John Putnam Merrill (March 10, 1917 – April 14, 1984) was an American physician and medical researcher. He led the team which performed the world's first successful kidney transplant.[1] He generally credited as the "father of nephrology"[2] or "the founder of nephrology," which is the scientific study of the kidney and its diseases.[1]
John P. Merrill | |
---|---|
Born | |
Died | April 14, 1984 | (aged 67)
Known for | nephrology kidney transplant |
Medical career | |
Profession | physician medical researcher |
Institutions | Peter Bent Brigham Hospital Harvard Medical School |
Research | nephrology |
Merrill was born in 1917 in Hartford, Connecticut. After graduating from Dartmouth College in 1938, he attended the Harvard Medical School. He graduated in 1942; and he was an intern at the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital.[2]
During World War II, he served for four years in the Army. Two years were spent on Kwajalein Island in the Pacific with "Operation Crossroads."[2]
Merrill's entire career was spent in Boston at Peter Bent Brigham Hospital, now known as Brigham and Women's Hospital. His work as a medical researcher began in 1947. As a resident in medicine, he was assigned to head the team which developed an artificial kidney (the Brigham-Kolff dialyzers) for use in the treatment of acute and chronic kidney failure.[2]
With our tradition of kidney disease research, we felt we should sponsor the so-called artificial kidney. But who could take on this complex—and risky—research project? My choice was John P. Merrill. With his excellent medical background ... four years as a flight surgeon ... interest in cardiorenal disease ... and the intellectual curiosity that characterizes a born researcher ... he was ideally suited.
— Dr. George W. Thorn, Physician in chief, Peter Bent Brigham Hospital, 1942–1972.[3]
In 1950, Merrill began teaching at Harvard Medical School.[1]
In 1954, Merrill headed the multidisciplinary team that performed the first successful transplant of a kidney between identical twin brothers.[2]
Merrill was made a full professor at Harvard Medical School in 1970.[1] His legacy is found in his students and in those doctors he mentored.[4]
1947–1950 | residency, Brigham Hospital |
1950–1956 | investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute at the Brigham Hospital |
1952 | Necker-Enfants Malades Hospital, Paris[5] |
1954 | kidney transplant |
1950–1984 | faculty, Harvard Medical School |
Merrill's career was cut short when he died on April 14, 1984, in a boating accident while vacationing in the Bahamas.[1]
In a statistical overview derived from writings by and about John Merrill, OCLC/WorldCat encompasses roughly 20+ works in 30+ publications in 3 languages and 400+ library holdings .[6]
8. Dept of Veterans Affairs BIRLS Death File