June 16, 1942 - February 25, 2010
His many friends and colleagues as well as members of IBMS and CABS will be saddened to learn that Greg Mundy passed away peacefully at home with his family in San Antonio on February 25. His career was one of consistent, outstanding achievement over four decades in bone cell biology and its control by hormones and cytokines, the implications of this for osteoporosis, and most notably, for the skeletal complications of cancer. His entry into that field in 1974, showing that malignant white cells and myeloma cells could promote bone resorption, led over years to his becoming arguably the single most influential figure in recognizing the importance of the bone microenvironment in encouraging the establishment and growth of hematological and solid cancers, and developing evidence to support that.
A great educator as well as scientist, Greg trained more than 150 students and Fellows, many of whom have progressed to successful independent careers. His research has been acknowledged by very many prestigious awards, and his leadership exemplary as President of IBMS, co-founder and President of CABS, President of ASBMR and a tireless worker for all those causes as well as those of the National Osteoporosis Foundation, the International Myeloma Foundation and the many Editorial Boards on which he served.
In 2006 , after 26 years of success in San Antonio, Greg took Directorship of the Vanderbilt Center in Bone Biology, as John A. Oates Chair in Translational Medicine and Professor of Medicine, Pharmacology, Orthopedics and Cancer Biology. That Center’s rapid success and activity are a standing tribute to him.
We offer our sincerest sympathy to Greg’s wife, Helen and children Gavin, Ben and Jennifer.
- T. John Martin FRS, on behalf of the IBMS Board of Directors and the Cancer & Bone Society Board of Directors.