the findings were was so unexpected. This was eventually published in Cancer Research April 2000. Tim's paper has been cited over 500 times. The therapy is now called metronomic chemotherapy.
I stopped my therapy after 2.5 years and am still disease free and well beyond the risk period for relapse. As the first person to undergo antiangiogenic therapy for early stage cancer, I predict that is where Judah's work will make the biggest impact on reducing cancer mortality. Michael Retsky, PhD
Dr. Folkman was my body block tutor -- my very first tutorial leader at HMS. I was privileged to know him and to learn from him. My heart is very heavy as I read of his passing. May he rest in peace. Jackie Owusu , HMS '98.
Dr. Folkman was the greatest human being I have had the good fortune to meet in person. What a privilege it was. While at Harvard Med I had the honor to get to know Dr Folkman well through interviews and writing a definitive article about his work to that date.
Not just his discoveries were brilliant, original, uniquely insightful. Dr. Folkman was a giant personality, compassionate and courteous in the deepest sense, and inspiring in the broadest sense. When I left Harvard, he sent me a gift, a box of candy, to honor the time we'd spent together. I was just astonished. Later, when I would cross his path at conferences, he always spoke and asked how my career activities were going. I was just one minor character amongst his legions of admirers.
I am very sad he died at 74, which is not old for that caliber of person, and Dr. Folkman had apparently not slowed down a bit. Like my Dad, who was only 73, and although he was blind (macular degeneration, for which Folkman's work has now led to treatment) and ill he had brilliance to spare remaining. Early 70s seems too young, although Dr. Folkman died the way many of us say we'd prefer to -- vigorous to the end, then gone in an instant with no long, slow decline. But his early death means dozens of other young people will not get to know him or be inspired by him. For this, I feel very very sad today, although I should simply be grateful that he existed, and that I had the incredible good luck to know him.
As described in the Globe article by his daughter Marjorie, some of Dr. Folkman's practices in raising his children are among the many ways he was a model worth emulating, asking every evening at dinner what they had learned that day, and encouraging them to voice new ways of looking at familiar ideas.
Someday there will be, I hope, a Judah Folkman Physician/Scientist/Humanitarian Award, and any recipient of this award should feel more honored to receive it than a Nobel Prize. In fact, should Dr. Folkman have been awarded a Nobel Prize, it should have been the Peace Prize. A Folkman Award could not be awarded every year, but only singularly, in the unlikely event that someone of that depth and breadth of gifts comes along again. It doesn't happen very often.
A Supernova, a great man by any definition, and gone too soon. We are richer for having been his contemporaries. Mimi Thompson Breed, Harvard Medical Area News Office, 1981-85
How could I ever forget this man? My son was dying of brain cancer in Boston Childrens on December 24, 1995. I had read of Dr. Folkman and nonchalantly asked a nurse if there was a way I could meet with him. She said "I will give you a Christmas gift...he just walked by a few minutes ago."
This wonderful man spent an hour of his precious time with me, asking questions about my 12 year old son, wondering aloud what he may offer to him. I met with him again the next day and he had such a sad, regretful look on his face. He had a hard time telling me that there was nothing he could offer my boy. I could tell it was painful for him to admit this to me. My son died February 19, 1996.
Here is my point: I shall be forever grateful to him for his honesty and love. He made me realize that we had done all we could do to save our son---he provided a sense of closure.
I have never forgotten him, and cried when I read of his death. Andrea and Floyd Adelman
In 1979 I started working part-time preparing cartilage for experiments in Robert Langer's lab, and when I was thinking of looking for a full-time job they put me in charge of the others doing the same work. I also looked for references at the Countway Library for Robert Langer when he needed someone to look up material. That is when I met Paul Wesley, who was Dr. Folkman's operating room tech. Paul Wesley was like Dr. Folkman's right-hand man because he came with Dr. Folkman to Children's Hospital in 1969 and helped him start his research there. Paul started to show me some of the work he was doing, and when it started to get busier in the lab, he asked Dr. Folkman if I could be hired to work full-time with him.
