Leonard Berg, M.D.
July 17, 1927 – January 15, 2007

The staff and volunteers of the Alzheimer’s Association deeply mourn the passing of Leonard Berg, M.D.

Dr. Berg was a pioneer in Alzheimer’s disease research, a respected teacher/mentor and a skilled and compassionate clinician. He also was a passionate advocate for people with dementia, their families and caregivers, and the work of the Alzheimer’s Association. Dr. Berg was chair of the Association’s Medical and Scientific Advisory Council (MSAC) from 1991-1995 and served on the national board of directors for 10 years. He spoke before Congress with great ardor and vision about the burdens of the disease on those who have it and those who care for them, and also about the urgent need for better treatments and his hope for the future.

Dr. Berg focused his research efforts on developing and refining diagnostic criteria for dementia and Alzheimer’s. He led development of the Clinical Dementia Rating, which is used worldwide to assess stages of Alzheimer’s disease and to distinguish between mild Alzheimer’s and normal cognition.

During his illustrious and multi-faceted career, Dr. Berg received many honors and awards, including the Lifetime Achievement Award and the Public Service Award from the Alzheimer's Association, the Peter H. Raven Lifetime Award from the St. Louis Academy of Science and the Washington University School of Medicine Second Century Award.

Dr. Berg was founder and director of the Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (ADRC) at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis from 1985-1997. Since 1997, the ADRC, with support from industry, has hosted a biennial Alzheimer research symposium in his honor.

Dr. Berg's many leadership positions included terms as president of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology in 1985 and chairman of the Missouri State Advisory Board on Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders from 1988-1995. He was a member of the National Scientific Advisory Council of the American Federation for Aging Research for more than a decade and served on a Congressional Advisory Panel on Alzheimer's Disease from 1993-1995.

Dr. Berg is survived by his wife, Gerry Berg; two daughters, Kathy and Nancy; and son John, his wife Christine and their daughter Katie. Plans for a public memorial service are pending.

Tributes and remembrances

“All I wanted to do was be like Leonard Berg.”

When I completed my term as Chair of the Medical and Scientific Advisory Council in 2002, that was my comment to the Alzheimer’s Association Board of Directors at our year-end meeting. In my view, Leonard was the ideal leader – a superb clinician, researcher, dedicated advocate for Alzheimer’s disease patients and their families, and good friend and colleague. What was amazing about him was that he had been a clinician-teacher for many years before becoming involved in clinical research in aging and memory, and this led to his focus on Alzheimer’s and increasing involvement with advocacy and the Association.

Leonard was quiet, modest, and had a wonderful and gentle sense of humor. Despite his busy schedule, he always found time to mentor young people like me. And with all his activities, I never saw Leonard get angry or say a harsh word. I studied him as much as I could; he was a great person from whom to learn about how to do one’s work with style and grace. There was no better representative of the Alzheimer’s Association’s aspirations, role model or advocate for the cause on Capitol Hill than Leonard. I will miss him immensely.

Steven T. DeKosky, M.D., FAAN
Professor and Chair, Department of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh
Director, Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, University of Pittsburgh
Member, Board of Directors, Alzheimer’s Association
Former Chair, Alzheimer’s Association Medical and Scientific Advisory Council

In the Old Testament (Genesis), it was quoted, “There were giants walking on the Earth at that time.” Leonard Berg was one of those “giants” in the annals of the Alzheimer’s Association in our early days.

He was a dedicated scientist and a cool judge of what was the “right” position of the Association when addressing moral problems as to the science in question. He spoke to us (the lay leadership) with a clarity and freshness on some of the most technical research advances so that it could be understood.

To me, he represented the true essence of what a leader in his field represented. I was privileged and proud to be his colleague, “student” and friend in the early stages of the growth of the Alzheimer’s Association. We shall all miss his sensitivity, warmth and passion for his profession.

Most of all, we cannot speak of him as “is” one day and “was” another. For many of us he is “is” forever.

Jerry Stone
Honorary and Founding Chairman, Alzheimer’s Association

Leonard Berg was a rare human being and an unforgettable personality. He was an outstanding physician, teacher, scientist and a loyal friend of the Alzheimer’s Association. During the early years when I was struggling to build a national program of research on Alzheimer’s disease, Leonard was one of my key mentors and strong supporter. I will miss his wise counsel and sincere friendship. The Alzheimer cause has lost a key pillar.

Zaven S. Khachaturian, Ph.D.
Senior Science Advisor, Alzheimer’s Association

Leonard played a key role in crafting the Alzheimer’s Association’s Medical and Scientific Advisory Council. He recognized that the advances in science necessitated a greater integration of research into the Association's overall structure. On a personal level, no one more clearly projected his love for his work and his patients more than Leonard did. He was not only a leader but also a role model for a generation of Alzheimerologists.

Samuel E. Gandy, M.D., Ph.D.
Director, Farber Institute for Neurosciences, Thomas Jefferson University
Chair, Alzheimer’s Association Medical and Scientific Advisory Council

Leonard Berg was one of the founding fathers of research in Alzheimer’s disease, beginning his initial studies in the 1970s. He made enormous contributions to the field, including developing the Clinical Dementia Rating that now is a standard assessment method for the disease, and led the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center at Washington University to national and international prominence. He also was a strong supporter of the Alzheimer’s Association, serving in several critical scientific and advocacy leadership roles as the organization evolved. He was a highly respected and beloved colleague to many of us in the field today, and I was privileged to have him as both my mentor and my friend.

John C. Morris, M.D.
Friedman Distinguished Professor of Neurology, Washington University School of Medicine
Member, Alzheimer’s Association Medical and Scientific Advisory Council

Dr. Berg was not only a brilliant researcher and one of the most generous, kind and gentle people on earth, he also transformed the role of the scientist in the Alzheimer field. As chair of the Alzheimer’s Association's Medical and Scientific Advisory Council in the early and mid-1990s, Dr. Berg personally committed himself, and asked that all scientists serving in an advisory role to the Association also commit themselves, to contribute their talents to help the Association with all aspects of its mission, not just medical science. His legacy lives on today as our science advisors are deeply involved in issues ranging from biomedical ethics to caregiving for families and those with the disease to chapter issues, advocacy and fundraising.

The Association is fortunate to have some of the brightest and most dedicated science advisors who selflessly give their time to advance our mission. The Association is indebted to them, but it is especially indebted to Dr. Berg for having the foresight and reputation among his science colleagues to carve out and lead others in playing a new role within the Alzheimer's Association and the larger Alzheimer community. People with Alzheimer's and their families have better care and support today and have hope for an end to this disease because of the contributions of this remarkable man. He will be missed, but his legacy lives on.

Stephen McConnell, Ph.D.
Vice President, Advocacy and Public Policy, Alzheimer's Association

6th Leonard Berg Symposium

The Berg Symposium is organized by Washington University's ADRC and honors the memory of founder Dr. Leonard Berg. This two day conference provides a comprehensive review of protein misfolding disorders, their characterization, and novel therapeutic approaches now in development and testing.

When: September 28-29, 2007
Where: Alzheimer's Disease Research Center
Eric P. Newman Education Center
Washington University, St. Louis, Mo. 
More information: Leonard Berg Symposium Web site