Campus & Community

Distinguished HMS scholar Ryan dies at 75

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Dr. Kenneth John Ryan, former chairman of the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the Kate Macy Ladd Distinguished Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, Emeritus at Harvard Medical School (HMS), died on Saturday, Jan. 5. He was 75.

A distinguished scholar, teacher, and physician who was widely respected throughout the medical profession and in government public policy circles, Ryan helped shape the structure and practice of modern obstetrics and gynecology, performed seminal research in steroid biochemistry, and made significant contributions in the developing field of medical ethics.

Memorial donations will be used to establish an honorarium for medical students pursuing research in the field of medical ethics, and may be made to HMS – Kenneth J. Ryan Scholarship Fund, c/o HMS, Office of Resource Development, 401 Park Dr., Boston, MA, 02115.