Mentors usually don’t see themselves as mentors or even teachers. They are in love with what they do, and their nature is such that they want others to have the same experience. Their generosity is driven by passion. They have an effect on our careers that goes beyond the communication of information. These effects become part of the fabric of our lives, and we feel the need to say thank you.
Dr. Gene Orringer is a hematologist and a distinguished clinician-scientist. His research activities and clinical practice at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill have focused on red blood cell disorders with an emphasis on sickle cell disease. Dr. Orringer was a leader in the NIH-funded studies that culminated in FDA approval of hydroxyurea for treatment of sickle cell disease. From 1983 to 1987, Dr. Orringer was the chair of the NHLBI Sickle Cell Disease Advisory Committee, and he remains an active member of that Committee. His many contributions to the field have led to lasting improvement in the care of two generations of patients with sickle cell disease. Dr. Orringer has been an active member of the American Society of Hematology since 1976. He has served the Society as an invited speaker in both the Scientific and Education Program sessions at the annual meeting, and he has supported ASH’s Clinical Research Training Institute since its inception as both an advisor and lecturer. Dr. Orringer was the 2006 recipient of the Philip Hench Award, an honor given annually to that individual selected by the School of Medicine of the University of Pittsburgh as its most distinguished alumnus.
Dr. Orringer is most passionate about education of students and young investigators, serving as director of the MD-PhD program at Chapel Hill. When he was honored by the University with the Norma Berryhill Distinguished Lectureship, the single most prestigious faculty award bestowed by the School of Medicine, he spoke, not of his academic accomplishments, but of the joy of working with students and junior physicians and scientist and of how those interactions shaped his own perspective. Fittingly, much of the later part of his career has been devoted to creating an environment that supports and encourages the next generation of researchers and clinicians.
Dr. Orringer remains a profound, positive force in the careers of basic and clinical researchers who trained with him at Chapel Hill. Those of us who have been fortunate enough to work with Gene know and appreciate the depth of his investment in us, in hematology, and in his patients. We are grateful that he is still available to guide the next generation. We must, and will, repay his efforts by continuing the work he started.