It is very special to me to be able to look back at his ups and downs and his research on cancer and finally seeing him reach success in his career. When I came to this lab, there were about 20 or 30 people and we were only on the 10th floor of Enders. Now we have around 145 people and almost two floors in the Karp Research Building. In the twenty-nine years I have worked here, I have seen people from every part of the world, surgical residents who have come and gone; including Dr. Shamberger, who worked in Dr. Folkman's lab in the 1980s as a surgical resident and is now head of the Department of Surgery. I am very happy that I had a chance to work for Dr. Folkman for these twenty-nine years, because I had two great scientists in my life: my father and Dr. Folkman, who both received high honors in the science and medical fields from the United States and Israel. When I told Dr. Folkman that my father was an astrophysicist, he wanted to meet him and they got together to talk about each other's work. For me, it was so nice to see two great scientists together.
When my wife and I adopted my daughter Natalie in 1996 from China, Dr. Folkman wrote a lovely letter to the Chinese government. My daughter is now 12 years old and would always ask if she could come to visit the lab and see his work. Dr. Folkman was like a father to all of us, and it didn't matter if you were a lab assistant or a PI, he treated everyone equally. Frank Rossi
I found the best definition for what the scientific research is through his words: "You go years and years and years and then every once in a while there is a tremendous finding and you realize for the first time in your life that you know something that hour or that day that nobody else in history has ever known. And you can understand something about how nature works. That doesn't happen to many scientists. And if it does it's a blessing. And if it happens more than twice, it's a miracle. And when it happens it's a very big high." Francisco J. Blanco, PhD (Spain)
I was terribly saddened by the news of Judahs sudden death. He truly was an exceptional human being. Everybody will likely emphasize his enviable intelligence and research interest and accomplishments. But, perhaps more importantly, he was a very kind, concerned gentleman. A gentleman in the truest sense. His door was always open if we wanted his sage advice or his assistance with a complicated vascular problem. Judah represented the very best of Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School. We all lost a valued friend and much loved colleague. He will be missed for a very long time. Who knows how long it will take and how many good people it will take to replace him. Aldo Castañeda, MD, PhD, Unidad de Cirugía Cardiovascular de Guatemala
As a patient with a vascular malformation who always was met with nothing but kindness and compassion and his never ending brilliance, Judah Folkman was and will always remain my hero and the force that will keep me going in the decades ahead. The loss to the world is profound, his light will shine forever. Erin Rosas
Dr. Folkman captained our ship to a New World of science and health care; but I think he always knew, perhaps by design, his voyage would only be half completed - no matter at what age he was forced to leave his ship behind. I see this in how he trained his crew to cross an ocean that none of us thought that we could before. It is now for us, the crew that he forged, to explore and question this New World and to bring HIS ship back home - now that we have been shown by him how to do it. Someday each of us in our own ways will bring these wondrous findings back to the Old World to bring health and life to those in need. But, when we return many years from now with the bounty of our work - the full journey will forever more be known as "The Voyage of Judah Folkman". When we sail into port our Captain will be waiting for the details of our journey for the second half of his presentation - given as usual on a chalk board in that great Endicott House retreat in the sky. He will expect our second half of the voyage to equal his first in excitement and discovery! Bob Mannix, PhD
The list could go on and on. Dr. Folkman was an extraordinary physician who will be greatly missed as a dedicated scientist and researcher but more importantly, as a wonderful, caring human being. As a novice OR nurse in the early 70s I had the honor and privilege of working with him on cases when he was Chief of Surgery.
He had the rare combination of being a great surgeon as well as a caring and compassionate physician to his patients and their families, always taking time to talk and listen. He was such a gentleman, so passionate about his work and eager to share his knowledge and visions. I will miss seeing him around the hospital in his white lab coat acknowledging people as he passed by.
