» Remembering Ken Wolf, a ‘founding elder’ of UMMS
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Remembering Ken Wolf, a ‘founding elder’ of UMMS wolf cat
Former child music prodigy made a lasting and far-reaching difference in neuroanatomy

By Gary Stein, PhD
Chair, Department of Cell Biology

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Ken Wolf, MD, passed away Monday evening, June 27. He was truly one of the “founding elders” of UMass Medical School. Hundreds of our students have benefitted from his commitment to medical education and his work continues through the many medical educators he mentored.

It would be difficult to overstate Dr. Wolf’s contributions to the University and the scientific community. He served on many university committees as a guiding force for initiatives that established a foundation for exemplary programs. His participation in National Institutes of Health (NIH) study sections and membership on scientific advisory boards that include the American Paralysis Association provided leadership in innovative strategies for disease-based biomedical investigation. He was an active member of many professional organizations including the American Society for Neurochemistry, the American Association of Anatomists and the Society for Neuroscience, providing a perspective of research at the interface of science and medicine.

Ken Wolf was a child prodigy. He graduated from Yale at age 14 with a degree in music that established a foundation for an important dimension to his life. Unquestionably, Ken Wolf was an accomplished musician and composer. Many of his colleagues had the privilege to hear him perform, including at UMMS’ Commencement every year.

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Ken Wolf, MD, won the 2008 Lamar Soutter Award for Excellence in Medical Education. 
He received his MD from Western Reserve University School of Medicine in 1956. He completed an internship in medicine at the former Peter Bent Brigham Hospital in 1957 and served as a medical research associate at the National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Blindness through 1959. Dr. Wolf was a research fellow in neurology at the Massachusetts General Hospital through 1960 and served as a U.S. Public Health Service Postdoctoral Fellow in Neurology at Harvard Medical School through 1964. Later that year, he joined the faculty of Harvard Medical School as an instructor of anatomy. Dr. Wolf was promoted to assistant professor of neuropathology in 1969 and to associate professor in 1971. Dr. Wolf began teaching neuroanatomy at UMMS in 1971, and officially joined the faculty of UMMS as professor of cell biology with tenure in 1972. He obtained a joint appointment in neurology in 1979. Dr. Wolf retired in December 2008 when he was awarded emeritus status. He continued to serve as a distinguished educator until his death.

Ken Wolf was internationally recognized as an expert on the structural and functional aspects of central nervous system myelination. His pioneering research was continuously supported through NIH grants for 25 years. His 38 articles that were published in premier journals, including Neurology and the Journal of Clinical Anatomy, documented contributions that are acclaimed as blueprints for understanding myelin-deficiency neurodegenerative disorders. Dr. Wolf was invited to present his research findings at major international meetings. This work is recognized as paradigm shifting in an important area of biology and medicine.

The contributions that Dr. Ken Wolf made to education are a cornerstone of this institution. He taught neuroanatomy to first-year medical students every year since the school accepted its first class in 1970. He designed the neuroanatomy block of the Introduction to Neuroscience graduate course and continued to serve as the co-director of the neuroanatomy component of the first-year Mind, Brain and Behavior I course. Dr. Wolf also contributed to the Human Anatomy and Organ Biology courses and provided neuroanatomy reviews for psychiatry residents. Students gravitated to Dr. Wolf. His knowledge and insights made conferences, laboratories and one-on-one tutorials unique and memorable student learning experiences. In addition to his commitment to students, Dr. Wolf served as a mentor to faculty at all stages of their careers. As testament to his exemplary lifetime commitment to education, Dr. Wolf received the University’s Lamar Soutter Award for Excellence in Medical Education in 2008.

Ken Wolf was a friend and colleague to many members of the University of Massachusetts Medical School community. He truly made a difference that has been far reaching and will be lasting. Ken had a profound influence on many and will be truly missed, most by his beloved wife Emily who was his true partner for over 50 years.