20th Anniversary of the Joel J. Roslyn Lecture: Introduction by Keith Lillemoe, MD
The 20th Anniversary of the Joel J. Roslyn Lecture was introduced by Dr. Keith Lillemoe. Dr. Lillemoe described Dr. Joel Roslyn as a rising star in academic surgery, who was also a family man and a great friend. Dr. Roslyn was educated on the East Coast and then entered the surgical residency program at UCLA, where he later joined the UCLA faculty. Dr. Henry Pitt was an early mentor as they shared a research interest in gallstone pathogenesis. In 1992, he was recruited to the Medical College of Pennsylvania as Chair of Surgery, which later became the Hahnemann/Alleghany system. Dr. Roslyn was a Past President of both the AAS in 1992 and the SUS in 1995. At the young age of 48, just a few years after serving as SUS President, he died of metastatic melanoma.
Dr. Roslyn was an avid sports fan. Dr. Lillemoe recounted a story of how Dr. Roslyn had operated on a janitor who worked in the famous UCLA Pauley Pavilion. Dr. Lillemoe and several other surgical colleagues were in Los Angeles for the SUS, so Dr. Roslyn organized a game of pick-up basketball in the Pauley Pavilion.
Dr. Roslyn had 4 boys who were all Division I athletes (3 in water polo and 1 in lacrosse) who have all had successful careers (not in medicine). His wife now lives in the “wine country” of Northern California and now has 3 grandchildren. His colleagues, friends and family are all honored to recognize the 2020 Dr. Joel J. Roslyn Lecturer Dr. Benedict Nwomeh.
