Basil Hirschowitz, M.D., Ph.D.
By Charles Buchanan • Photos courtesy of UAB Historical Collections
Basil Hirschowitz, M.D., Ph.D., marked his golden anniversary at the UAB medical center by receiving the prestigious President’s Medal at UAB’s December 2008 Commencement. The South African native made medical history with the development of the fiber-optic endoscope and clinical trials that led to commonly used medications for ulcer and reflux. Since his 1995 retirement from the Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Hirschowitz has served as professor emeritus of medicine, physiology, and biophysics. On May 29, the division will celebrate its 50th anniversary with a symposium honoring Hirschowitz and his legendary career.
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Hirschowitz at work in his laboratory in the 1970s
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Hirschowitz uses the fiber-optic endoscope with a patient at University Hospital, 1963.
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Hirschowitz in 1987
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Hirschowitz with a prototype of the fiber-optic endoscope that is now housed in the Smithsonian Institution, 1989.
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