In Memoriam: Prof. George Fodor (1927 – 2024)

Professor George Fodor, MD, PhD, FRCPC, FAHA passed away on December 10, 2024, at the age of 97 years after a brief period of terminal heart failure, surrounded by his loving family. Mentally, he was in a very good condition till the last moment, his movement, however, was difficult during the last year, limited mostly to their large apartment in Prague. George Fodor was born on October 28, 1927, in Uzhhorod, Zakarpattia Region of western Ukraine, at that time a part of Czechoslovakia. His life journey began in a comfortable upper-middle-class childhood on the Hungarian/Slovak border, which was dramatically disrupted by the rise of the Nazis. As a teenager, he courageously fought with the Slovak resistance. Having completed his secondary education in East Slovakia, the family decided to move to Prague where he enrolled at Charles University to study medicine (1946 – 1951). His struggles continued with the advent of Communism, which he described as “a stain on humanity.” In 1968, during the Prague Spring, he and his wife Jindra, along with his mother, made the tough decision to flee their homeland in search of freedom. After three years in Sweden, where their daughter Helena was born, the family settled in St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada. His professional career started at Charles University in Prague at the Institute of Pathophysiology. In 1952, he was invited to join the Institute for Cardiovascular Research where he first focused on atherosclerosis research. Later he moved from pathophysiology to epidemiology of cardiovascular disease, a newly established discipline. WHO fellowship with MRC Epidemiological Unit with W. Miall in Jamaica, West Indies (1962-1963), played a crucial role in shaping his further professional development. After his return from Jamaica, he initiated epidemiological studies in Prague. He also performed a comparative study in collaboration with Gothenburg, Sweden. It was mainly thanks to his contacts from Jamaica, that Prague entered the famous WHO Cooperative Trial on primary prevention of ischemic disease, using clofibrate to lower serum cholesterol: mortality follow-up (Lancet 1980;2(8191):379-385). Dr. Fodor left Czechoslovakia in August 1968, when the country was occupied by the Warsaw Pact armies. He spent the subsequent three years as a visiting professor at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, where together with Lars Werkö they developed the first registry of myocardial infarction in Sweden. In 1971, he accepted the invitation to be on the team that laid foundations of the medical faculty at the Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada. While serving as Associate Dean and Chairman at Memorial University of Newfoundland from April 1971 to March 1994, he won international recognition as one of the leading experts in cardiovascular epidemiology and prevention. It was Dr. Fodor who initiated the first epidemiological studies in hypertension and coronary heart disease in Canada. Moreover, he was the founding president of both the Canadian Hypertension Society and the Canadian Coalition for High Blood Pressure Prevention and Control. Furthermore, he initiated the development of two important scientific documents: the first Canadian guidelines for the management of hypertension, followed by the first Canadian lipid guidelines. So as to make the general public aware, he organized a national educational campaign for the management of dyslipidemia. In 1994, as a Professor Emeritus of Medicine, George Fodor moved to Ottawa, where he subsequently held the position of Head of Research at the University of Ottawa Heart Institute until his retirement in 2014. During this period, he was the Principal Investigator of numerous international projects aimed at cardiovascular prevention in Central and Eastern Europe. He also served as the Principal Investigator of the HOPE TOO trial at the Ottawa Heart Institute. Following the Velvet Revolution in Czechoslovakia in 1989, George was able to establish contacts with colleagues in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. He used to be frequently invited to conferences and symposia in his former homeland. I was delighted to work with him as a post-doctoral fellow for more than two years at Memorial University in St. John's, Newfoundland. Ever since, I have had the privilege to be among their close family friends. In 2015, George Fodor with his wife decided to move to Prague. He enjoyed observing political events in both the Czech Republic and abroad, commenting on them with a unique blend of humor and insight into the political arena. He kept himself informed about the latest clinical trials in hypertension and cardiovascular prevention. He was an ardent reader throughout his whole life, in Prague enjoying also rich cultural life and gastronomic events that the capital offers. As a recognition of his contribution to prevention of cardiovascular disease, Professor Fodor obtained the Distinguished Scientist Award from the Canadian Hypertension Society (1992) and H. Segal Award for Merit in Cardiovascular Prevention from the Canadian Cardiovascular Society (1993). Hypertension Canada annually bestows the George Fodor Award upon individuals or organizations for outstanding contributions to the field of hypertension research. He also served as a Board Member of the World Hypertension League, Cardiovascular Disease Advisor for the World Health Organization, and Member of the Scientific Advisory Board at the Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine in Prague. Professor Fodor is remembered fondly by his students and colleagues for his kindness, sense of humor, and dedication to his field. Our thoughts go to his wife Jindra, son John, daughter Helena, son-in-law Stephen, and grandsons Max and Sam. He will be deeply missed.