Jewish Nobel Prize Winner in Medicine Passes Away at 97

Dr. Andrew (Shlomo) Schally OBM, a Jewish Nobel Laureate, Holocaust survivor, and Distinguished Professor at the University of Miami’s Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, passed away in his Miami Beach home over Sukkos 5785.

He was 97 years old.

Dr. Schally studied links between hormones and the brain stem which resulted in him being honored with the 1977 Nobel Prize, shared with Roger Guillemin. This research resulted in significant advances in many cancer treatments.

“Dr. Schally’s discoveries, particularly Lupron, saved countless lives around the world and to serve as his physician during his final years was a tremendous honor and responsibility. Dr. Schally was more than just a patient; he was a prince among doctors, a man whose very life was dedicated to the betterment of mankind,” says Dr. Ami Levin, Dr. Schally’s primary care physician and geriatrician at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami Beach.

“When I first had the opportunity to care for Dr. Schally, I have to admit I felt quite intimidated. However, as I got to know him and his family, I was struck by how approachable, sincere, kind, and genuinely accepting they all were. Working closely with his wife, Mrs. Maria Schally, and his son, Dr. Gordon Schally, who is also a physician, allowed us to give him the support he needed during his lengthy illness,” continues Dr. Levin.

Born in Poland in 1926, Dr. Schally and his family endured Nazi occupation in Romania during World War II. The experience steeled him against hardship and instilled in him a determination to succeed.

“It was during one of our regular visits that he shared with me, “I am Jewish, my name is Shlomo.” Being Jewish was meaningful to him and he had a lot of stories to tell,” reflects Dr. Levin.

“Andrew was all about science. It was his passion and his pleasure,” said Roy Weiss, M.D., Ph.D., professor and chair of medicine, the Rabbi Morris I. Esformes Endowed Chair in Medicine and Endocrinology and the Kathleen & Stanley Glaser Distinguished Chair at the Miller School. “His discipline in rigorous science and discovery inspired all of us.”

Despite his illustrious career and monumental achievements, Dr. Schally was known throughout the Miller School for his kindness and gentle demeanor.

“I definitely felt he was a larger-than-life kind of guy,” said Carolyn Cray, Ph.D., a clinical professor of pathology and laboratory medicine and chief of the Division of Comparative Pathology at the Miller School. “But at the same time, in our first meeting, he was very gracious and chatted with our lab staff. We were all awestruck to be with a Nobel winner.”

“He was an adorable human being…super nice and so ready to engage with all of his colleagues,” said Merce Jorda, M.D., Ph.D., M.B.A., professor and Joseph R. Coulter, Jr. Chair of the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the Miller School. “He was so down-to-earth. You would never know he was such an accomplished scientist. He was a true scholar and a true gentleman.”

Dr. Schally passed away during Sukkot on October 17, 2024 with his loving family by his side.