It is with great sadness that I report here on the sudden, tragic death of Dr. Thomas Friedberg on April 22, 2009. Thomas was born on January 24, 1951, in Mainz, Germany, into an eminent medical family. His education and training were carried out almost exclusively in Mainz. In 1978, he attained his degree in chemistry, at the highest possible grade achievable, from the University of Mainz. He continued his studies there under the supervision of Professor Franz Oesch and, in 1981, completed his PhD on characterizing the biochemical and toxicological properties of the glutathione-S-transferases. As part of these studies, Thomas carried out some pioneering work with Hansruedi Glatt on the role of these enzymes in the detoxification of metabolites of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.
Thomas moved to New York in 1982 and carried out postdoctoral research with Professor Gert Kreibich at the Department of Cell Biology at New York University (NYU) Medical Center in close collaboration with Dr. Milton Adesnik in the same Department. This sojourn in the United States was highly successful for a number of reasons—Thomas was the first person to isolate cytochrome P450 cDNAs from the CYP2C gene family, the clones, at the time, being called TF1 and TF2. Also, at this time, he met his future wife, Veronica, who was carrying out a postdoctoral research project with Harry Gelboin. As part of his research in NYU, Thomas also carried out excellent studies on the factors defining the homo- and heterodimerization of glutathione-S-transferase proteins.
In 1984, Thomas returned to the Toxicology Unit at the University of Mainz and continued his studies into the role of phase 1 and 2 drug-metabolizing enzymes in chemical carcinogenesis and drug metabolism. One particular success was the development of heterologous systems for the expression of cytochrome P450 isozymes in mammalian cells and their subsequent use to establish the role of specific enzymes in the metabolic activation of carcinogens.
In 1993, Thomas took up a position as Senior Lecturer, then, in 1998, was promoted to Reader in the Biomedical Research Center at the University of Dundee, where he played a pivotal role in a collaborative research program with the pharmaceutical industry on the heterologous expression of human cytochrome P450s in Escherichia coli. This highly successful program developed reagents that are now widely used within the pharmaceutical industry as part of their drug-development programs and resulted in the formation of a small spinout company in Dundee, called Cypex. Thomas was subsequently involved in other important collaborations with the pharmaceutical industry, particularly in studies on the immortalization of primary human hepatocytes. As a consequence of the availability of heterologous expression systems, Thomas carried out very interesting work on the relationship between cytochrome P450 expression and drug-transporter activity in defining drug metabolism and chemical toxicity, as well as carrying out studies on factors defining the turnover rates of cytochrome P450s in cells. Thomas published 92 scientific papers in the course of his career, many of which have been highly cited. Throughout his career, Thomas supervised many PhD students who have gone on to forge successful careers in academia and industry.
Thomas married Veronica in April 1984, and together, they have three delightful and highly successful children, named Douglas, Iona, and Aidan. Thomas will not only be remembered for his scientific contributions, but also, importantly, for his collegiality, good humor, and willingness to help. Thomas was a scientific enthusiast and believed passionately in his research work. He was a member of the ISSX Council and Nomination Committee and a regular speaker at international meetings. Away from work, Thomas loved outdoors pursuits, particularly skiing, hiking, and hill walking, and he greatly enjoyed a glass of German beer.
As Thomas’ colleagues and friends, we will remember him for all the attributes mentioned above, and for the fact that he never criticized his colleagues. Though, perhaps, not one of the most organized people in the world, this absent-mindedness in itself was one of his many endearing qualities. Certainly, his larger-than-life presence and hearty laughter are noticeably absent from the Biomedical Research Institute and serve as a poignant reminder of the loss of a great colleague and friend. Thomas will undoubtedly be sorely missed by his scientific colleagues and very large circle of friends worldwide.
Roland Wolf
June 2009