Joseph Barnett Kirsner

Joseph Barnett Kirsner
BornSeptember 21, 1909
DiedJuly 7, 2012
NationalityAmerican
Alma materTufts University School of Medicine, Woodlawn Hospital, University of Chicago
SpouseMinnie Schneider

Joseph B. Kirsner (September 21, 1909 – July 7, 2012) was an American gastroenterologist and Louis Block Distinguished Service Professor of medicine at the University of Chicago.[1][2] He was a pioneer in the field of digestive system disorders and was the first person to show the increased risk of colon cancer in patients with ulcerative colitis.[3][2][4][5]

Early life

Kirsner was born on September 21, 1909, in a Jewish family. He was the eldest of five children. In 1933, Kirsner moved to Chicago after graduating from the Tufts University School of Medicine.[2] Kirsner married Minnie Schneider, whom he met at Woodlawn Hospital on Chicago's South Side. While at University of Chicago, he published 750 papers and wrote six editions of a textbook on inflammatory bowel disease.[4] In 1935, he joined the University of Chicago faculty and continued to see patients till the age of 100.[6][1]

He had been instrumental in founding the American Gastroenterological Association, the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy and the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.[3][5]

Awards and recognition

Over the course of his career, he was awarded twice with a lifetime achievement award by the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America.[1] He also received the Distinguished Educator Award from the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA).[4]

Publications

Death

In 2012, Kirsner died of kidney failure. He was 102 years old.[3][5]

References

External links