Robert J. McCluskey, MD
Dr. McCluskey was born in New Haven CT Jan 16, 1923. He received his A. B. degree from Yale University
in 1944 and his MD degree from New York University School of Medicine in 1947. He trained in
pathology at King's County and Bellevue Hospitals and after military service in Germany, was appointed
to a faculty position in the Department of Pathology at NYU School of Medicine, rising to Professor of
Pathology and Director of the Laboratories at NYU's University Hospital. This remarkably talented
department led by Lewis Thomas, included such luminaries as Baruj Benacerraf, a Nobel laureate who
became a lifelong friend of Dr. McCluskey. He then was recruited to be Chairman of the Department of
Pathology at the State University in Buffalo NY, and came to Harvard Medical School first as the S. Burt
Wolbach Professor and Chairman of Pathology at Children's Hospital and later the Benjamin Castleman
Professor and Chief of Pathology at Massachusetts General Hospital, positions he held from 1974 to
1991. After his retirement as Chief, he chose to remain working in research, rather than retiring to the
"torpor of Cape Cod" (in the words of his great friend Robert Heptinstall), and successfully held R01
grants into his 70's.
Dr. McCluskey was a pioneer in the study of mechanisms of inflammation and use of
immunofluorescence as an investigative tool in delineating the nature of glomerular diseases and as an
aid in the differential diagnosis of renal disorders. His wisdom and clarity of thought are well
documented in his 206 published articles and reviews and 8 edited books on topics of
immunopathology. Among his contributions were: a description of the natural history of acute poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis, drawing attention to its similarity to immune complex mediated
serum sickness. He described a new disease, mixed cryoglobulinemia, with colleagues in New York, and
identified the important role of the clotting system in crescentic glomerulonephritis. He was among the
first to recognize the clinical significance of the different forms of lupus nephritis, and was a prime
mover in establishing the World Health Organization Lupus Glomerulonephritis classification system,
which remains the basis of the current pathologic system. In his later years he identified the molecule
Megalin, an antigen involved in Heymann's nephritis, and showed its physiological role in thyroid
function. His other major contribution was in the genetic identification proteinase 3, the target of
devastating vascular inflammatory diseases, such as Wegener's granulomatosis. This formed the basis of
a widely used diagnostic test. His diagnostic acumen was reflected in many ways, including 39
clinicopathological case discussions in the New England Journal.
Dr. McCluskey's awards and honors include service as President of the United States and Canadian
Division of the International Academy of Pathology (1985-86), membership on the Scientific Advisory
Board of the National Kidney Foundation and the Advisory Board of the National Kidney and Urologic
Diseases, appointment to several NIH Study Sections, election to the Harvey Society and the Council of
the ASN, receipt of the Founders' Award of the RPS and the Solomon A. Berson Medical Alumni
Achievement Award of NYU School of Medicine. He was founding editor of Clinical Immunology and
Immunopathology. He received a recent Annual Teaching Award from the MGH Pathology Residents at
age 82.
His life exemplified the joy of science. He loved nothing more than a good idea and an experiment to
test it. He had the highest standard of truth, always thorough, thoughtful and skeptical. In all his
interactions he was self-effacing and took less credit than he deserved.
Dr. McCluskey's achievements over many decades are an inspiration to all, but perhaps especially to his
fellow renal pathologists. It is with great pleasure that the Renal Pathology Society recognizes this
outstanding colleague with the Lifetime Achievement Award.
A commemorative plaque and a letter signed by Dr. Lorraine Racusen chair of the RPS nominations and
awards committee was presented to Dr. McCluskey on behalf of the RPS by Bob Colvin, Professor and
Chair at Massachusetts General Hospital, and life long colleague of Dr. McCluskey.