Judah Folkman

Moses Judah Folkman (24 February 1933 to 14 January 2008) was an American biologist and pediatric surgeon best known for his research on tumor angiogenesis, the process by which a tumor attracts blood vessels to nourish itself and sustain its existence. He founded the field of angiogenesis research, which led to the discovery of a number of therapies based on inhibiting or stimulating the growth of new blood vessels. Born in Cleveland, Ohio, he accompanied his father, a rabbi of Austrian-Jewish descent, on visits to hospital patients, and by the age of seven he knew he wanted to be a doctor. He graduated from Ohio State University in 1953 and from Harvard Medical School in 1957, where he trained under Robert Edward Gross. He became surgeon-in-chief at Children's Hospital Boston at the age of 34, and in 1968 he was appointed the Julia Dyckman Andrus Professor of Pediatric Surgery at Harvard Medical School, the youngest full professor in the school's history.