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Sidney Goldring
Surg Neurol 1989;31:423-5
423
SIDNEY GOLDRING
"I have always been chary of effusive endorsements, but in going over my personal notes pertaining to our department and the men who have been part of it, I must confess that my estimate of Sid as a young man has been exceeded only by my admiration over the years." These recent remarks by Dr. Henry Schwartz reflect the feelings of all those who have had the privilege of working with Sidney Goldring. Address reprint requests to." Robert L. G r u b b , Jr., M.D., Professor of Neurological Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, Box 8057, 660 South Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, Missouri 63110. ~<'~1989 by Elsevier Science Publishing Co., Inc.
Dr. Goldring was born on April 2, 1923, in Kremnitz, Poland, and moved with his family when he was 3-months old to the United States, settling in St. Louis, Missouri. The Goldrings had a passionate determination that their sons should be educated and have a profession. Sidney began college at Washington University in 1941, and entered the wartime accelerated medical school program at Washington University, receiving his medical degree in 1947. Research has always been a driving passion in Dr. Goldring's life. His initial exposure to research during medical school was in the infectious disease laboratory of Dr. Carl Harford, investigating the etiology of decreased cerebrospinal fluid glucose levels in meningitis. His love of basic research has continued to the present time as he has surrounded himself with anatomists, physiologists, and engineers working in his neurosurgery department, and he has often encouraged medical students and residents to consider working on doctorates in basic science. During medical school Dr. Goldring's interest in the nervous system and the challenges of the developing specialty of neurosurgery confirmed his desire to enter this field. Following his internship and a year of residency in general surgery at the Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, he became a Fellow in Neurology at Washington University in 1949. During this time he received his initial training in neurophysiology. In the laboratory he came under the influence of the inquiring mind of Dr. George Bishop, one of the pioneers in the development of modern neurophysiology. Among Dr. Bishop's many achievements was the first recording of evoked potentials in experimental animals. His life-long interest and understanding in treating patients with severe seizure disorders began at this time, when every morning was spent reading EEG's with Dr. James O'Leary. A longlasting and fruitful collaboration in experimental work with this distinguished neurologist began in these years. A note from Dr. O'Leary to Dr. Henry Schwartz, written during this time, states "unequivocally" that Sid's personal attributes include "friendliness, superior loyalty, honesty and conscientiousness. He is compul0090- ~,019/8~)/S~ ~,0
424
Surg Neurol 1989;31:423-5
sive to the point of being perfectionistic. His intelligence is superior, but not of the flashy type that impresses immediately--there is a healthy overlay of modesty . . . . He has a bulldog personality when set at a problem. His experimental procedures are well thought out in advance, and as flawless as his ingenuity and training permit them to be. He is not satisfied with superficial answers, and when most workers are ready to sit down and write a paper, he is ready to start his critical experiments !!" Dr. Goldring was influenced by not only the scientific achievement of Dr. Bishop and Dr. O'Leary but also by their strong moral character and sense of fairness, the same characteristics that today's generation sees in Dr. Goldring. In 1951 Dr. Goldring began his neurosurgery training at Washington University and Barnes Hospital with Dr. Henry Schwartz, and the influence of this superb surgeon and powerful personality has been a guiding force throughout Dr. Goldring's career. In 1952 he served eight months in the U.S. Public Health Service as an Instructor in Neurosurgery with the Washington University Medical Unit in Thailand, an exchange program set up between Washington University and Chulalongkorn and Siriraj universities in Bangkok. During this time Dr. Goldring performed the first craniotomy for tumor ever done in Thailand. The following year Dr. Goldring spent 1 year in the U.S. Army at Walter Reed Hospital where he first met a long-time associate, Dr. William Coxe, and worked with Dr. Ludwig Kempe. Returning to St. Louis, Dr. Goldring finished his neurosurgical residency at Barnes Hospital in 1956. From 1956 to 1964 Dr. Goldring was a faculty member of the Washington University School of Medicine. He then left Washington University to become Professor and Head of Neurological Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh. In 1966, he rejoined Washington University as Professor of Neurological