GADA Canada is deeply saddened by the passing of Dr. Reed Pyeritz, on August 10, 2026. Dr. Pyeritz was a pioneering physician, geneticist, researcher, teacher and leader whose work helped transform the understanding and treatment of Marfan syndrome and heritable aortic disease.
Throughout his career, Dr. Pyeritz made major contributions to the diagnosis, management and understanding of Marfan syndrome and other inherited cardiovascular disorders. In 1979, he and Dr. Victor McKusick co-authored The Marfan Syndrome: Diagnosis and Management in the New England Journal of Medicine. He continued to publish on Marfan syndrome, cardiovascular genetics and heritable aortic disease for decades.
In 1991, Dr. Pyeritz was an author on the Nature paper that identified a disease-causing mutation in the fibrillin gene in people with Marfan syndrome. Identification of pathogenic variants in FBN1 subsequently made molecular diagnosis of Marfan syndrome and targeted genetic testing of at-risk relatives possible. He was also an investigator in the 1994 randomized clinical trial of propranolol in people with Marfan syndrome, which demonstrated a reduced rate of aortic-root enlargement among treated patients. Over subsequent decades, advances in medical and surgical management of the cardiovascular complications of Marfan syndrome were associated with considerable improvements in life expectancy.
Dr. Pyeritz understood equally well that scientific discovery alone was not enough. Beginning with early gatherings of patients, families and healthcare professionals at Johns Hopkins, he helped establish what would become The Marfan Foundation, building a community around education, research, support and better care. He later organized the first International Symposium on Marfan Syndrome in 1988 and remained closely involved in the Foundation and its scientific work for more than four decades.
His impact extended well beyond Marfan syndrome. Dr. Pyeritz became an internationally recognized authority in cardiovascular genetics and made extensive contributions to the study of heritable thoracic aortic disease. Colleagues remember him for his willingness to question accepted thinking, pursue important scientific questions and advocate for patients, families and advances in care.
That legacy is especially meaningful to the Montalcino Aortic Consortium professional community. In 2013, Dr. Pyeritz and Dr. Dianna Milewicz chaired the inaugural meeting in Montalcino, Italy, bringing together researchers, scientists and clinicians from around the world to establish the Montalcino Aortic Consortium (MAC). Dr. Pyeritz subsequently served as Chair of the MAC Executive Committee from 2013 to 2017, helping to establish an international collaborative research network that continues to advance knowledge of genetically triggered aortic disease today.
Dr. Pyeritz was also a longstanding friend and supporter of GADA Canada (formerly the Canadian Marfan Association) and our community. From the Association’s earliest years, Dr. Pyeritz played an important role in its development, generously contributing his expertise and guidance and serving on its advisory board for decades. His commitment to GADA and to Canadian families affected by Marfan syndrome and related aortic conditions remained a constant throughout his career. At the 2017 MAC Summit, GADA Canada proudly presented the second Tirone David Award to Dr. Pyeritz in recognition of his exemplary service, innovation, and longstanding contributions to the Association dating back to 1986.
As remarkable as his scientific accomplishments were, colleagues, friends, patients and families also remember the generosity with which Dr. Pyeritz shared his knowledge, experience and time—with patients and families seeking answers, young clinicians and researchers looking for guidance, and colleagues working alongside him to move the field forward.
His legacy can be found in the science he helped establish, the standards of care he helped change, the organizations and international collaborations he helped build, the clinicians and researchers he taught and mentored, and—most importantly—in the lives of countless patients and families who have benefited from his work.
We extend our deepest condolences to Dr. Pyeritz's wife, Jane, his family, friends, colleagues, and the patient communities affected by Heritable Thoracic Aortic Disease around the world.
Dr. Pyeritz's impact on this field is immeasurable. He will be profoundly missed, and his work will continue to shape its future for generations to come.
A larger celebration honouring Dr. Pyeritz’s life and legacy will be hosted by the family at a later date. We will share details about this gathering once they are available.
Tributes to Dr. Pyeritz are being collected here: https://www.kudoboard.com/boards/vLiKLNi5
If you would like to honour Dr. Pyeritz’s legacy and support the important work he helped advance, you can make a donation to GADA Canada here: https://www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/474