Dr. Saulo Klahr, 1935–2010

Abstract

Eduardo A. Slatopolsky Renal Division, School of Medicine, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, USA Correspondence: Eduardo A. Slatopolsky, Renal Division, School of Medicine, Washington University, 660 S. Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA. E-mail: eslatopo@dom.wustl.edu T here will never be another Saulo Klahr. The nephrology community lost a great leader on 3 June 2010 when Dr. Saulo Klahr passed away at Parc Provence in St. Louis, Missouri, with his family close by him after a long illness. Saulo is survived by his wife, Carol, and his sons, James and Robert. Saulo was born in Santander, Colombia, and received his medical degree from the National University of Colombia at Bogota in 1961. He accepted a renal fellowship at Washington University Medical School that same year. In 1972 he became the director of the Renal Division, a position he held for 20 years. In only ten years, Saulo advanced his career from fellow to professor of medicine. In 1986, Saulo was named the Joseph Friedman Professor of Medicine in Renal Diseases, and in 1991 he became the John E. and Adaline Simon Chair of Medicine at Jewish Hospital in St. Louis. It would take me many pages to recount all of Saulo’s accomplishments and achievements. He had more than 500 scholarly articles published. He was the editor or coeditor of more than 20 books, and he served as an officer of practically every national or international society connected to nephrology. For the past 45 years he had an active role at the National Institutes of Health, first as a member of the Advisory Committee for the Artificial Kidney–Chronic Uremia Program, then as a member and chairman of General Medicine B and chairman of the Clinical Study on the Effect of Dietary Modification on the Course of Progressive Renal Disease. Saulo played an active role in the National Kidney Foundation of Eastern Missouri and Metro East, and an annual lectureship was established in his honor in 1990. He also played a critical role in the development of the American Society of Nephrology, and in 1985 he became its president. He held numerous positions in the International Society of Nephrology and, since 1997, was a member of the Executive Committee. He was also an associate editor of the Journal of Clinical Investigation and the editor of the American Journal of Kidney Diseases and of Kidney International for many years. Many awards were given to Saulo for his contributions to science and medicine—just to mention a few: Outstanding Investigator of the American Heart Association, the Presidential Medal of the American Society of Nephrology, Lifetime Member Award of the National Kidney Foundation of Eastern Missouri and Metro East, and the prestigious John P. Peters Award of the American Society of Nephrology. I would like now to pause and outline the difference between Saulo and many other investigators. Why was Saulo so successful? Obviously this is a very difficult question, and there are no simple answers. However, here are a few clues that may help us understand Saulo’s accomplishments. Saulo was incredibly bright, he had a photographic memory, he was a compulsive worker, he was always prepared, he was meticulous, and he covered every possibility. Saulo did not believe in short cuts. On the contrary, he studied complicated problems in great detail until he found the correct answers. When Saulo became the director of the Renal Division, he understood that to run a division requires a full commitment and dedication. He understood that his loyalty was not only to his personal friends, but to all members of the division. He worked very hard to make the Renal Division a comfortable place for all young investigators. He read all papers before publication but strongly encouraged and supported young investigators to become independent and start their own research careers. In the past 40 years, many of his collaborators have become senior members of the Division and have become internationally known for their work. Many of them hold prestigious positions at other universities. However, it was the outstanding environment provided by Saulo that prevented the exodus of such qualified people from our division. Saulo always gave credit to those who deserved it. In addition to his outstanding academic contributions, Saulo’s other legacy is the numerous nephrologists trained in the Renal Division, who have achieved major roles in nephrology worldwide. Saulo’s work on the adaptation of nephrons in chronic renal failure, renal metabolism, renal Dr. Saulo Klahr, 1935–2010