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In memoriam: Robert W. Schrier, 1936–2021

2021; Elsevier BV; Volume: 99; Issue: 5 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/j.kint.2021.03.004

1523-1755

Tomás Berl, Stuart L. Linas,

Birth, Development, and Health

As the sun was setting on the 23rd day of January, the passing of Dr. Robert W. Schrier marked the loss of one of nephrology’s towering figures. For more than a half of a century, in his uncompromising pursuit of excellence, he was one of the most respected, beloved, and admired physicians in the world. His boundless energy, consistent optimism, focused determination, and unparalleled work ethic brought about transformative changes to the Renal Division and soon thereafter to the entire Department of Medicine at the University of Colorado. Under his leadership, both underwent enormous growth in the number of faculty members and experienced extraordinary increases in research funding. The Renal Division, as well as the Department of Medicine, gained in fame and respect. He achieved this by his unique ability to recognize talent and to find the best in others. He demanded and expected excellence, yet he successfully maintained a most congenial working environment. His leadership skills were not limited to the University of Colorado. The nephrology community also benefited as he is the only individual that has held the presidency of all 3 major kidney organizations: the American Society of Nephrology (ASN), the International Society of Nephrology (ISN), and the National Kidney Foundation (NKF). Nor was he limited to nephrology, as he was Vice President of the American Society of Clinical Investigation and President of the Association of American Physicians, both organizations that reward selective membership for excellence in scholarly contributions. These leadership positions entailed enormous responsibilities, yet at no time during his long professional life did he veer away from the research, which nourished his sharp intellect and ever inquisitive mind. He explored no less than 5 distinct areas: vasopressin and water homeostasis, sodium and body fluid homeostasis, autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease, diabetes complications and hypertension, and acute kidney injury. In each area, he studied experimental animal models that mimicked human disease and applied current cellular and molecular tools to unveil underlying mechanisms. These observations were consistently complemented by studies in patients who had these disorders. His more than 1000 peer-reviewed publications are equally balanced between laboratory and clinical studies, a model for a translational investigator who took observations made in patients to the laboratory and vice versa. This enormous body of work was almost entirely supported by 45 uninterrupted years of competitive National Institutes of Health funding. Thus, while he led the Division of Renal Diseases and the Department of Medicine at the University of Colorado to new heights and presided at various renal and medical societies, he was concomitantly overseeing a productive laboratory and clinical research operation as the principal investigator of at least 2, frequently 3, and occasionally even 4 program project grants. This prodigious level of accomplishment was recognized by numerous awards, including the Robert H. Williams Distinguished Chair of Medicine Award, given by the Association of Professors of Medicine (APM), as well as the most prestigious awards given by the nephrology societies: the Jean Hamburger Award from the ISN, the Peters Award from the ASN, and the David Hume Award from the NKF. As admirable and awe inspiring as the above accomplishments may be, what Dr. Schrier loved most and was most committed to was education and mentoring. It is thus not surprising that as soon as he arrived in Colorado in 1973, he started the Nephrology Fellowship Program. He obtained a National Institutes of Health training grant, now in its 50th year, that has attracted some of the best applicants in the country. Almost 100 US fellows were trained during his tenure as the Division Head. These trainees have gone on to be leaders in academic medicine, to do research, and to care for patients with kidney disease throughout the country. As much as these trainees were a great source of pride and greatly impacted the field in the United States, Dr. Schrier espoused a much broader global vision, and he found the ISN to be an ideal vehicle in which to carry it out. In an early recognition of his leadership potential, he was elected to the ISN council in 1976, when only 40 years old. He would serve the Society for the ensuing 21 years: 10 as Treasurer, 3 as Vice President, and 2 as President. He was, as current ISN President Professor Jha said, “Schrier was one of its most effective and innovative leaders who led the ISN’s transformation from a conventional medical society to one committed to supporting and serving the needs of low- and middle-income countries.” As a member of the ISN council, Dr. Schrier spearheaded the development and was the first Chair of the ISN Fellowship Committee, whose primary mission was to provide opportunities for renal fellows from developing countries to attend well-established laboratories. This program has become extremely successful. He himself hosted 14 ISN fellows at the University of Colorado from lands as far away as China, Croatia, India, Russia, Tunisia, Turkey, and Ukraine. In 2005, the ISN Schrier Fellowship Fund was established with seed money generously provided by the Schrier and Salmasi Families, which, in collaboration with Otsuka and Amgen, has allowed the Fellowship Committee to make awards to outstanding trainees throughout the world. Dr. Schrier was a pioneer in what could be designated as the globalization of nephrology. He was actively involved in the formation of new regional societies, and as early as in 1987, he won the endorsement of 17 African countries to establish the African Association Society of Nephrology, which has continued to prosper ever since. Along the same lines, Dr. Schrier then proposed the formation of a commission that would be charged with establishing and coordinating ISN activities in developing countries, an initiative now designated as Commission for Global Advancement of Nephrology. This program has made nephrology the specialty with the largest outreach program in the world. To further foster collaboration between centers in the developing and the developed world, Dr. Schrier conceived and launched a Sister Renal Centers program that has facilitated joint research, and the sharing of educational activities, equipment, faculty, and students. By the time he assumed the presidency of the ISN, he proudly announced that 110 such Renal Sister Centers had been established! The above-described innovations have left a lasting imprint on the goals and activities of the ISN. But perhaps his most enduring legacy may prove to be his unselfish devotion and commitment to personally mentor the large number of fellows and visiting scientists who came from every continent and 25 countries to spend anywhere from several weeks to years in his research program. Despite the enormous demands on his time, he always made himself readily available. His office was open to any mentee. He and his wife Barbara, who was his soul mate, confidant, and loving partner for 61 years, warmly welcomed these individuals not only to Denver, but also to their home. They would come on evenings or weekends to review data, write manuscripts, prepare grants, exchange ideas, and frequently just to get better acquainted. In the process, they created a global haven for scientific exchange, community, and friendship. It is noteworthy that the Schriers never lost contact with their international visitors and frequently visited them in their countries. Many of these trainees now occupy leadership positions, do research, teach, and care for patients with kidney disease in every continent. Dr. Robert W. Schrier was born in Indianapolis, Indiana, in 1936, to Helen Moynahan, a nurse, and Arthur Schrier, a printer, who died of malignant hypertension when Bob was 3 years old. In high school, in addition to scholastic achievements, he was All-City football, basketball, and baseball. He resisted the allure offered by professional baseball recruits and opted to go to DePauw University, which offered him a full academic scholarship. Here, besides his stellar academic performance, he was a standout basketball player who broke numerous records, one still standing today. He earned a well-merited place in the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame. Upon graduation, he spent a year in Germany on a Fulbright Fellowship. He then attended Indiana University Medical School. Further training took him to the University of Washington in Seattle and Harvard’s Peter Bent Brigham Hospital. He was drafted into the US Army Medical Corps and served at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center Institute of Research in Washington, DC. While still in medical school, he made the most important and defining decision of his life, when he married his college sweetheart, Barbara Lindley. They were an extraordinary team throughout their 61-year marriage. They lovingly brought up 5 wonderful children who were the center of their lives. More recently, they delighted in 13 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren. Dr. Schrier died peacefully at home, surrounded by his beloved wife, Barbara; his surviving children, David, Douglas, Derek, and Denise; and many of his grandchildren. Dr. Robert W. Schrier was not only a giant in medicine, he was an extraordinary person with a commanding presence and great personal charm, who, as Barbara said, “sought the best in others and gave the best he had.”