Martin A. Samuels

The Guest Editor of this issue of Seminars in Neurology is Martin A. Samuels, M.D. Dr. Samuels needs no introduction as he is greatly admired by so many of us, but I thought our readers might enjoy knowing a little bit about the history of his life. Dr. Samuels was born in Cleveland, Ohio to Miriam and Sydney Samuels. He was President of the student body and an honors graduate of Cleveland Heights High School. He was later elected to the Cleveland Heights High School Hall of Fame. He did his undergraduate work at Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts, and then went on to Medical School at the University of Cincinnati. He is dearly appreciated by his alma mater. The University of Cincinnati College of Medicine invited him to deliver the Charles D. Aring Lecture, and the distinguished alumni lecture. He was also the recipient of the Daniel Drake Medal in 2005, the highest award given by the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, and in recognition of his contributions his alma mater granted him an Honorary Doctor of Science degree. He delivered the university's winter graduation address in 2006.

Dr. Samuels trained in internal medicine at the Boston City Hospital serving as the Medical Chief Resident in 1974–1975, and in neurology and neuropathology at the Massachusetts General Hospital. In 1977, he joined the Faculty of Harvard Medical School. Dr. Samuels was the first recipient of the Harvard Medical School Faculty Prize for Excellence in Teaching. In 1988, Dr. Samuels was recruited to the Brigham and Women's Hospital to create a Department of Neurology and is the founding chair of the department. He is the cofounder of the Harvard Partners Neurology Residency, one of the most popular residency programs in the country. Every morning, he conducts morning report with neurology residents and students. In recognition of his contribution to the education and to the lives of so many young physicians, in 2010, the Martin A. Samuels Neurology Consultation Service at the Brigham and Women's Hospital was established in his honor.

Dr. Samuels is board certified in both internal medicine and neurology. He is the world authority on neurogenic cardiac disease. He is the only neurologist ever to provide a one-person full-day course at the American Academy of Neurology. His course, entitled “The Borderlands of Neurology and Internal Medicine,” has been one of the most popular courses in the history of the American Academy of Neurology. He is the recipient of the H. Houston Merritt Award for clinically relevant research and the A.B. Baker Award for Lifetime Achievement in Neurological Education.

Dr. Samuels was the neurologic editor for Stein's Internal Medicine, then one of the leading textbooks of internal medicine. He is co-author, with his colleague, Allan H. Ropper of Adams and Victor's Principles of Neurology, 9th edition. He is the co-editor, with his colleague, Steven K. Feske, of Office Practice of Neurology, co-author with Bernard Shevlin and Karl Misulis of Shared Care for Neurology, the editor of Hospitalist Neurology, the medical neurology section editor of Neurological Therapeutics, the medical section editor of Neurology and Clinical Neuroscience, and the editor of Samuels's Manual of Neurologic Therapeutics. He was the founding editor of Journal Watch Neurology, and has created a unique video textbook of neurology for the practicing physician and a board review course in neurology for neurologists and neurology residents and a second one for nonneurologists. He is the founder and ongoing director of two renowned Harvard Medical School postgraduate courses entitled Neurology for the Non-Neurologist and An Intensive Review of Neurology, each of which has been presented annually for over 30 years.

Dr. Samuels shares his life with his wife, Susan F. Pioli, a distinguished medical publisher, who is one of my favorite people with whom to spend time. He has two children, a son Charles and a daughter Marilyn, and two granddaughters Abigail and Sophia. He is a pianist, runner, and creator of rare cocktails, such as Marty's Beerjito.

We are terribly grateful to Dr. Samuels and to each of the contributors to this issue of Seminars in Neurology for providing us with such a tremendous resource for the care of patients with encephalopathies.