Dr. David S. Papermaster

I know Dave and Sandy from Florida, and had a weekly chess game with Dave for two or three years when he was in town. We would play for a few hours and then go out to lunch. We developed a weekly routine that I will always treasure. Dave would tell stories about his father the dentist hypnotising patients, and how hypnotisim failed to be accepted by mainstream medicine despite its positive impact on patient outcomes. Dave also spoke of wrestling with his brother, and and his Rabbi grandfather. Dave will be missed.

I first met David in 1996 during the workshop called the Fundamental Aspects of Vision which he had created at the Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole. I remember David´s avid enthusiasm and his mission to recruit postdocs naïve to wonderful world of vision research. Some 14 years later, David would welcome me this time as the incoming Solomon endowed chair, a position he had held until then at UConn Health. I still remember the practical advice he gave us on managing a career in academia and how to navigate the complex visual apparatus. Thanks to the inspiration he gave me at MBL to also consider the retina while I was a corneal researcher, his timely advice made me into a corneo-retinal scientist. David was one who looked out for the next generation. He was truly an inspiration for those who knew him. He will surely be missed.

I met David when I was a nascent grad student, attending my first annual ARVO meeting (May 1976). He took an immediate interest in me, my research and my career development. He was a lifelong "informal" mentor to me thereafter, even after he retired from active academics. One of the smartest people I've ever met. Great sense of humor, generous, and kind. He will be greatly missed.