His successful academic career started at Harvard Medical School in 1961 and proceeded until becoming Professor of Medicine at Northwestern University Medical School, Chicago, IL. After retirement in 1995, he spent 3 years in Amsterdam, NL to then move to Seattle to be appointed Affiliated Professor of Medicine at the University of Washington

where he was actively involved in research and preparing teaching material for a highly appreciated GE course. Dr. Ostrow served as president of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases in 1986-1987. Don Ostrow has been and will remain a giant in the field of bilirubin and jaundice. He was among the few persons who understood back in the 1960s the importance selleck kinase inhibitor Erlotinib solubility dmso and the pivotal role of the yellow pigment until then considered only as a waste product. Due to his unmatched scientific curiosity, Don realized that bilirubin might have important biological functions crucial to several metabolic pathways. Almost all of these theories have been proven correct as more advanced experimental techniques became available. Taking advantage of his scientific background in both chemistry and medicine, Don combined this dual physical chemical and clinical approach to the study of bilirubin. His unique discoveries made Don one of the first real translational researchers

in hepatology. The determination of the solubility of bilirubin in aqueous media, the binding constants to albumin, and their role in the metabolic and toxic effects of the pigment shed totally new light on bilirubin neurotoxicity in the newborn and paved the

way to more sophisticated investigations aimed at understanding the molecular events associated with the neurotoxicity and therefore its prevention. His contributions to the chemical and biological characteristics of bilirubin will remain landmarks for anyone involved in the study of the pigment, either in the experimental or clinical arena. The translational approach in medicine, rather new back in 1960s and 1970s, made his laboratory the place to be for young fellows to be trained and share front-row studies of the correlation between the chemical structure and the biological behavior of bilirubin and bile acids. Anyone who had MCE the privilege to work with Don admired his analytic mind, his ability to interpret experimental data, to criticize experimental flaws, and to put new observations in perspective. This was particularly true when Don discussed science with young investigators—a tough mentor who could issue sharp critiques but at the same time precious suggestions and encouragement to continue what she/he was doing. The ability to grasp the critical points after a complicated presentation of sophisticated molecular biology data was remarkable.