Dr. Jean-Paul Spire, Professor Emeritus in the Department of Neurology and 2008 winner of the Gold Key Award for outstanding service to the BSD and UChicago, passed away March 20, 2021. He was 78.
The following message was shared by Dr. Shyam Prabhakaran, Professor of Neurology and Chair of the Department of Neurology:
"A beloved faculty emeritus in the Department of Neurology, Jean-Paul Charles Spire, MD died on March 20th, 2021. Born in Lyon, Rhone, France, Dr. Spire received a BA degree in mathematics from the University of Paris, France in 1961, followed by a BS degree from McGill University in Montreal, Canada in 1962. He subsequently received his MD degree with Cum Laude from the University of Montreal, Canada in 1966. He came to the United States in 1970 as a neurology resident at the prestigious University of California San Francisco, where he subsequently was instructor and then Assistant Professor of Neurology and Co-Director of the EEG Systems Group. He joined the University of Chicago Department of Neurology in 1976 as Associate Professor and founding Director of the Clinical Neurophysiology Laboratories. He was promoted to Professor in 1982 and remained so until becoming Emeritus Professor in 2007.
Dr. Spire was an incredible neurologist, researcher, and laboratory director whose many achievements include developing inter-disciplinary programs with neurosurgery, radiology, and vascular surgery. He was involved in many major clinical trials including the North American Symptomatic Carotid Endarterectomy Trial and essential to early studies using PET imaging of the brain in humans. He trained over 100 fellows from around the globe in Neurology and Neurophysiology. He won the Gold Key award in 2008, an Award that recognizes his outstanding and loyal service to the Division of the Biological Sciences and to the University of Chicago.
Faculty in the Department of Neurology will miss him dearly. He was the “face of neurology” for decades here and a colorful and kind human being. We extend our condolences to his family and his wife. May he rest in peace."