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Surprised and Saddened At the Sudden Death of Pat Buffler, A Beloved Leader In The Field

The sadness and shock at the loss of Pat Buffler, a widely-known and extremely well-liked senior epidemiologist, is being felt throughout the epidemiology community this month as the news of her death becomes more widespread. According to an obituary from the University of California Berkeley where Buffler worked for many years as researcher and dean of the School, she died of a stroke in her office on Thursday evening September 26 at age 75. Her dynamism belied her age for many who knew her.

Most Elected Epidemiologist


Of all the epidemiologists at work today, Pat seemed to be engaged on more fronts than anyone and was quite possibly the most frequently elected epidemiologist the profession ever had. Incredible as it may seem, she was elected president of the Society for Epidemiologic Research, the American College of Epidemiology, the International Society for Environmental Epidemiology, and she was president-elect of the International Epidemiological Association when she died. Her warm personality and caring ways were much appreciated by her colleagues.  She always seemed to have time for you whenever and wherever you encountered her.

Strong Supporter

We at The Epidemiology Monitor have always had a fond affection for Pat because she was an enthusiastic and supportive cheerleader as long ago as 1980 when newsletter made its first appearance and many doubted the wisdom of launching such a venture. She never wavered in thinking it was a good idea and deserving of support. She served on our first advisory board and kept in touch through the years at meetings and other events.

Candor

She had a candid streak in her, which we found to be rare in persons of her stature and responsibility, and would often tell it like it is, which we appreciated as reporters. Since she was so well connected, her candor about events behind the scenes was often very helpful to our understanding. She always made us feel trusted that what we were doing was good and worthwhile.

Obituaries

Below are excerpts from the obituaries that have been published so far by the University and one from the International Epidemiological Association written by an epidemiology colleague Eduardo Franco. A memorial service is being planned by the School for November 10, 2013. As a tribute to her, we are reprinting the article which appeared in our newsletter following her remarks at the last North American Congress of Epidemiology in Montreal.

 From Art Reingold

“No question she was one of the world’s leading researchers in childhood leukemia, but also in cancer epidemiology,” said Arthur Reingold, UC Berkeley professor and head of epidemiology. “It is standard now to look at the interaction of genetic determinants and environmental factors in disease, but Pat was one of the first people to apply it to leukemia. Because of her work, we now have a better understanding of a rare disease. Her loss is enormous.”  

From Brenda Eskenazi

 “Pat has unified people nationally and internationally in the field of children’s health and exposure to toxins,” said Brenda Eskenazi, UC Berkeley professor of epidemiology and another leading expert on the environmental influences on children’s health. “She was such a leader in her field, and such an example of grace and intelligence, especially for the women in our department.”

 From S Katharine Hammond

“I have never seen anyone so skillfully negotiate such incredibly tricky situations that helped get industry buy-in for what the researchers needed to do,” said panel member S. Katharine Hammond, UC Berkeley professor of environmental health sciences, who was a faculty member at the University of Massachusetts at the time. “I was in awe watching her.”

 From Lisa Barcellos

“When it came to helping her faculty colleagues, the school or the campus, she was never one to say no,” said Lisa Barcellos, UC Berkeley associate professor of epidemiology. “She rarely took a sabbatical. She was finally planning to take one next year, and I think it would’ve been her first in 10 years. She was one of a kind: a role model and friend, with a wonderful sense of humor. Her death is such a huge loss.”

 From Richard Buffler

“While Pat’s accomplishments in the world of scientific research and academia were enormous, her greatest accomplishment – and what she cared about most in life – was her family,” said her husband of 51 years, Richard Buffler. “Nothing was more important to her…She was always thinking ahead for their welfare… That’s who Pat was. She never stopped helping, for them or for anyone.”

From Eduardo Franco

…In an impressive career that spanned five decades, she left an indelible mark as scientist, academic leader, and steward of the epidemiology profession. The scientist in her was devoted to understanding the role of the occupational environment as a cause of cancer in adults and children. This dominant career theme brought her substantial national and international recognition because of her discoveries that led to policy interventions to limit carcinogenic exposures in the workplace.

…Pat was tireless in contributing her expertise and strong advocacy for cancer control to public health agencies at any level, irrespective of whether the concerns were local, regional, national, or on a global scale. She did so with great mastery of the issues, both methodological and substantive. She was an advocate with a strong sense of pragmatism, putting science first in the agenda, without getting side-tracked by the emotional tones of a debate.

…At the IEA we mourn the death of one of our most distinguished members; a champion of our profession and a giant of academic public health.

Links to Obituaries
 

http://tinyurl.com/ol3ca4e

http://tinyurl.com/npznz85

http://tinyurl.com/pkne4oa

http://tinyurl.com/oot45ek


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