Gene and Cell Therapy
George Stamatoyannopoulos Photo courtesy of the American Society of
George Stamatoyannopoulos, MD, who conducted important research into hemoglobinopathies, passed away this month at the age of 84.
Dr Stamatoyannopoulos’s research encompassed human genetics and hematology, including the structure and function of hemoglobinopathies, the genetics of thalassemia, and the molecular and cellular control of globin gene switching.
For much of his career, Dr Stamatoyannopoulos focused on the development of gene therapy for hemoglobinopathies and other disorders.
Dr Stamatoyannopoulos was born in Athens, Greece, on March 11, 1934. He entered medical school in Athens at age 17 and graduated at the top of his class 7 years later.
After his medical training, Dr Stamatoyannopoulos pursued thesis research on inherited blood disorders, particularly anemias.
Dr Stamatoyannopoulos performed the first large-scale molecular geographical survey of a genetic trait, which revealed the relationship between malaria and both thalassemia and sickle cell traits.
Dr Stamatoyannopoulos also discovered that fetal hemoglobin could ameliorate the effects of thalassemia. His theory that thalassemia and sickle cell anemia could be treated by re-activating fetal hemoglobin has underpinned decades of efforts to cure these disorders.
As a young investigator, Dr Stamatoyannopoulos expanded genetic studies of blood diseases in Greece, where his work drew the attention of medical genetics pioneer Arno Motulsky, MD.
Dr Motulsky recruited Dr Stamatoyannopoulos to the University of Washington (Seattle) in 1964. Dr Stamatoyannopoulos became a full professor there in 1973, founded the Markey Molecular Medicine Center, and was chief of medical genetics from 1989 to 2005.
Dr Stamatoyannopoulos organized the founding of the American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy. His contributions were recognized by establishment of the Stamatoyannopoulos lecture, the society’s highest award.
Dr Stamatoyannopoulos also served as president of the American Society of Hematology (1992) and president of the American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy (1996). He held leadership positions in other medical and scientific societies as well.
Dr Stamatoyannopoulos authored more than 420 scientific papers and 14 books, including The Molecular Basis of Blood Diseases.
Dr Stamatoyannopoulos died June 16, 2018. He is survived by his wife and collaborator Thalia Papayannopoulou, MD, (a professor of medicine and internationally recognized hematologist), 2 sons, and 3 grandchildren.