I hope his family finds comfort in all the testimonials that are pouring in - he touched so many lives - such an incredible legacy of a man selflessly dedicating his life to helping others. Over the years I have clipped articles on his angiogenesis research convinced that someday he would be awarded the Nobel Prize. Although he never received this recognition, he achieved so much more - the respect and admiration of people throughout the world and truly making a difference to millions of people and their families whose lives have been touched by cancer. To honor his memory we should all follow his example - pursue your dreams, never give up and believe in yourself.
A bright light has dimmed at Children's Hospital and for all the cancer research world. May that light shine again and guide the way as others are inspired to continue Dr. Folkman's vision and research for a cure for cancer. This is truly what he would want.
May his memory be eternal. Jo-Ann Rosen RN BS
When I arrived to work in the laboratory of great Dr. Judah Folkman, he first asked me with a warm sincere concern (could you rent?). It was one sentence which made me realize that he did not only give us the honor of being members of his laboratory but also of his big family, and when I heard about his shocking death, I honestly felt the tragedy of loosing a member of my own family.
He gave us each Friday in his regular lab meetings copies of the best papers in angiogenesis, he taught us personally some new technical approaches in mice with his hands. One of many unforgettable memories, I do remember that he gave the final talk in the Annual meeting of the VBP 2006, it was a long intense day full of very interesting presentations from every laboratory, he noticed by the end of the lectures that we were all tired, he rapidly finalized his talk saying: Once Dostoevsky submitted his book (Crime and Punishment) to one publishing house, and they asked him to cancel one third of it, he thought it is a crime to murder words, however he said that he decided to cancel one third of his talk to let us go home and rest, he committed that silence to let us rest, however he never, he worked to the last day of his life. That meeting was in the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, he showed me that wall where you see the names of all members of this association in which he was already invited to be a member of, but I think that the space which the legacy of Dr. Folkman occupied on that wall of civilization will continue growing to make it longer than the Chinese one.
Dr. Judah Folkman gave his life to fight the most aggressive enemy of human beings, and he is certainly alive in every patient, and immortal in the memory of every generation after generation after generation... Bissan Ahmed
I first joined Dr. Folkman's lab as a medical student nearly 15 years ago. While I couldn't clearly foresee, I somehow instinctively knew that this was history being played out in front of me; that these ideas were important, and that the work would make a tremendous difference. His unquenchable passion for discovery together with a remarkable understanding of medicine and science regularly yielded conceptual leaps and thrilling ah-ha moments. He would propose visionary ideas at every lab meeting, occasionally met with some version of "that wouldn't work because." While many would respond defensively, he did not. He merely said, "ok, but what if it's true? What would that mean?" Time and again, I would watch minds stretch and open to new possibilities in response to those challenging questions. Novel, important ideas abounded and there was urgency to what was being done -- a sense that you were part of something bigger that individual agendas. As the lab and its logistics expanded, Dr. Folkman continued to power this incredible atmosphere of creativity with his contagious enthusiasm and inspiring vision.
I spoke with Dr. Folkman about my residence choice for a combined research/clinical training program at the Brigham. He was in favor of that approach, telling me that nature teaches physicians things that she shares with no one else, provided that you pay undivided attention, remain humble enough to learn continuously and question everything. The patients will inspire you, guide you to vital questions, sustain you through the endless search for answers, and reward you indescribably should those discoveries return to the bedside and make a difference. How fortunate I was to have someone to point out to me how fortunate I was. With that perspective, I relish each moment as a physician, and became resistant to fatigue in the process. I have never forgotten those words and I've passed them on to those I now train.