Surgery. When a search committee was formed to find a new Head of Neurological Surgery to replace Dr. Henry Schwartz, the proverbial "legend in his own time," the job seemed herculean; but the answer kept coming back from all sources: "the best man is right there--search no further." In 1974, Dr. Goldring became Head of Neurological Surgery and Co-chairman of the newly created Department of Neurology and Neurological Surgery at Washington University School of Medicine, and Neurosurgeon-in-Chief at Barnes Hospital and St. Louis Children's Hospital. Under Dr. Goldring the highly respected training program at Washington University has continued in the tradition of Ernest Sachs and Henry Schwartz, encouraging and training neurosurgeons with a strong academic emphasis. In 1980, Dr. Goldring was also appointed Director of the McDonnell Center for Studies of Higher Brain Function, which was
Grubb
created with a large gift from the James S. McDonnell Foundation. Dr. Goldring has willingly given his time in serving the National Institutes of Health and organized neurosurgery. He was a member of the Neurology Study Section of NINDS from 1964 to 1968 and again from 1969 through 1973, serving as chairman of this section in 1972-73. He was a member of the National Advisory Council of NINCDS from 1977 through 1981. Dr. Goldring was a member of the American Board of Neurological Surgery from 1971 through 1976, serving as chairman from 1974 through 1976. He was chairman of the Residency Review Committee for Neurosurgery from 1974 through 1976. In 1975, he was chairman of the Neurosciences Interdisciplinary Cluster of the President's Panel on Biomedical and Behavior Research. Currently, he is chairman of the Scientific Advisory Committee for the Research Foundation of AANS and has served since 1972 as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Grass Foundation. Almost all honors and recognition in the field of neurosurgery have come to Dr. Goldring. He served as President of the Society of Neurological Surgeons in 1981-82, the American Academy of Neurological Surgery in 1982-83, and the American Association of Neurological Surgeons in 1984-85. He was the Honored Guest of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons in 1985. Dr. Goldring has published extensively on his research interests in neurophysiology and experimental and clinical epilepsy. He has also developed a large experience in the surgical treatment of seizure disorders. Basic laboratory studies have focused on the steady voltage gradients that exist between the brain and an extracerebral reference, or across the cerebral cortex. These gradients (DC potentials) were extensively studied during anoxia, asphyxia, hypoglycemia, focal brain injury, cerebral ischemia, anesthesia, and seizure discharge. Changes in DC potentials were shown to be due to sustained changes in the resting membrane potentials (RMP) of both neurons and glia, the RMP ofglia reflecting fluxes in the extracellular K+ concentration. The glial contribution of these potentials was definitively proven by simultaneous physiologicmorphologic studies in which the glial cells were marked intracellularly with horseradish peroxidase. Dr. Goldring's clinical research has been in the treatment of epilepsy. His most significant clinical contribution has been the development of a surgical method of treatment in which all surgical manipulation is carried out under general, rather than local, anesthesia. The sensorimotor region is identified in the anesthetized patient by recording cortical sensory evoked responses, and the epileptogenic focus is localized by the use of in-dwelling surface epidural electrode arrays for extraoperative
S. Goldring
electrocorticography, which is carried out predominantly during spontaneously occurring seizures. This method has made it possible to extend surgical treatment of intractable seizure disorders to patients (especially children) who in the past could not as readily be considered for surgery. Sidney Goldring met Lois Blustein when she was 15 years old. He fell in love with this young, beautiful redhead, and married her in 1945, when she was a Washington University freshman. A lovely and outgoing woman, Lois has served as a strong complement to Sid while maintaining her own identity through important civic and cultural activities. The Goldrings have two children. James M. Goldring, M.D., who also holds a
Surg Neurol 1989;31:423-5
425
Ph.D. in neurobiology, lives with his wife Liz in St. Louis. He is a resident in neurology at Washington University School of Medicine. Daughter Kathryn Goldring Coryell lives in Iowa City, Iowa, with her psychiatrist husband, Bill, and children Matthew and Julie, the special pride of grandparents Lois and Sid. Vacation time usually finds Sidney and Lois waist deep in the best trout streams of Montana, and a hefty portion of Montana trout find their way to St. Louis, deliciously prepared and on the table for lucky family and friends.
