Henry T. Lynch
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Henry T. Lynch | |
|---|---|
| Born | January 4, 1928 Lawrence, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Died | June 2, 2019 (aged 91) Omaha, Nebraska, U.S. |
| Alma mater | |
| Occupation | Physician |
| Known for | Discovery of genetic causes of cancer and namesake of Lynch syndrome |
Henry Thompson Lynch (January 4, 1928 – June 2, 2019) was an American physician noted for his discovery of familial susceptibility to certain kinds of cancer and his research into genetic links to cancer.
He is sometimes described as "the father of hereditary cancer detection and prevention"[1] or the "father of cancer genetics",[2] although Lynch himself said that title should go to the early 20th century pathologist Aldred Scott Warthin.[3]
Lynch was the chairman of preventive medicine at Creighton University School of Medicine in Omaha, Nebraska and held the Charles F. and Mary C. Heider Endowed Chair in Cancer Research.
Lynch was born in Lawrence, Massachusetts and grew up in New York City. He dropped out of high school at 14 and joined the U. S. Navy at age 16, using false identification to disguise his age.[4] He served as a gunner during World War II.
After his discharge in 1946 he became a professional boxer under the nickname "Hammerin' Hank".[5] After obtaining a high school equivalency, he received a bachelor's degree from the University of Oklahoma in 1951 and a master's degree in clinical psychology from the University of Denver in 1952.
He studied for a Ph.D. in human genetics from the University of Texas at Austin and received an M.D. from the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston in 1960. He interned at St. Mary's Hospital in Evansville, Indiana and completed a residency in internal medicine at the University of Nebraska College of Medicine.[5]
