University Times

Dawn Marcus with Wheatie

Dawn A. Marcus, professor of anesthesiology and associate professor of neurology, died Oct. 19, 2013, after suffering a heart attack while bicycling in North Park.

Born July 31, 1961, in Utica, N.Y., she received her bachelor of science degree in biology from Marywood College in Scranton and her medical degree from the State University of New York in Syracuse.

She became a resident in neurology here in 1987 and never left, joining the anesthesiology faculty as an assistant professor in 1990 and receiving her secondary appointment in neurology the next year.

She also was a staff neurologist and coordinator at the Pain Evaluation and Treatment Institute.

Marcus was an expert on chronic pain and migraines. Her books include “The Power of Wagging Tails: A Doctor’s Guide to Dog Therapy and Healing,” “Fit as Fido: Follow Your Dog to Better Health,” “The Woman’s Fibromyalgia Toolkit: Manage Your Symptoms and Take Control of Your Life,” “The Woman’s Migraine Toolkit: Managing Your Headaches From Puberty to Menopause” and “Therapy Dogs in Cancer Care.”

She was a therapy-dog handler who took her two soft-coated wheaten terriers, Wheatie and Toby, to nursing homes, convents and hospitals, as well as programs aimed at reducing stress for college students.

Marcus also was a volunteer at Animal Friends.

“She was a great educator and mentor,” said anesthesiology faculty member Cheryl Bernstein, who arrived at what is now called UPMC Pain Medicine at Centre Commons a dozen years ago and began working with Marcus. There, they did research on the effects of animal-assisted therapy on patients with fibromyalgia and chronic pain.

“She was just a very compassionate physician, really attentive to patients and focused on their needs, giving people time to deal with their pain,” Bernstein says.

After Marcus stopped her clinical practice, Bernstein added, she was “a prolific writer. She had a real talent for connecting with people. She was just a brilliant woman, a brilliant physician, very patient and kind [and] very dedicated to seeing the whole picture in treating pain. It’s a terrible loss for all of us.”

Her writing focused on multifaceted approaches to pain therapy, which included medication and relaxation techniques with additional therapies. Her book “10 Simple Solutions to Migraine” won the National Headache Foundation’s Excellence in Media Award in 2007.

She is survived by husband Richard J. Marcus and sons Steven and Brian.

—Marty Levine