ROBERT L. GRUBB, JR., M.D. St. Louis, Missouri
423
SIDNEY GOLDRING
"I have always been chary of effusive endorsements, but in going over my personal notes pertaining to our department and the men who have been part of it, I must confess that my estimate of Sid as a young man has been exceeded only by my admiration over the years." These recent remarks by Dr. Henry Schwartz reflect the feelings of all those who have had the privilege of working with Sidney Goldring. Address reprint requests to." Robert L. G r u b b , Jr., M.D., Professor of Neurological Surgery, Washington University School of Medicine, Box 8057, 660 South Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, Missouri 63110. ~<'~1989 by Elsevier Science Publishing Co., Inc.
Dr. Goldring was born on April 2, 1923, in Kremnitz, Poland, and moved with his family when he was 3-months old to the United States, settling in St. Louis, Missouri. The Goldrings had a passionate determination that their sons should be educated and have a profession. Sidney began college at Washington University in 1941, and entered the wartime accelerated medical school program at Washington University, receiving his medical degree in 1947. Research has always been a driving passion in Dr. Goldring's life. His initial exposure to research during medical school was in the infectious disease laboratory of Dr. Carl Harford, investigating the etiology of decreased cerebrospinal fluid glucose levels in meningitis. His love of basic research has continued to the present time as he has surrounded himself with anatomists, physiologists, and engineers working in his neurosurgery department, and he has often encouraged medical students and residents to consider working on doctorates in basic science. During medical school Dr. Goldring's interest in the nervous system and the challenges of the developing specialty of neurosurgery confirmed his desire to enter this field. Following his internship and a year of residency in general surgery at the Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, he became a Fellow in Neurology at Washington University in 1949. During this time he received his initial training in neurophysiology. In the laboratory he came under the influence of the inquiring mind of Dr. George Bishop, one of the pioneers in the development of modern neurophysiology. Among Dr. Bishop's many achievements was the first recording of evoked potentials in experimental animals. His life-long interest and understanding in treating patients with severe seizure disorders began at this time, when every morning was spent reading EEG's with Dr. James O'Leary. A longlasting and fruitful collaboration in experimental work with this distinguished neurologist began in these years. A note from Dr. O'Leary to Dr. Henry Schwartz, written during this time, states "unequivocally" that Sid's personal attributes include "friendliness, superior loyalty, honesty and conscientiousness. He is compul0090- ~,019/8~)/S~ ~,0
424
Surg Neurol 1989;31:423-5
sive to the point of being perfectionistic. His intelligence is superior, but not of the flashy type that impresses immediately--there is a healthy overlay of modesty . . . . He has a bulldog personality when set at a problem. His experimental procedures are well thought out in advance, and as flawless as his ingenuity and training permit them to be. He is not satisfied with superficial answers, and when most workers are ready to sit down and write a paper, he is ready to start his critical experiments !!" Dr. Goldring was influenced by not only the scientific achievement of Dr. Bishop and Dr. O'Leary but also by their strong moral character and sense of fairness, the same characteristics that today's generation sees in Dr. Goldring. In 1951 Dr. Goldring began his neurosurgery training at Washington University and Barnes Hospital with Dr. Henry Schwartz, and the influence of this superb surgeon and powerful personality has been a guiding force throughout Dr. Goldring's career. In 1952 he served eight months in the U.S. Public Health Service as an Instructor in Neurosurgery with the Washington University Medical Unit in Thailand, an exchange program set up between Washington University and Chulalongkorn and Siriraj universities in Bangkok. During this time Dr. Goldring performed the first craniotomy for tumor ever done in Thailand. The following year Dr. Goldring spent 1 year in the U.S. Army at Walter Reed Hospital where he first met a long-time associate, Dr. William Coxe, and worked with Dr. Ludwig Kempe. Returning to St. Louis, Dr. Goldring finished his neurosurgical residency at Barnes Hospital in 1956. From 1956 to 1964 Dr. Goldring was a faculty member of the Washington University School of Medicine. He then left Washington University to become Professor and Head of Neurological Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh. In 1966, he rejoined Washington University as Professor of Neurological Surgery. When a search committee was formed