NIH Remembers Shurin
Dr. Susan B. Shurin, an extraordinary leader and cherished member of NIH’s National Heart, Lung and Blood (NHLBI) community, passed away on August 31st at her home in San Diego at the age of 80.
Shurin joined NHLBI in 2006 as deputy director and later served as acting director from 2009 to 2012. During her time at NHLBI, she was instrumental in advancing research and public health initiatives. Her leadership was marked by the development of critical policies for genomic data sharing and the promotion of global health initiatives, with a particular focus on non-communicable diseases.
After retiring from NHLBI in 2014, Shurin continued her invaluable work as a senior adviser at NIH’s National Cancer Institute’s Center for Global Health. Her efforts focused on enhancing biomedical research capacities in low- and middle-income countries, with an emphasis on cancer prevention and treatment, reflecting her commitment to improving health outcomes for underserved populations.
Before joining NHLBI, Shurin was a professor of pediatrics and oncology and Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland; director of pediatric hematology-oncology at Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital; director of pediatric oncology at Case Comprehensive Cancer Center and vice president and secretary of the corporation at CWRU. In 1994, she performed the first successful umbilical cord blood transplant for childhood leukemia, using cord blood from the patient’s baby sister.
Her contributions to pediatric hematology-oncology have been profound, significantly impacting treatments for conditions like thalassemia and sickle cell disease. Shurin’s dedication to science and passion for mentoring emerging medical professionals have left an enduring legacy.
Her family recalls that she often spoke fondly of the week each year when students from Tougaloo College in Mississippi, who were involved with the Jackson Heart Study, would visit NIH. She referred to it as “one of my absolute favorite weeks at NIH, spending time with those students.”
Shurin’s mentorship and advocacy for optimal health for all communities continue to inspire.