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November 24, 2010

Obituary: Hisashi Shinozuka

shinozukaHisashi Shinozuka, professor emeritus of pathology, died Sept. 20, 2010, while visiting family members in his native Japan. He was 81.

Shinozuka and his colleague Benito Lombardi are credited with playing a pivotal role in laying the foundations for academic pathology at Pitt. Together, they developed the carcinogenesis research section of the Division of Experimental Pathology.

In 2008, the Department of Pathology created the endowed Lombardi-Shinozuka Experimental Pathology Research Chair in their honor. Lombardi, also professor emeritus of pathology, said, “Dr. Shinozuka was the best colleague one could ever wish to have — he was insightful, perseverant and open to collaboration. He was also a man of dignity. He offered respect to all, irrespective of status, and was in turn respected by those who knew him.

“In retirement, he enjoyed a variety of activities,” Lombardi said. “He played golf regularly with a group of close friends. He and I also found the time to become good friends, sharing mutual interests in gardening, Pittsburgh’s football teams, a good meal and a nice glass of wine.”

Shinozuka’s career at Pitt began in 1963, when he served as a demonstrator for the Department of Pathology, School of Medicine. In 1966, he was appointed research assistant professor and assistant professor of pathology. He served in that capacity until 1970, during which time he developed a strong interest in the biochemical approach to the study of disease processes. Shinozuka became proficient in this area, and extended his studies from skin carcinogenesis to liver carcinogenesis, with particular emphasis on the ultra-structural, biochemical and molecular mechanisms of action of hepatic carcinogens.

His early work demonstrated that duplicating DNA is more sensitive to the carcinogenic action of chemicals than nonduplicating DNA, an important contribution to the field of carcinogenesis. Subsequently, his interests in ultra-structural pathology led him into a variety of studies involving acute cell injury, cell-drug interactions and carcinogen-target cell interactions. His work on organelle pathology, particularly that of the nucleus and nucleolus, were major contributions to the field.

In 1970, Shinozuka moved to Temple University’s Fels Research Institute. There, he continued to produce work on the analysis of hepatic and pancreatic cell reactions to carcinogens.

In 1975, Shinozuka returned to Pitt as associate professor of pathology. He spent the remainder of his career at the University, and was promoted to professor in 1979. He retired as professor emeritus in 1998, but stayed in close contact with departmental faculty and staff up until his death.

During his second stint at Pitt, Shinozuka developed a research program in experimental carcinogenesis of the liver and the pancreas. He then extended this research into the characterization of the pre-neoplastic lesions in the human pancreas utilizing human autopsy material. Later, he investigated problems related to environmental and nutritional pathology and studied the relationship between nutrition and cancer.

Shinozuka also taught pathology students and lectured on cell growth and neoplasia in biochemical pathology, including various aspects of organelle pathology, cell injury, carcinogenesis and the behavior of malignant cells. He served as director of the electron microscopy service of the department, and supervised the residency training in ultra-structural pathology.

Shinozuka received his medical degree from Keio University in his hometown of Tokyo in 1949, and subsequently served as an intern at Norwalk General Hospital in Connecticut.

By 1960, Shinozuka had completed his residency in both pathology and surgery at St. Louis City Hospital and Missouri Pacific Hospital, respectively. He enrolled as a graduate student at McGill University School of Medicine in Montreal, and obtained a PhD in experimental pathology in 1963. During his graduate training, he set in motion what would become the major scientific interests of his career, when he began his studies on experimental carcinogenesis while mastering the discipline of electron microscopy.

Shinozuka was a member of the American Society of Experimental Pathology, the International Academy of Pathology, the American Society of Cell Biology, the American Association for Cancer Research, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Japanese Association for Cancer Research, the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases and the American College of Toxicology.

He is survived by his daughter, Terri White, and her husband, John; granddaughter Jennifer, and sisters Motoko Endo and Suiko Ohtsu.

A memorial service for Shinozuka was held Nov. 20.

—Peter Hart

Filed under: Feature,Volume 43 Issue 7

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