In Memoriam: Harvey L. Nisenbaum (1943–2020)

Dr. Harvey L. Nisenbaum, 77, of Wynnewood, Pennsylvania, past president of the American Institute of Medicine (AIUM) and the World Federation for Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology (WFUMB), died Thursday, October 8, 2020, of complications from glioblastoma at Penn Hospice at Rittenhouse, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Dr. Nisenbaum was born in Boston, graduated from Boston Latin School, Tufts University School of Engineering and Tufts Medical School and completed a surgical internship at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York and a residency in diagnostic radiology at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx.

From 1974 to 1976, he was commissioned a lieutenant commander in the U.S. Navy and served as the Director of Ultrasound at the former Naval Regional Medical Center in Philadelphia.

Dr. Nisenbaum joined the faculty of Albert Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia, where he served as head of the Ultrasound Section and acting chairman of Einstein's Department of Radiology from 1976 through 1993. He then joined the Department of Radiology at the University of Pennsylvania in 1993 and was Associate Professor of Radiology and Chairman of the Department of Medical Imaging at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center from 2001 to 2018. During his 25 y at Penn, Dr. Nisenbaum served on 19 hospital committees and was a strong proponent of medical education and professional training, for which he was recognized. He received the Peter H. Arger, MD, Excellence in Medical Student Education Award from AIUM. Penn's Department of Radiology created the Harvey Nisenbaum Award for Medical Imaging Research at Penn Presbyterian to be first awarded in 2021. As a researcher, Dr. Nisenbaum wrote more than 100 articles, abstracts and book chapters and lectured at more than 50 national and international meetings. He was an investigator on 11 grants and was a reviewer for or held editorial positions on several major radiology or ultrasound journals. He was a member of 15 medical and professional societies and served on 140 committees.

Dr. Nisenbaum joined the AIUM in 1975 and became its president in 2009. He was awarded the AIUM Presidential Recognition Award twice, in 2006 and 2012. In 2011 he joined the Executive Bureau of WFUMB, representing AIUM. He was a member of the WFUMB Executive Bureau from 2011–2019 and WFUMB treasurer from 2011–2013. He was President Elect from 2013–2015, President from 2015 through 2017 and Immediate Past President from 2017–2019. He also served as Chairman of the Nominating Committee and Chairman of the Publications Committee from 2013–2015, Director of the WFUMB Student Education Task Force from 2017–2019 and Co-chairman of the Collaboration Committee from 2017–2019.

He coined the term WFUMB Family, stressing the importance and value of collegiality and personal relationships within the Society, always with a sense of humor, even during some heated discussions at WFUMB Administrative Council or Executive Bureau meetings. Through WFUMB and other scientific societies, he had worldwide colleagues and friends.

Dr. Nisenbaum had two passions regarding ultrasound to which he was dedicated. The first was to bring ultrasound to underserved populations and countries through his volunteer work with WFUMB. He was instrumental in the creation of several of the 17 Centers of Education on every continent. The second was medical education. He was very implemental in incorporating ultrasound into medical school curricula by working closely with various medical schools and through his membership on the board of the Society of Ultrasound in Medical Education (SUSME). In 2013, SUSME presented Dr. Nisenbaum with the SUSME Legacy Award for his outstanding contributions to ultrasound education. One of his quotes states: “We teach our medical students, residents, and fellows not only how to be excellent clinicians, but how to be insightful, inquisitive researchers who are able to take ideas and develop them into the advances that continue to propel the field forward.” He was the recipient of the special Dean's Award from the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine which recognizes outstanding achievements in medical education by a faculty member.

He is survived by his wife of 45 y, Sylvia; a son, Eric Nisenbaum, also a physician; and eight nieces and nephews.

He will be missed by the WFUMB family and by the entire Radiology/Ultrasound world.