Joseph Polak

Dr. Joseph Francis Polak, MDCM MPH FACR FAIUM, passed away on July 15, 2023 at his home in Hyannis Port after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 71.

Born in Toronto, Canada, Joseph attended McGill University for both undergraduate and medical school, obtaining a B.Sc. in Honors Physics from the Faculty of Science in 1973, and an MDCM from the Faculty of Medicine in 1977.

In 1979, after finishing his internship and a year of residency in Internal Medicine at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Montreal, Joseph moved to Boston to pursue postgraduate training at the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital. There, he completed a residency in Nuclear Medicine in 1981, a residency in Diagnostic Radiology in 1986, and a fellowship in Cardiovascular and Interventional Radiology in 1987, before joining the Angiography Division of the Department of Radiology at Brigham and Women's Hospital. At the Brigham, he immersed himself in the study, practice, and teaching of vascular imaging, honing his skills as an interventional radiologist and diagnostician; serving as Co-Medical Director of the Vascular Laboratory; conducting research, most notably as Co-Investigator of Carotid Sonography at the NIH-sponsored Framingham Heart Study and Co-Investigator of the Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm and Carotid Atherosclerosis Studies at the NIH-sponsored Cardiovascular Health Study; teaching residents and fellows; and lecturing on noninvasive vascular imaging at numerous and varied courses all over the world. A tireless academic, Joseph completed an MPH at the Harvard School of Public Health while on a six-month sabbatical in 1993. The same year, he wrote and illustrated his first book, Peripheral Vascular Sonography: A Practical Guide, which has been translated into several languages, and used as a primer for ultrasonographers around the world.

In 2003, Joseph moved to Tufts Medical Center and Tufts University School of Medicine, where he was appointed Professor of Radiology. There, in addition to fulfilling his clinical and teaching responsibilities, he served variously as Interim Chair of Radiology, Vice-Chair for External Business Development, Director of Radiology Research, Director of Cardiovascular Imaging, Chair of the Medical Executive Committee at Lemuel Shattuck Hospital, and Chief of Radiology at Lemuel Shattuck Hospital.

In 2020, he moved to Boston Medical Center at Boston University School of Medicine, where he was once again appointed Professor of Radiology and Chief of Radiology at Lemuel Shattuck Hospital. Notably, Joseph maintained his position as Professor of Radiology at both Tufts University School of Medicine and Boston University School of Medicine, until the time of his passing.

A lifelong scholar, Joseph received dozens of accolades and honors over the years. From University Scholar and Medical Research Council awards for research in Nuclear Medicine and Otolaryngology while an undergraduate at McGill, to Chief Resident, an honor he held twice at Brigham and Women's, to Teacher of the Year-an award conferred by his residents on several occasions. Joseph was the recipient of honorary memberships in numerous international societies, and a proud Fellow of the American College of Radiology and the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine.

A seasoned lecturer and educator, Joseph taught and gave practical demonstrations at countless courses on noninvasive vascular imaging, was invited speaker at dozens of national and international symposia, and, in collaboration with his colleagues, spoke at hundreds of conferences, sharing work on the cutting edge of cardiovascular imaging.

Joseph understood the value of communicating his knowledge through writing, speech, and visual representation. A native French speaker, he studiously became fluent in English, in order to maximize the impact of his work over a lifelong career in physics and medicine. Dr. Jo was fastidious in perfecting his illustrations, diagrams, and vascular imagery across a vast compendium of publications-journals, articles, books-and presentations.

As the first Figley Fellow of Radiology Journalism, conferred by the American Roentgen Ray Society in 1994, Joseph put his editorial skills to good use, reviewing articles for a number of medical journals, including Journal of the Radiological Society of North America, American Journal of Roentgenology, Journal of the American Society of Echocardiography, Journal of Neuroimaging, Journal of the American Medical Association, and New England Journal of Medicine, and joining the editorial boards of Radiology, Journal of Vascular Technology/Journal of Vascular Sonography, Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine, and Journal of Neuroimaging.

A prolific author in his own right, Joseph leaves behind a prodigious body of work. In addition to the aforementioned Peripheral Vascular Sonography: A Practical Guide, which he revised in 2004, he authored five books and monographs, 517 peer reviewed articles, 111 textbook chapters, 13 Web publications and videos, 12 invited papers, ten editorials and critical reviews, ten case reports, two booklets on Appropriateness Criteria and Practice Guidelines for the American College of Radiology and American Institute of Medicine, and hundreds of scientific abstracts. At the time of Joseph's death, his work had been cited 40,478 times.

Despite certain knowledge of the outcome of his disease, Joseph remained devoted to his patients, staff, and colleagues, spending his last few months working, finishing up papers and projects, honoring commitments-"getting things done", as he would say. Bolstered every day by the outpouring of love and support from his family, friends, and colleagues, Joseph worked until the end, secure in the knowledge that he had done everything he possibly could, stating that he hoped he had made a difference. He had indeed.

His final days were spent in his happy place; his old wicker rocker on the back porch of his house in Hyannis Port, a glass of wine at hand, his dog by his feet, a stack of journals on the table, listening to the waves and his birds. His was a life well lived. He will be missed.

He is survived by his wife of 49 years, Jo-Anne (Aikman), his daughter, Alexandra, and his siblings: Michel, Marie-Anne, and Yves Polak.

He will be laid to rest privately at St. Andrew's By-The-Sea in Hyannis Port. A memorial service will be held at a later date.