Page 10 - 2019 UM Dermatology Annual Letter - Pages 121819

10 | Dr. Phillip Frost Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery
IN MEMORIUM

Dr. Stephen Katz

An American medical autoantibodies: A diagnostic and prognostic test”
and science giant, in the Society of Investigative Dermatology’s (SID)
Stephen Katz, M.D., Journal of Investigative Dermatology. Twenty-five
PhD passed away at years later he was president of the SID. Talented
the age of 77 at the end and immensely hard working, among Dr. Katz’s
of 2018 (after our last great attributes was his ability to make those
annual letter was sent around him better. An ultimate team player, as a
out) from complications resident Steve was always there to lend a hand to
of cancer. Dr. Katz a co-resident or faculty member to help get the job
was arguably the best done.
known and most influential dermatologist of our
time. Born in New York and growing up in and After leaving Miami, Steve served in the U.S.
around Washington, D.C., Steve attended the military at Walter Reed Army Medical Center
University of Maryland and Tulane University completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Royal
Medical School. He followed his lifelong hero, College of Surgeons of England and obtained a
older brother Bob (the late Dr. Robert Katz) who Ph.D. degree in immunology from the University
was training in Dermatology at the University of of London in 1974. After becoming Senior
Miami. It was during the times that Steve visited Investigator in the Dermatology Branch of the
Bob that Steve fell in love with Dermatology and National Cancer Institute and a scientific icon,
the Department. Training during a magnificently he became Chief of the Dermatology Branch (a
productive time in the Department’s history, position he held for 24 years) and later served as
Steve was nurtured by great co-residents and Director of the National Institute of Arthritis and
faculty of the time. During the Department’s 50th Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases for the past
Anniversary celebration, Steve recounted how Dr. 23 years. In these later 2 positions, he not only
Harvey Blank assembled an eventual ‘Who’s Who’ directed the focus of skin research in the US but was
of modern dermatology. Drs. Gerry Weinstein, recognized as the face of American Dermatology.
Philip Frost, Bernie Ackerman, Neal Penneys, This was highlighted exquisitely when he was the
Bill Eaglstein, Ken Halprin, Vic Witten, Ed Smith, Secretary General of the last US-based World
Nardo Zaias, David Taplin, David Pariser were Congress of Dermatology held in New York. Steve
among some of the greats that walked the halls of trained and mentored a large number of U.S. and
the University of Miami with Steve at that time. international academic dermatology leaders,
UM Dermatology and his training, with Harvey who have gone on to become world renowned
and the other great faculty and residents of the scientists, Department chairs, Deans and leaders
era, was imprinted on him. in industry. He will be tremendously missed.

Dr. Katz was one of the great immune- To honor Dr. Katz, we are asking your help to
dermatologists of his generation and his very create an endowment in Dr. Katz’s name and hope
1st publication in 1969 was from Miami and a everyone associated with UM Frost Dermatology
prelude to his famed research interest, “The use will contribute.
of human skin for the detection of antiepithelial