In Memoriam: Lauriston S. Taylor, Sc.D.

Lauriston S. Taylor, Sc.D.

A pioneer in the field of radiation protection and measurements has died at the age of 102.

Lauriston S. Taylor, Sc.D., had a rich and varied career during which he founded the U.S. Advisory Committee on X-Ray and Radium Protection in Congress—now known as the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements (NCRP).

His interest in radiation safety may have started when he was in grammar school. During a visit to Thomas Edison in his laboratory, Edison gave him a cold-cathode x-ray tube. Taylor's father, a metallurgist, wouldn't allow him to experiment with it because he had already heard about the dangers of x-ray exposure.

Over his lifetime, Dr. Taylor was an active volunteer in more than three dozen organizations. He had been an RSNA member since 1928 and earned the Society's Gold Medal in 1954. Dr. Taylor earned many other awards over his lifetime, including the Distinguished Service Award from the Executive Office of the President.

Mendelsohn Retires as CCR Editor-in-Chief

John Mendelsohn, M.D., from Houston, founding editor of Clinical Cancer Research, has retired after 10 years with the journal. William Hait, M.D., Ph.D., who has been co-deputy editor, is the new editor-in-chief.

In the December 15 issue, his last as editor, Dr. Mendelsohn urged researchers, regulators and government agencies to consider new ways to conduct and assess translational cancer research and speed bench-to-bedside advances.

2004 AAWR Awards

The American Association for Women Radiologists (AAWR) presented its 2004 awards during RSNA 2004:

• Melissa Rosado de Christenson, M.D., from Columbus, Ohio, received the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Award for outstanding contributions to the field of radiology.
• Patricia A. Randall, M.D., from Syracuse, N.Y., received the Alice Ettinger Award for lifetime achievement in radiology and contributions to AAWR.
• Gretchen E. Green, M.D., from New Haven, Conn., received the Lucy Frank Squire Award, a distinguished resident award in diagnostic radiology.
• Mary Koshy, M.D., from Atlanta, received the Eleanor Montague Award, a distinguished resident award in radiation oncology.
• Alexander Margulis, M.D., and Helen Carty, M.B.B.Ch., were named AAWR honorary members.
• Helen Carty, M.B.B.Ch., and Malgorzata Szczerbo-Trojanowska, M.D., received the AAWR Presidential Award.

  AAWR past-presidents at RSNA 2004 (seated from left) Melissa Rosado de Christenson, M.D., Carol Rumack, M.D., Karen Reuter, M.D. (standing from left) Kimberly Applegate, M.D., M.S., Gretchen Gooding, M.D., Teresita Angtuaco, M.D., Katarzyna Macura, M.D., Ph.D., 2005 president, Ewa Kuligowska, M.D., Katherine Shaffer, M.D., Patricia Randall, M.D. and Ines Boechat, M.D.

Philip Palmer, M.D. (right), with his wife and Nicholae-Tudor Racoveanu, M.D., of Germany.

Palmer Earns Honorary Degree

Philip Palmer, M.D., from Davis, Calif., received a "Degree of Doctor of Medicine, Honoris Causa" from the Romanian Society of Radiology and Medical Imaging during its September congress.

Dr. Palmer first traveled to Romania in 1990 on behalf of the European Office of the World Health Organization. His 46-page Palmer Report was used to revise and modernize medical imaging, radiation therapy and radiology education in Romania after the fall of Communism.

After his return visit to the country, Dr. Palmer said he was surprised by the progress made so far: "The changes are not only in healthcare. In 1990, there were empty shops, lines of very hungry people trying to find bread and any other food. Now the cities and villages, as well as shops of all sorts, are thriving and music and the arts are flourishing. There is, no doubt, a lot more to do but what has been done so far is remarkable."

OmniCorder Elects Davis as Director

Michael A. Davis, M.D., D.Sc., is the new director and chair of the executive committee for OmniCorder Technologies, Inc., of East Setauket, N.Y.

Most recently, Dr. Davis was a director at E-Z-EM, Inc. He also served as a visiting professor of radiology at Harvard Medical School and a visiting scientist in radiology at Massachusetts General Hospital.