Murray Howard Grossman, an emeritus professor of neurology in the Perelman School of Medicine, died on April 4 from metastatic melanoma. He was 71.

Born in Montreal, Canada, Dr. Grossman earned his BA in psychology, sociology, and English in 1972 from Union College, followed by a master’s degree a year later in special education from Boston University. He earned his EdD in 1977 from the Boston VA Aphasia Research Center, then completed a postdoctoral fellowship at MIT. He obtained his MD from McGill University in 1985 and completed his residency at Penn’s department of neurology in 1989. After completing his residency at Penn, he joined Penn’s neurology faculty as an assistant professor of neurology; he was promoted to an associate professor in 1995 and then to a full professor in 2008. He also held secondary appointments in the departments of otorhinolaryngology and psychiatry, as well as lecturing in the College of Liberal and Professional Studies in the School of Arts & Sciences.

Dr. Grossman was a renowned physician-scientist, developing pioneering treatments for frontotemporal degeneration (FTD), Alzheimer’s disease, and related dementias. A leader in the field, he authored over 600 publications during a 30-year career at Penn. In 2010, he was the founding director of the Penn Frontotemporal Degeneration Center, an internationally-recognized research center that has made strides forward in multi-disciplinary care for individuals with dementia. With the FTD Center, Dr. Grossman contributed to the study of familial FTD by pioneering genetic counseling and outreach to families at risk for early-onset neurodegenerative disease.

“Dr. Grossman was an extraordinary mentor who considered his many trainees and collaborators friends and family,” said the department of neurology in an online tribute. “He brought together collaborators from various fields, emphasizing that a strong community is essential to achieve collective success in our fields. Dr. Grossman’s legacy will undoubtedly have a lasting impact on the scientific community.” Dr. Grossman retired from Penn in 2016 and took emeritus status.

Dr. Grossman is survived by his wife of 45 years, Fran Nelson-Grossman; his sons, Josh (Nicki) Grossman and Scott Grossman (Gabriel Barcia Duran); and his grandchildren, Isaac and Gili Grossman. A memorial will be planned at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations to the Penn Frontotemporal Degeneration Center to continue Dr. Grossman’s life’s work. Donate online at https://pennmedicine.org/grossmanmemorialfund or by check, sent to Attn: Penn FTD Center, 3535 Market Street, Suite 750, Philadelphia, PA 19104. Please note “In Memory of Dr. Murray Grossman” when making your gift.

To read more about Dr. Grossman, click here.