Edward (“Ned”) T. Lally, professor in the pathology department in the School of Dental Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania for almost 50 years, died February 11. He was 75.

Born in Pittsburgh, Dr. Lally grew up in Sharpsville, Pennsylvania. He received both his bachelor’s degree in 1964 and a doctorate of dental medicine in 1968 from the University of Pittsburgh and played varsity football while there. He earned a PhD in immunology in 1978 and a certificate in oral pathology in 1973 from the University of Pennsylvania.

In 1971, Dr. Lally joined the School as a teaching fellow. He was appointed assistant professor of pathology in 1980 and associate professor a few years later. He was promoted to professor of pathology in 1991. Since 1984, he was also a member of the Pathology Graduate Group of Penn’s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.

Dr. Lally’s extensive research career was substantially funded by the NIDCR. In 1988, his research was among nine other projects given a $5.6 million grant from the NIH. His most recent research project has been continuously funded for almost 30 years; it focuses on the role of bacterial toxins in the pathogenesis in periodontal disease. With Nataliya Balashova, a member of his research team, Dr. Lally’s research is rewriting the molecular mechanism of the most important toxin in the oral cavity. Dr. Lally helped to launch the research and teaching careers of the PhD candidates who trained under him. Graduates include Dr. Balashova as well as Angela Brown at Lehigh University.

For several years, Dr. Lally chaired the University Council’s Committee on Recreation and Intercollegiate Athletics and served on the Senate Committee on Academic Freedom and Responsibility. He was a member of the Dental School’s Committee of Professors and served as its chair in the early 2000s. He was also a faculty representative for the National Collegiate Athletic Association. From 1996 to 2012, he served as national program officer, microbiology/immunology, with the International Association for Dental Research.

Dr. Lally served in the US Navy and Naval Reserve, entering service in 1964 during the Vietnam Era. He was deployed with Fleet Hospital 15/20 to the Persian Gulf in support of the First Marine Expeditionary Force during combat for the First Gulf War. In 1995, he retired from the Navy at the rank of Captain and as a Commanding Officer.

Dr. Lally is survived by his wife, Karen; children Brian (BSE’93, MSE’95) (Marcella), Sara  (C’94) (Patrick C. Barth) and Caitrin (C’03); sister, Karen Meck (John) and brother, William (Karen); grandchildren, Nora A., Ruthanne C., Patrick J., Sean E., Thomas R., and Riley E.; nephews, Thomas Meck (Candice) and Enzo, and niece, Meghan; and many cousins.

Contributions in his memory would be appreciated to: The Dr. Edward T. Lally Fund to support oral health scholarship at Penn Dental Medicine. http://www.dental.upenn.edu/give