In Memory of George Bakris (1952–2024)

Abstract

Prof. Dr. George Bakris was an Editorial Board Member of Kidney and Dialysis. His invaluable contributions were instrumental in guiding the journal’s direction and enhancing its success. We are deeply grateful for his unwavering dedication, commitment, and active involvement in the journal’s development.

About Prof. Dr. George Bakris

George Bakris, MD, a distinguished figure in the field of medicine, was a pivotal figure at the University of Chicago, where he held a pivotal role as a Professor of Medicine and Director of the Comprehensive Hypertension Center. His career was marked by a profound dedication to understanding and treating complex medical conditions, particularly in the realms of hypertension and kidney disease, with a special focus on their interplay with diabetes [1].

Dr. Bakris’s expertise was not only academic but also deeply clinical, as he specialized in the diagnosis and reduction of high blood pressure, especially in challenging cases. His work was instrumental in advancing our understanding of how changes in arterial pressure impact the heart and kidneys.

His research achievements were recognized with numerous accolades, including the Irvine Page-Alva Bradley Lifetime Achievement Award, to acknowledge his lifetime of outstanding achievements in the field of hypertension [2].

Throughout his career, Dr. Bakris was not only a distinguished medical professional but also a mentor and educator, leaving an indelible mark on the medical community through his research, clinical care, and mentorship of future medical professionals. His legacy in the field of medicine will continue to inspire and influence medical research and practice for years to come [3].

Francesco Locatelli—Editor-in-Chief of Kidney and Dialysis

When you write an obituary for an illustrious person you risk falling into the banal by recalling a long list of the numerous prestigious achievements, without bringing out the personality and humanity of the great person. This is certainly the case for George Bakris, a great scientist, acute clinician, very pleasant and informative teacher and Lecturer, and outstanding editor of the American Journal of Nephrology. All this risks not highlighting perhaps his best quality as a scientist, his immense humanity and willingness to listen to everyone; possibly this attitude came from his mother country Greece. Instead of listing his fantastic achievements, I like to remember an anecdotal episode that saw two giants in nephrology: Eberhard Ritz and George Bakris working together. Strangely enough, they passed away within a short time of each other.

Their research and clinical activities were particularly dedicated to studying hypertension with its cardiovascular complications and diabetology for the social and clinical impact of diabetic nephropathy.

It was a very peculiar experience of a meeting co-organized by Eberhardt Ritz and George Bakris in a small village close to Frankfurt, where Mikhail Gorbachev and the German Prime Minister Helmut Kohl signed the Treaty to close the time of the so-called “cold war”, which lasted 50 years. Eberhard and George selected the same menu foreseen for this important historical event for the closure lunch of the faculty, to underline how these giant scientists were captured by historical events and to remember to everybody that science has no burdens! Everybody can easily realize how much is nowadays actually this strong message sent by these visionary scientists!

Giorgina B. Piccoli—Associate Editor of Kidney and Dialysis

I never had the chance to spend some time talking with this great master of Nephrology.

And it is a pity because what he conveyed when we heard him talking mainly on hypertension or diabetes and CKD, his main fields, was not only about being knowledgeable and not only being an esteemed trialist, and author of hundreds of papers.

It was also about being a doctor, a human, passionate, doctor.

We feel this passion and humanity in the comments of those who had the chance to meet him, remembering him as a dear friend and as a kind physician.

For those of us who, like me, only saw him at a distance, his absence will be the absence of a passionate giant, we loved to listen to, and also the absence of an expert able to put a bit of salt and a lot of critical sense in all his presentations, and to usually end his talks with a warm smile.

In my role as a publisher, I of course did not participate in academic discussions with George, but I knew him well and would like to take the opportunity to share my memories of him here.

Peter Roth—MDPI Head of Publishing

George was my contact person for Am. J. Nephrol., which he led with passion in his role as Editor-in-Chief. We worked together for decades, co-chairing countless editorial board meetings at Kidney Week and meeting at many conferences around the world.

What always impressed me about George was the seriousness of his approach. He was never prejudiced about anything. He always listened with an open mind to any questions or problems that might arise and invariably found the way to a fair and effective solution, involving all participants in the process. He had a natural talent for consensus-based decision-making, and I think that is what made him stand out as an editor.

I learned much of enormous value from George during the years of our collaboration. I remain deeply grateful to him for his insights and inspiration and will always remember him with profound appreciation.