After a cardiology fellowship and post-doc, I returned to the Vascular Biology Program as junior faculty to continue work I began at MIT investigating a novel approach to weight management by targeting the blood vessels that feed the fat tissue. The concept was initially criticized and took some time to be given consideration in the field. While this is not uncommon in science, after learning of a particularly adverse meeting with a prominent scientist, Dr. Folkman interrupted his busy schedule for over an hour to ensure that I was undeterred. As a mentor and a true pioneer whose ideas had remarkable conceptual lead times, he was committed to fortifying what he called the "fragile ego of young investigators" with the courage to be creative. He shared with me many of the obstacles he had faced championing his revolutionary concepts and more importantly how he overcame them. Persistence, continuous learning, and consistent science eventually converted his critics to competitors, established a new field and enabled it to flourish. He told me the history behind some of his most prestigious awards starting with the genesis of the ideas and reviews that condemned them. He discussed the validation, not in terms of ego gratification, but rather as a needed step toward clinical translation, explaining how to navigate the challenges of academics without being distracted or discouraged by them. I could see that his passions to learn and heal left little room for any lasting frustrations from critics. His childlike excitement was undaunted and his frustrations were directed instead at how long it takes to test his latest concept and move the proven ones to the bed side -- frustrations often passed on to those of us charged with doing the studies. Conversations like that were wonderful. I loved hearing the stories, the guiding pearls of wisdom that apply to lab and life. It is such a tremendous privilege to be the student of someone who has spent his lifetime being a student of everything and shared that so unselfishly. There is no doubt that I and countless others will be and do more simply for having had moments with greatness like that. Maria Rupnick, MD, PhD
My daughter Melanie was diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor when she was barely 6 months old. We were told that there was no known cure and were offered a clinical trial utilizing the anti-angiogenesis approach pioneered by Dr. Folkman. Melanie celebrated her 7th birthday a couple weeks ago and is doing well in 1st grade. Dr. Folkman was determined to prove his theories in the face of adversity, and thanks to his persistence and the grace of God, our daughter lives today. Thank you Dr. Folkman. The McDaniel Family
I feel very fortunate to be a part of the Vascular Biology Program, where many of us feel like family. My recollections of Dr. Folkman are that he was a deeply caring and enthusiastic colleague that always spoke to you as an equal. Sometimes, shortly after 7:00AM, we would ride in the elevator and he invariably would ask, "What are you working on?" It did not matter which project you mentioned; he would always say, "That is very exciting. How can we use it in a clinical setting?" He really got you thinking... His insights, enthusiasm and caring personality will be sorely missed. Martín Montoya
I've lived in Boston since 1997, and whenever I have visited my doctor or had to go to the emergency room or a specialist for one reason or another, I've always been asked whether I was related to Dr. Folkman. In fact, he and I were distant relations (he and my grandfather were second cousins). I was always a bit embarrassed to admit the relationship to folks who asked, because I had never gotten to know Dr. Folkman, but I always felt as though I was treated especially well on account of the distant relationship, and I took that as a mark of respect for Dr. Folkman among the whole medical community here. My wife and I now have two young children, and like many parents in the area, we have had to take them to Children's Hospital at various times for minor problems that can panic new parents. The doctors and nurses at Children's, almost without fail, also asked about the relationship, and again, we felt that we were getting a bit of special treatment on account of our name.
For years I had wanted to visit Dr. Folkman, re-introduce myself to him, and thank him for smoothing the way in the complicated health care system. I never got up the courage to go--I was always a bit intimidated at the prospect of meeting the world-renowned cancer researcher, and always afraid that a visit would seem like an imposition. But reading now about how warm he was to patients and to colleagues, I like to think he would have welcomed the visit.
I'm sorry I missed my chance to say it to him while he was alive, but I will say it now: Thank you, Dr. Folkman! Ted Folkman
I began to know Dr. Judah Folkman's work when I was pursuing my PhD in the UK, specializing in research related to cancer. I got to know his work further when I fortunately met one of Dr. Folkman's postdoctoral fellows Dr. Mike O'Reilly at the NATO Advanced Study Institute Conference on Intermolecular Cross-Talk in Tumor Metastasis in Athens, Greece from July 24 to August 3, 1998 (he's now a professor at the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center). After my PhD, I joined Dr. Margaret Shipp's lab at Dana Farber Cancer Institute which is next door to Children's Hospital where Dr. Folkman worked. At DFCI, we collaborated with Dr. Marsha Moses in Dr. Folkman's Program on research of bFGF and angiogenesis. A great researcher yet very personable, Dr. Judah Folkman said hi to me every time I ran into him in the facilities, and he got to know my research.
