ADELE BOSKEY

BOSKEY--Adele, Ph.D.

The Board of Trustees and the entire Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) community extend our deepest sympathy at the passing of Adele Ludin Boskey, Ph.D. -- a loss for all at HSS and her countless research collaborators from around the world. During her 45 years at HSS, Dr. Boskey was a leader in musculoskeletal research. She was a research trailblazer and a dedicated mentor to countless students, residents, fellows, clinicians and junior scientists. Without her, HSS Research, and orthopedic research worldwide, would not be what it is today. Dr. Boskey earned her bachelors in chemistry from Barnard College and her Ph.D. from Boston University. She began her post-doctoral fellowship at the Imperial College in London, completing it at HSS in 1972. As a physical chemist, Dr. Boskey devoted her career to understanding biominerailization and bone formation. Her pioneering research in the application of biophysical and imaging technologies to define the composition, structure and functional properties of bone changed the field. That work greatly deepened our understanding of bone quality and fracture risk, and it led to the success of the present research programs at HSS. Her foundational research contributed to the understanding of a number of musculoskeletal diseases, including osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, osteogenesis imperfecta, and growth plate abnormalities. The caliber of her research and its ensuing impact is reflected in her over 270 publications and continued funding through the National Institutes of Health since the start of her career. She served on numerous federal and industry groups as an expert advisor. Throughout her distinguished career, Dr. Boskey won numerous prestigious awards for her work, including the Orthopaedic Research Society/American Orthopaedic Association Alfred R. Shands, Jr. Award, which honors a scientist who has made significant contributions to the understanding of musculoskeletal disease. She was also recognized with the Lawrence G. Raisz Award for outstanding achievements in preclinical and translational research by the American Society of Bone and Mineral Research. Dr. Boskey was recognized as a Pioneer in Orthopaedics by the Orthopaedic Research Society (ORS), where she also served as the first female president, and she was the first woman and PhD to receive the Distinguished Investigator Award from the Orthopaedic Research Society/Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation. She was a co-founder of the ORS Women's Leadership Forum that assists women in attaining leadership positions. Dr. Boskey held Professorships at Weill Cornell Medical College, the Weill Graduate School of Medical Science, CUNY and, Cornell University. She was HSS Director of Research from 1993 to 2002 and held the Starr Chair in Mineralized Tissue Research. Based on her dedication to HSS and her visionary persistence, the Board of Trustees embarked upon a campaign to transform HSS research. Her passion for discovery led to the renaissance of research at HSS. As a Senior Scientist and Program Director of the Musculoskeletal Integrity Program, she remained engaged in her research program and in training the next generation of scientists and clinicians. She was a dedicated mentor whose human legacy is equally impressive as her scientific contributions. Dr. Boskey will be remembered for enriching her colleagues' lives with her wisdom, passion for discovery, sound judgment and impact on musculoskeletal research and clinical practice worldwide. On behalf of the entire HSS family, we extend our heartfelt condolences to her daughter Beth Boskey, to Dr. Boskey's partner Jay Gerstein, to all those who loved her, and to the many others whose lives she touched. Kendrick R. Wilson III, Chair, Board of Trustees; Todd J. Albert, M.D., Surgeon- in-Chief and Medical Director; Mary Kuntz Crow, M.D., Physician-in-Chief; Lionel Ivashkiv, M.D., Chief Scientific Officer; Louis A. Shapiro, President and CEO, Hospital for Special Surgery