In memoriam: Sigmund S. Socransky.

摘要

Dr Sig Socransky passed away unexpectedly on August 27, 2011. Few scholars and even fewer individuals could change how we understand an area of science in an apolitical fashion. One wonders as to the makeup of those individuals who seek answers to questions only they seem to ask. Dr Socransky and his colleagues revolutionized our understanding of oral microbiology with a focus on the etiology and treatment of periodontal infections.Sig graduated as valedictorian from the University of Toronto in 1957. The research track appealed to him, and he continued his education at the Harvard School of Dental Medicine. While there, he was advised to complete training in periodontol-ogy during a time in which the theoretical models of periodontics had not completely incorporated the infectious nature of these diseases. He simultaneously became a research fellow in bacteriology at the Forsyth Institute.