Leaving an extraordinary legacy in his wake, Dr Reed Pyeritz’s loss will be felt throughout the Marfan community. A phenomenal physician, geneticist, scientist, teacher and mentor who dedicated his career to understanding the condition and improving treatment, Dr Pyeritz sadly died on 10 August. He famously concluded: “30 years of research equals 30 years of additional life expectancy.”
Dr Reed E. Pyeritz (1947 - 2026) co-founded the Marfan Foundation 45 years ago and was a great friend to the Marfan Association & Trust when we started in 1988. Although his career was prestigious and far-reaching, he remained personable and human, visiting the UK for our Trust Information Days, even sleeping overnight in the cheerfully vacated bunk bed of Anne Child's 2-year-old son Ben!
When our Medical Director, Dr Child, decided to embark on a mission to find the causative gene for Marfan syndrome, she turned immediately to Dr Pyeritz for his help. Whilst we and our collaborators in Europe found its location, Dr Pyeritz and his colleagues discovered the gene in a large family in the United States.
We extend our deepest condolences to his family, colleagues, friends and the community he served so wonderfully.