to find a new Head of Neurological Surgery to replace Dr. Henry Schwartz, the proverbial "legend in his own time," the job seemed herculean; but the answer kept coming back from all sources: "the best man is right there--search no further." In 1974, Dr. Goldring became Head of Neurological Surgery and Co-chairman of the newly created Department of Neurology and Neurological Surgery at Washington University School of Medicine, and Neurosurgeon-in-Chief at Barnes Hospital and St. Louis Children's Hospital. Under Dr. Goldring the highly respected training program at Washington University has continued in the tradition of Ernest Sachs and Henry Schwartz, encouraging and training neurosurgeons with a strong academic emphasis. In 1980, Dr. Goldring was also appointed Director of the McDonnell Center for Studies of Higher Brain Function, which was
Grubb
created with a large gift from the James S. McDonnell Foundation. Dr. Goldring has willingly given his time in serving the National Institutes of Health and organized neurosurgery. He was a member of the Neurology Study Section of NINDS from 1964 to 1968 and again from 1969 through 1973, serving as chairman of this section in 1972-73. He was a member of the National Advisory Council of NINCDS from 1977 through 1981. Dr. Goldring was a member of the American Board of Neurological Surgery from 1971 through 1976, serving as chairman from 1974 through 1976. He was chairman of the Residency Review Committee for Neurosurgery from 1974 through 1976. In 1975, he was chairman of the Neurosciences Interdisciplinary Cluster of the President's Panel on Biomedical and Behavior Research. Currently, he is chairman of the Scientific Advisory Committee for the Research Foundation of AANS and has served since 1972 as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Grass Foundation. Almost all honors and recognition in the field of neurosurgery have come to Dr. Goldring. He served as President of the Society of Neurological Surgeons in 1981-82, the American Academy of Neurological Surgery in 1982-83, and the American Association of Neurological Surgeons in 1984-85. He was the Honored Guest of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons in 1985. Dr. Goldring has published extensively on his research interests in neurophysiology and experimental and clinical epilepsy. He has also developed a large experience in the surgical treatment of seizure disorders. Basic laboratory studies have focused on the steady voltage gradients that exist between the brain and an extracerebral reference, or across the cerebral cortex. These gradients (DC potentials) were extensively studied during anoxia, asphyxia, hypoglycemia, focal brain injury, cerebral ischemia, anesthesia, and seizure discharge. Changes in DC potentials were shown to be due to sustained changes in the resting membrane potentials (RMP) of both neurons and glia, the RMP ofglia reflecting fluxes in the extracellular K+ concentration. The glial contribution of these potentials was definitively proven by simultaneous physiologicmorphologic studies in which the glial cells were marked intracellularly with horseradish peroxidase. Dr. Goldring's clinical research has been in the treatment of epilepsy. His most significant clinical contribution has been the development of a surgical method of treatment in which all surgical manipulation is carried out under general, rather than local, anesthesia. The sensorimotor region is identified in the anesthetized patient by recording cortical sensory evoked responses, and the epileptogenic focus is localized by the use of in-dwelling surface epidural electrode arrays for extraoperative
S. Goldring
electrocorticography, which is carried out predominantly during spontaneously occurring seizures. This method has made it possible to extend surgical treatment of intractable seizure disorders to patients (especially children) who in the past could not as readily be considered for surgery. Sidney Goldring met Lois Blustein when she was 15 years old. He fell in love with this young, beautiful redhead, and married her in 1945, when she was a Washington University freshman. A lovely and outgoing woman, Lois has served as a strong complement to Sid while maintaining her own identity through important civic and cultural activities. The Goldrings have two children. James M. Goldring, M.D., who also holds a
Surg Neurol 1989;31:423-5
425
Ph.D. in neurobiology, lives with his wife Liz in St. Louis. He is a resident in neurology at Washington University School of Medicine. Daughter Kathryn Goldring Coryell lives in Iowa City, Iowa, with her psychiatrist husband, Bill, and children Matthew and Julie, the special pride of grandparents Lois and Sid. Vacation time usually finds Sidney and Lois waist deep in the best trout streams of Montana, and a hefty portion of Montana trout find their way to St. Louis, deliciously prepared and on the table for lucky family and friends.
ROBERT L. GRUBB, JR., M.D. St. Louis, Missouri