In early 2002, on behalf of Sino-American Pharmaceutical Professional Association-New England (SAPA-NE) I had the opportunity to approach Dr. Folkman and invite him to give a keynote speech at the 5th SAPA-NE annual scientific conference. I still remember his smile when I finally got his speech acceptance in the cafeteria of Children's Hospital. "Sure I will attend because it is your meeting". What's followed was a signed acceptance letter through fax "Dear Dr. Wu, I am honored to be invited to give a keynote speech at... I am happy to accept...". My SAPA-NE colleague Dr. Shiwen Lin, the conference chair and myself as a co- chair, were so delighted to receive the trust and support from Dr. Folkman. Held at MIT on Saturday, June 22, the 2002 SAPA-NE conference was the greatest success in SAPA-NE's 10 year history, and this was attributed to Dr. Folkman's keynote speech. SAPA-NE colleagues and I still remember vividly his key words "if one day you dry the ocean and you will be surprised to see the sea floor is totally different from what you have in mind." What instilled in us further were his humbleness, dedication and sense of commitment. At the conference, Dr. Folkman was one of the first arrive among not only speakers but also all conference attendees, coming to the auditorium at 6:30 a.m. His keynote speech was the first on the schedule at 8:30 a.m. and he stayed on for the whole Saturday. My colleagues at SAPA-NE were deeply moved by his generous support. In light of the great success of the 2002 SAPA-NE conference, SAPA organized a symposium in 2003 in New Jersey. I had the honor again to help invite Dr. Folkman to give a speech at the SAPA symposium. I was again favored by Dr. Folkman and he accepted the invitation and traveled in his busy schedule to New Jersey.
Three years ago, I completed my postdoc research at DFCI. I wrote to Dr. Folkman for his advice on my career search. He met me twice in his office and made many suggestions about my career steps. In the second meeting, he invited Dr. Ronit Satchi-Fainaro to join the meeting. He would like to offer me a faculty position to work on some related projects in his Program. He also suggested I go back to China to take an important position or establish an Institute. If i did if so, he said he would be happy to be my advisor and give the opening remarks in my Institute. He also said we would publish papers together. When I decided to join CHB CHIP Program, he cheerfully supported my decision and promised to work together.
Dr. Folkman had a busy schedule but he always made time to talk to young scientists and greet scientists from China. When Endostar was approved in China, he told me about the news and he felt very excited about the opportunities there. He then invited Dr. Yongzhang Luo to give a talk on Endostar in CHB. When Dr. Jie-fu Huang, Vice Minister, Ministry of Health, People's Republic of China, gave a talk at HMS, Dr. Folkman offered to give Dr. Huang a book titled "Dr. Folkman's War: Angiogenesis and the Struggle to Defeat Cancer" (Chinese version). Per Dr. Folkman's request, I had the honor to introduce them each other. The picture attached remains a precious memory of Dr. Folkman.
