Robert M. Blizzard (June 20, 1924 – July 22, 2018)[1] was an American pediatric endocrinologist and a founding member of the Lawson Wilkins Pediatric Endocrine Society.[2]
Blizzard was an early proponent of growth hormone therapy in children with growth hormone deficiency; his New York Times obituary said that he "liked to say that he had helped add 11 miles of height to the United States population" through growth hormone therapy.[1] He advocated for a formalized process for sourcing human growth hormone from cadaver pituitary glands, and in 1961 he co-founded the National Pituitary Agency, a branch of the National Institutes of Health.[1][3] In 1978 he conducted one of the first trials of growth hormone use in adults, wondering about its anti-aging effects, but did not find any benefits.[1] He proposed the theory of "psychosocial dwarfism" after reporting on a reversible form of hypopituitarism seen in children who had endured severe emotional stress,[3] and established a program in Virginia in which school nurses measured children's heights as a screening tool for domestic abuse.[1] He gave his name to Johanson–Blizzard syndrome, which was first described by Blizzard and Ann J. Johanson in 1971.[4]
Honors and awardsedit
1994: Outstanding Leadership in Endocrinology Award (Endocrine Society)
2004: Lifetime Achievement Award (Human Growth Foundation)
2006: Judson J. Van Wyk Award (Pediatric Endocrine Society)[3]
Referencesedit
^ abcdefghi"Robert Blizzard, Who Gave Children Hormones to Grow, Dies at 94". New York Times. July 23, 2018. from the original on July 23, 2018. Retrieved July 11, 2022.
^Lifshitz, Fima (December 2003). "DR. ROBERT M. BLIZZARD – A LEGACY". Growth, Genetics and Hormones. 19 (4).
^ abcdRogol, Alan D. (July 2018). "In Memoriam: Robert M. Blizzard, MD". Endocrine News. Endocrine Society. Retrieved July 11, 2022.
robert, blizzard, june, 1924, july, 2018, american, pediatric, endocrinologist, founding, member, lawson, wilkins, pediatric, endocrine, society, born, 1924, june, 1924east, louis, illinois, diedjuly, 2018, 2018, aged, charlottesville, virginia, alma, maternor. Robert M Blizzard June 20 1924 July 22 2018 1 was an American pediatric endocrinologist and a founding member of the Lawson Wilkins Pediatric Endocrine Society 2 Robert M BlizzardBorn 1924 06 20 June 20 1924East St Louis Illinois U S DiedJuly 22 2018 2018 07 22 aged 94 Charlottesville Virginia U S Alma materNorthwestern UniversityOccupationPediatric endocrinologistYears active1957 1993 Contents 1 Life and career 2 Research and legacy 3 Honors and awards 4 ReferencesLife and career editBlizzard was born in East St Louis Illinois and raised in Greenville Illinois He attended Northwestern University interrupting his undergraduate studies to serve in the United States Army for three years during the Second World War He later returned and graduated from the Feinberg School of Medicine in 1952 1 He completed his pediatric residency at the Raymond Blank Children s Hospital in Des Moines Iowa followed by a fellowship in the subspecialty of pediatric endocrinology at Johns Hopkins Hospital under the mentorship of Lawson Wilkins 1 After a three year period at Columbus Children s Hospital he returned to Johns Hopkins in 1960 to take over from Wilkins as the co director of pediatric endocrinology with Claude Migeon 1 3 In 1974 he moved to the University of Virginia School of Medicine as chair of pediatrics a position which he held until 1987 He retired in 1993 and died in Charlottesville Virginia in 2018 1 Research and legacy editBlizzard was an early proponent of growth hormone therapy in children with growth hormone deficiency his New York Times obituary said that he liked to say that he had helped add 11 miles of height to the United States population through growth hormone therapy 1 He advocated for a formalized process for sourcing human growth hormone from cadaver pituitary glands and in 1961 he co founded the National Pituitary Agency a branch of the National Institutes of Health 1 3 In 1978 he conducted one of the first trials of growth hormone use in adults wondering about its anti aging effects but did not find any benefits 1 He proposed the theory of psychosocial dwarfism after reporting on a reversible form of hypopituitarism seen in children who had endured severe emotional stress 3 and established a program in Virginia in which school nurses measured children s heights as a screening tool for domestic abuse 1 He gave his name to Johanson Blizzard syndrome which was first described by Blizzard and Ann J Johanson in 1971 4 Honors and awards edit1994 Outstanding Leadership in Endocrinology Award Endocrine Society 2004 Lifetime Achievement Award Human Growth Foundation 2006 Judson J Van Wyk Award Pediatric Endocrine Society 3 References edit a b c d e f g h i Robert Blizzard Who Gave Children Hormones to Grow Dies at 94 New York Times July 23 2018 Archived from the original on July 23 2018 Retrieved July 11 2022 Lifshitz Fima December 2003 DR ROBERT M BLIZZARD A LEGACY Growth Genetics and Hormones 19 4 a b c d Rogol Alan D July 2018 In Memoriam Robert M Blizzard MD Endocrine News Endocrine Society Retrieved July 11 2022 Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man OMIM 243800 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Robert M Blizzard amp oldid 1101005427, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
