Norman Talal, MD, an ex-Professor and expert of Medicine/Autoimmune disease, died on April 23, 2015 at the age of 80 years.
In his 30-year scientific journey, Norman was a role model as researcher and educator striving to dissect the factors playing a significant role in the development of systemic autoimmune disorders. He worked as a researcher and educator initially at the NIH in Bethesda, MD, subsequently at the Medical School of the University of California, and finally in the Medical School of the University of Texas, San Antonio, Texas.
During these years, he was the master investigator who unraveled the wide clinical spectrum of the disease called Sjögren's syndrome and using experimental animal models of the autoimmune diseases tried to understand the reaction of the immune system against autoantigens and the role of sex hormones in the development of autoimmune disorders. In the medical departments he headed, he mentored many young investigators from North and South America, Europe, Israel, Japan, and China, many of whom in their homelands became significant investigators and teachers of autoimmune rheumatic diseases. Norman was highly supportive of his young colleagues; particularly those devoted to research and he always appropriately acknowledged their scientific contributions.
Despite the fact that Norman's research productivity, due to his chronic debilitating disease, stopped almost 2 decades ago, the majority of his scientific contributions were acknowledged and referenced by his peers.
For his scientific contributions, he was awarded with many prestigious national and international awards.
Norman was survived by his beloved wife Marilyn, two children: Andrew, an academic gastroenterologist and Melissa as well as a grandchild Lillian.
We, students of Norman, will always remember his infectious enthusiasm and novelty of scientific thinking.