Three months ago, I submitted a manuscript to Molecular Cell. A little over one month ago when I met Dr. Folkman at CHB, we were just talking about my work in that manuscript. I gave Dr. Folkman a hard copy of the manuscript and he read the abstract immediately and promised to read on and get back to me with his comments. I never received his comments, but instead later found out about the shocking news of his departure. An admired scientist, great mentor, and personable friend has left, but his humbleness, dedication and sense of commitment will be with us forever. Erxi Wu, PhD
It is hard to say anything but just to show my greatest respect to Dr.Judah Folkman. Huang Guichun
It was all by chance that I heard Dr. Folkman's lecture when he came to
visit Tufts Medical School this past fall. My retina fellow was running
out of clinic and yelled over he shoulders, "There's a great lecture on
angiogenesis I gotta go to! Wanna come?!" Unfortunately, he left before
I could answer. Curious, I quickly looked up Tufts' lecture schedule,
found the lecture hall, and arrived just 10 minutes late to a packed
room. With the additional people standing in the back and on the
stairs, we were definitely a fire hazard, but it was worth it. In about
an 1.5 hrs Dr. Folkman went through the history of his and other
people's research in the field and current works in progress. It was
perhaps the best 1.5 hrs I had spent listening to anyone talk. In fact,
I didn't even feel like I was in a lecture; it felt like I was just
having a chat with Dr. Folkman in his living room. I never got to meet
Dr. Folkman personally, but was so amazed and inspired by this man's
work and gentle and humble demeanor that day. Since that lecture, I
have Dr. Folkman's picture and bio pinned up in my cubicle to remind me
of the greatness that can be achieved to help some many people. LV (TUSM 2009)
You arrive in the United States as a young postdoctoral fellow and learn a new workplace culture. Your are troubled by the conventional wisdom that "nice guys finish last". You hear about rat race and ruthless researchers running their labs like Roman galleons. Then, you wonder whether it is theoretically possible to "be nice yet finish first". Wouldn't that be a worthwhile motto to live up to? My null-hypothesis was that you can't. Over the past decade, Dr. Judah Folkman proved me wrong. He showed us that one can be nice, and finish and stay on top. I am deeply honored and grateful for having had the opportunity to work with Dr. Folkman.
Of course, scientifically, Dr. Folkman's also defied common wisdom. But what is less well appreciated is that his scientific legacy reaches far beyond his theory of tumor angiogenesis. With his idea that tumor cells require the growth of new blood vessels from the surrounding tissue to thrive, and that attacking these blood vessels instead of the malignant tumor cells themselves may be a more effective way to curb cancer growth, Dr. Folkman founded a new field in medical research that would not have existed today without him. Akin to the first member of a species to invade a new land, his pioneering work led to the creation of an entire world-wide "ecosystem" of scientists over the past three decades. Their tireless exploration continues to marvel us with a non ending stream of new insights on the unfathomable complexity of cancer. However, like an ecosystem, the field of angiogenesis has evolved a stunning diversity, branching out into innumerable and unforeseen directions. It has given rise to a dynamic web of preys and predators, collaborators and opponents, defenders of the old and promoters of the new. In the creative struggle for truth and cure in the kingdom of angiogenesis research, and as Dr. Folkman's founding concept is subjected to the test of reality, modified and even new or maverick ideas have emerged.
We will thus begin to hear voices articulating alternative theories as these days and weeks of mourning give place to a scientific discussion. We will hear clinicians reiterate that anti-angiogenesis drugs have only marginal effects. We will hear scientists explain that what helps the cancer patient is the normalization, not the killing, of abnormal blood vessels by new anti-angiogenesis drugs, since in doing so they pave the way for delivery of co-administered conventional chemotherapeutic chemicals to the cancer cells. We will hear that even blood vessel cells can become resistant to chemotherapy, contradicting the central reason for targeting the blood vessels instead of the evasive tumor cells. We will hear that some anti-angiogenic drugs actually stimulate (rather than kill) blood vessels, activating their host defense programs that can help suppress the tumor cells. We may hear that many anti-angiogenesis drugs actually cause harm to tumor cells as much as they block blood vessels, much as conventional chemotherapy do. And we may hear that anti-angiogenesis drugs also suppress the inflammatory cells in the tumor which live in a symbiotic relationship with the cancer cells and are essential for their growth.
Thus, as anti-angiogenesis-based therapy comes of age, it may well turn out that Dr. Folkman's original idea that drugs directed at the tumor blood vessels could cure cancer by starving tumor cells to death may have been too simplistic. If so, Dr. Folkman's theory would share the fate of some of the most brilliant insights in the history of science that have opened our minds through their elegant simplicity and have, modulo further modification and refinement, pushed new frontiers of scientific exploration to the benefit of mankind. Living systems and their pathological manifestations are far more complex than can possibly be conceived by even the brightest mind. Whether malignant tumors will one day be fully or only partially controlled by cutting off their blood supply routes, Dr. Folkman's greatest, but rarely articulated achievement, is in my opinion the breaking of a firm paradigm of cancer research.
