June 28, 2007
In Memoriam, H. Myron Kauffman (April 7, 1933 - June 26, 2007)
The OPTN/UNOS is saddened by the sudden passing of H. Myron Kauffman, M.D., FACS, our Medical Director and Senior Scientist. Dr. Kauffman was a pioneer in both the practice and science of transplantation, with 45 years of involvement in the field.
In the early 1960s, Dr. Kauffman was the first transplant surgery fellow serving with Dr. David Hume at the Medical College of Virginia (now VCU Health System). He then established kidney transplant programs at the University of Kentucky in 1966 and the Medical College of Wisconsin in 1967. He directed the Wisconsin program until 1987, in which time he performed or supervised about 900 kidney transplants. A number of the people he transplanted continued to have organ function at or beyond 20 years. He also mentored a number of transplant surgeons who continue in active practice.
In 1994, while continuing active practice in general and vascular surgery, he joined UNOS as a part-time medical consultant. Upon retiring from surgical practice in 1997, he became a senior research scientist at UNOS. He worked closely with many OPTN/UNOS committees, sharing his expertise and practical experience. From 2000 onward, he additionally served as medical director for the OPTN.
Dr. Kauffman authored or contributed to more than 150 scientific publications, primarily in the field of organ transplantation. He also frequently presented his research at national and international conferences. He was a charter member of the American Society of Transplant Surgeons and a member of many other medical and professional societies.
In his scientific career, he will be well remembered for his study of transplant- and donor-related malignancies. He was instrumental in developing the Transplant Tumor Registry at UNOS, which is now an integral part of the OPTN database. His ongoing research in this area was dedicated to better screening of malignancies in potential donors (including utilizing donors with a history of cancer unlikely to be transmitted via transplantation), as well as better medical management of recipients who develop cancer.
He may best be remembered for his never-ending passion for his profession and his devotion to the advancement of organ donation and transplantation. Throughout the OPTN/UNOS and the transplant community, he will be sorely missed.
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