December 8, 2000

The MGH Dermatology Department recently dedicated a conference room on Bartlett 3 to the memory of longtime MGH researcher Irvin H. Blank, PhD, who died in his home April 19 at the age of 98. In a research career that spanned more than 75 years, Blank made major contributions to the understanding of the physical and chemical properties of the skin and helped to explain how many medications and cosmetics affect the skin.

"This is not a day of mourning, but of celebration," said John Parrish, MD, chief of Dermatology and a longtime colleague of Blank's. "We are pleased to have a permanent part of this institution to remember him, and it is only appropriate that it be a room dedicated to teaching, learning and training."

Also to honor the accomplishments of Blank, the MGH Dermatology Service has established the Irvin H. Blank Foundation, which will provide research support at the MGH for a post-doctoral investigator in the field of dermatology. The Irvin H. Blank fellow will be selected by an advisory committee comprised of members of Dermatology and the MGH Cutaneous Biology Research Center.

From left, John Parrish, MD, with Barbara Hauser,
daughter of Irwin Blank, PhD, and her husband, Stuart Hauser