The central dogma, carved in stone and hard-wired in the mind of oncologists for decades, was that cancer expansion is a "cell-autonomous" process, driven by genetic mutations that convert a normal cell to an autonomous cell that proliferates and propagates beyond control.
In an extraordinary act of outside-the-box reasoning, Dr. Folkman discovered and opened the window to a new thinking that in its fundamental novelty reaches far beyond the horizon of angiogenesis research: the malignant and unstoppable cancer cells are not autonomous. They are not the sole bearer of the evil that must be stopped. To grow and destroy an organism cancer cells need the assistance of an army of non-cancerous cellular accomplices. Be they blood vessel cells, inflammatory cells or stromal cells, this is of lesser relevance in view of the magnificent overcoming of the collective narrow focus on the malignant cell itself.
The idea that non-cancerous cells take part in cancer growth defied conventional wisdom. It has today matured to the investigation the role of the tumor-microenvironment - one of the hottest area of cancer research. Angiogenesis was but the most prosaic epitome of this paradigm shift. Dr. Folkman fought a bitter fight for an idea that was bigger than himself. He finished on top, yet preserved, in defiance of conventional wisdom, humility and kindness. Thus, you CAN be nice AND finish first. Those of us who aspire to more than (just) finishing first will remain inspired by Dr. Folkman in days to come when anti-angiogenic, or for that matter, anti-stromal cancer therapy will be taken for granted. S.H.
I had the privilege of knowing Judah Folkman and witnessing his creation of the field of angiogenesis research, a new field in the biomedical sciences. He also pioneered the therapeutic applications of angiogenesis. His discoveries over more than 40 years are being pursued throughout the world and he continued to be a leader in this field. In addition to these pioneering contributions, the depth of his knowledge as a clinician and surgeon was also invaluable to those who came to consult him.
Personally, he was an irreplaceable friend. His instinctive understanding and enthusiasm for new ideas made discussions with him an intellectual and emotional pleasure. The warmth of his personality together with the depth of his knowledge will be greatly missed, not only by Paula and his daughters, but also by all who had the priviledge of knowing him and even more so, those like myself who counted him as a friend. Leo Sachs, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
I met Dr. Folkman in 1992 when I had to visit Children's Hospital from Spain, thanks to the unestimable help of Dr. Mulliken. My baby had a rare type of hemangioma that was not possible to treat in Spain. My 7-months-pregnant wife, my baby and myself arrived in Boston, and we didn't know anybody there.
I had read a lot of information about hemangiomas, included some medical articles that talked about the anti-angiogenetics products experimented in by Dr. Folkman.
We stayed 4 weeks at Children's Hospital. My wife was sleeping every night in a chair, in the hospital room where my daughter Sylvia was located. Somebody told Dr. Folkman that a Spanish family had a serious problem and that a poor Spanish man that was not a doctor had read and memorized some of his works. One evening, Dr. Folkman came into our room and said hello to us. It was an incredible thing that someone as busy as he was had time enough to dedicate some minutes to us. Dr. Folkman saw my wife and told us that it was neccessary to find something more confortable to her. The next week began to stay at a very low cost apartment owned by the Hospital.
I have no words to explain my feelings for his help. I have known very few people as kind as Dr. Folkman. I'll never forget him.
