DOMINICK PURPURA

PURPURA--Dominick P., M.D. It is with great sadness that we share the death of our colleague, friend, and founding Neuroscience Chair at Einstein, Dominick P. Purpura, M.D., on May 16, 2019. Dr. Purpura, better known as Dom, was a legend. Even prior to graduating magna cum laude from Harvard Medical School in 1953, he was the lead author, as a medical student, on a paper examining the neurophysiology of spinal neurons. After training in Neurology at Columbia, Dom devoted himself to laboratory research and integrated a wide array of techniques and approaches to study the nervous system. His exceptional technical abilities combined with his keen intellect allowed him to tackle difficult and pressing questions in Brain Sciences, including pioneering work on epilepsy and intellectual disabilities. Dom was instrumental in establishing the Society for Neuroscience, and the second free-standing Neuroscience department in a medical school. He also introduced the first modern medical school and post-graduate neuroscience curriculum - an educational platform that quickly became a national model. His extraordinary scientific accomplishments secured him membership in the National Academy of Sciences and the Institute of Medicine. Dr. Purpura served as Dean of Stanford University, and of Einstein. Throughout his illustrious career, he was remarkable for his love of science, approachability, and mentorship. He was much loved, and will be missed greatly. Kamran Khodakhah, Ph.D. Florence and Irving Rubinstein, Chair Dominick P. Purpura Department of Neuroscience Albert Einstein College of Medicine