Skip to contents
In This Issue:
Ferenc A. Jolesz
BWH and the Department of Radiology mourn the passing of Ferenc A. Jolesz, MD, who died suddenly and unexpectedly due to a pulmonary embolism on Dec. 31.
In a career that spanned more than 30 years at the Brigham and Harvard Medical School (HMS), Dr. Jolesz achieved world-wide recognition as a clinician-scientist, as one of the great innovators in advanced imaging technology and as one of the foremost leaders in radiology in the country and across the globe. He distinguished himself through leading-edge research in basic and clinical neuroscience, magnetic resonance imaging and image-guided therapy. Widely recognized as the "father of modern day image-guided therapy," Dr. Jolesz spearheaded the development and implementation of highly novel approaches to image processing and analysis, visualization and navigation techniques. Under his visionary leadership, many minimally invasive and non-invasive image-guided therapies were successfully translated into clinical application.
"Dr. Jolesz was an unrivaled leader, a fearless innovator and a man of uncommon courage who had an infectious love of life that was evident to all who knew him," said Steven E. Seltzer, MD, chair of Radiology. "Among his closest friends, colleagues and students, he was loved as much for his kindness, compassion, generosity and delightful sense of humor as he was recognized for his substantial medical and scientific achievements."
Born in Budapest, Hungary, Dr. Jolesz earned his medical degree from Semmelweis Medical School in 1971. He completed a research fellowship in biomedical engineering at K. Kando College of Electrical Engineering and residency in neurosurgery at the Institute of Neurosurgery in Budapest. He was invited to the U.S. in 1979 to begin a fellowship in neurology at MGH and the Boston Biomedical Research Institute. This was followed by a research fellowship in physiology at HMS. He subsequently joined BWH Radiology in 1982, first as a clinical fellow in neuroradiology, then as a diagnostic radiology resident. He joined the faculty at BWH and HMS in 1985. As a fitting culmination to his outstanding career in radiology research, he was appointed the first incumbent of the B. Leonard Holman Chair in Radiology in 1998.
Dr. Jolesz was also the driving force behind the first intra-operative MRI, and more recently, the Advanced Multi-modality Image-Guided Operating (AMIGO) suite at BWH. Largely because of Dr. Jolesz's pioneering work in image-guided therapy and experience in managing a large research enterprise, the National Institutes of Health established the National Center for Image-Guided Therapy at BWH in 1995. The "brain-child" of Dr. Jolesz, the AMIGO suite opened in 2011. Its unique integration of MRI, PET, CT, ultrasound and angiography along with advanced navigational technologies in a single operating suite has revolutionized the way patients are evaluated before, during and after surgery.
Dr. Jolesz is survived by his wife of 43 years, Dr. Anna Jolesz, and his two daughters, Dr. Marta Jolesz and Ms. Klara Jolesz.
A memorial service will be held on Feb. 6, beginning with a gathering of friends and colleagues at 2:30 p.m. and followed by a service and reception, at the Joseph B. Martin Conference Center at HMS, 77 Avenue Louis Pasteur, Boston. Additional information will be posted on his memorial website at ferenc.jolesz.muchloved.com.