Rest in peace. Miguel Ángel García Cabrerizo
I was so saddened to learn of the death of Dr. Judah Folkman. Immediately, vivid memories began flooding back from the terrible time 17 years ago when my sister and best friend Adrienne Jonay was diagnosed with metatastic breast cancer. Although I am not a healthcare professional, I was working at a pharmaceutical advertising agency and began reading cancer journals looking desperately for something, anything, that might extend her life. I read about Dr. Folkman's research with angiogenesis inhibitors and not understanding that this very early research was not clinically relevant, I called Boston Children's Hospital and left a message for him. Much to my amazement, he called me back within 24 hours. He listened patiently as I told him about my sister's case. He explained that his research was at a very early stage but told us not to give up hope, unlike many of the physicians we had consulted. He was very supportive of my efforts to help my sister, talking to me as a peer even though he knew I was not a physician. I have never forgotten his kindness. Dr. Folkman was truly an unusual, very special scientist, defined by his humanity as well as his brilliance. Wherever he is now, I am sure he will continue to be hard at work encouraging future generations of medical researchers. Linda Rosenbaum
Judah Folkman's light shined on our family for 4 years in the late 1990's. My mother, a pediatric radiologist was diagnosed with breast cancer, with metastases throughout her bones. Always the fighter, she identified Dr. Folkman, then a famous but complete stranger, as a her co-conspirator in her battle for life and set out to meet him. That she could just "cold call" him spoke of her audacity, that he responded to her call was an act of God.
Soon they were not only outlining her medical therapy but discussing her work investigating the role of angiogenesis in Crohn's disease. He was visibly inspired by her work and with great humility asked her for one of her slides "to show some people in Stockholm." As she pulled the slide out of its sleeve, she was transformed from a sick and desperate woman to a vessel of knowledge and ideas. Her old self.
We credit him with extending her life by many years, a combination of his medical protocol and pure inspiration. In those rich rich years she had a grandson, recorded a CD with her choir and wrote seminal papers in the field of Pediatric Radiology while lecturing all over the world. The first time I visited his lab I felt embarrassed and out of place until I saw that wonderful picture of Mum and her family on the conference room wall. "I put it up there to remember why we do what we do," he said, again so humbly. His egoless and kind ways left us all a little giddy.
There was a sage who when asked what the meaning of life was responded, "That you can reflect God's light onto others, so that they can see their own brilliance." I can think of no person who personifies this ideal as did Dr. Folkman.
Our family is proud to know of your lab and your work. Those he has left behind are a source of inspiration to all. Lara Patriquin, MD
I have never personally met Dr. Folkman, but I was looking for any information about what is new in the angiogenesis research field. Over the years Dr. Judah Folkman was for me the unquestioned authority in my research concerning anti-angiogenic therapy and in the quest of anti-angiogenic drugs among different natural substances (plants and animal products).
When I learned the truly sad news about Judah Folkman -- a great scientist and researcher, I was deeply touched. Medicine has lost the greatest brain and the most magnificent heart. Doctor Folkman's theory -- that we perhaps can stop tumor growth when we do not allow blood vessels to spread -- was a milestone in oncology. I hope that the angiogenesis inhibitors will be, in the future, the most important drugs in cancer therapy.
I really do not know any other scientist living today who has had as bright and novel ideas on medicine and cell biology as Dr. Folkman. I am convinced that Dr. Judah Folkman is one of the few scientists whose name will be pronounced and remembered for many, many years and his achievements will be never forgotten. I also hope that there will be young people who will, as I am, continue his research to save and protect other lives.
Barbara-Joanna Balan MD, PhD
A number of people have asked about making gifts in Dr. Judah Folkman's memory. All contributions will benefit the Folkman Angiogenesis Research Institute. If you are interested in making a gift you may:
Dr. Folkman had a busy schedule but he always made time to talk to young scientists and greet scientists from China. When Endostar was approved in China, he told me about the news and he felt very excited about the opportunities there. He then invited Dr. Yongzhang Luo to give a talk on Endostar in CHB. When Dr. Jie-fu Huang, Vice Minister, Ministry of Health, People's Republic of China, gave a talk at HMS, Dr. Folkman offered to give Dr. Huang a book titled "Dr. Folkman's War: Angiogenesis and the Struggle to Defeat Cancer" (Chinese version). Per Dr. Folkman's request, I had the honor to introduce them each other. The picture attached remains a precious memory of Dr. Folkman. 
