AWARDS

1994 SSR DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD was an immediate success and served to focus the SHELDEN J. SEGAL attention of the Indian government on the importance of reproductive research and family The SSR Distinguished planning. It continues to have a major impact on Service Award is sponsored population policies in to this day. In by Serono Symposia, Inc. It recognition of his efforts, Dr. Segal was made an recognizes an individual who honorary lifetime member of the India Society for has provided outstanding and the Scientific Study of Reproduction. In 1979, he unselfish service and was presented with a citation by the President of leadership to the field of India in recognition of his contributions. The reproductive biology. The special relationship he established with Indian Distinguished Service Award science is illustrated by this quote from the for 1994 is presented by the citation, "We pay tribute to a man of science with membership of the Society for the Study of numerous scientific and professional contributions Reproduction to Dr. Sheldon J. Segal. to his credit. His leadership has helped to bring Dr. Segal received the BA degree from the field of contraceptive research onto the center- in 1947 and headed to Europe stage of science and into the spotlight of public under the auspices of the GI Bill for graduate approval. He came to India as a friend, lived studies at the University of Geneva. It was there amongst us as a brother, and remains always a that he met Professor Emil Witschi for the first part of the Indian Family." time. Witschi was about to establish a new In 1963, Dr. Segal was appointed Director of program in embryology at the . the Biomedical Division of the Population Segal was intrigued with Witschi's research and Council. He expanded significantly the training moved with him to Iowa where he completed a program for investigators from both the United Ph.D. degree in Embryology and Biochemistry in States and abroad. Well over two hundred 1952. He remained at Iowa as a Research Scientist fellowships were awarded to promising young in the Department of Urology. This brought him scientists to work at the and in into close association with clinical medicine in a laboratories elsewhere. Many "Pop" Council department that had already begun to emphasize fellows have since attained positions of national the then emerging field of andrology. He was prominence and have exercised both scientific and appointed Research Assistant Professor in political leadership in their home countries. The Urology at Iowa where his work caught the international scope of this program has greatly attention of Warren O. Nelson, the first Director influenced the development of population of the Biomedical Division at the Population programs throughout the world. Council in City. He moved to New In 1978, Dr. Segal accepted a newly created York as Assistant Director and began his position at the as Director pioneering research in reproductive biology and of Population Sciences. There he continued his medicine. The mission of the Population Council lifelong interest in training, and the concept of was to foster the development of new methods of Rockefeller Foundation individual traineeships family planning as well as to focus was developed further. At the Rockefeller national/international attention on the importance Foundation, he continued to encourage the of reproductive biology and contraceptive development of programs in reproductive biology research. At the Population Council Dr. Segal and was often called upon to consult as new instituted a program for research training with national and international programs were being emphasis on providing an interface between basic considered. Consistently, he came down reproductive biology and its clinical counterparts. forcefully in favor of the expanding role of basic In 1962-1963, he took a leave of absence to serve research in reproductive biology and medicine. as Visiting Professor at the All-India Institute of His impact on the international scene is Medical Sciences. Dr. Segal exercised truly exemplified by his numerous leadership roles in effective leadership in India and in the short span the World Health Organization, the United of two years established a program in population Nations Industrial Development Organizations, research. The program at the All-India Institute AWARDS and the United Nations Office of Science and Medical Association and was named Honorary Technology. Vice President of the American Fertility Society. While still at the Population Council, Segal Early in his career, Sheldon Segal established a established The International Committee for relationship with Marine Biological Laboratories Contraceptive Research (ICCR), a group of in Woods Hole which continues to this day. Year colleagues from the and abroad after year the summer laboratory at the MBL, to whose mission it was to encourage technology which Segal brought the excitement and thrill of transfer in contraceptive development. The ICCR daily discovery, has provided encouragement for brought Norplant, the only new advance to numbers of young investigators on whom the contraception in nearly thirty years, to the point of Woods Hole experience has left a lasting impact. clinical applicability. It was Sheldon Segal who, Segal served as a trustee of the Marine Biological in 1966, conceived the idea that steroids might be Laboratories from 1983 to 1991 and in 1991 was released slowly from a silastic capsule to provide appointed Chairman of the Board. The laboratory continuous delivery for contraception. After initial flourished under his leadership and was laboratory observations, he spearheaded the effort established as a major center for scientific inquiry to bring this concept to the point of clinical into the next century. application and thereafter doggedly pursued the Sheldon Segal's career continues to be possibility as clinical trials were organized. It is characterized by truly effective leadership in the not without justification that Dr. Segal has been field of reproductive biology both in the United referred to as "the father of Norplant." Judging States and abroad. He has chaired important from the length of time that it took for this to committees for the World Health Organization finally be accepted in the United States, he might and most recently chaired the Review Committee more appropriately be referred to as "the for its technical and scientific activities. He has grandfather of Norplant." focused attention on AIDS and the safe In 1988, Dr. Segal established a new and motherhood initiative and has participated innovative program, referred to as the "South to actively in W.H.O.'s Special Programme of South Program," to encourage contraceptive Research in Human Reproduction. For the United research and development in the developing Nations, he has served as consultant for the Office countries themselves. With headquarters in Bahia, of Science and Technology and the Industrial Brazil, this group of scientists and clinicians has Development Organization as well as consultant already initiated a number of promising programs. for the World Bank Mission. Dr. Segal's efforts have been recognized by a Segal's contributions to the scientific literature number of academic institutions and agencies. He have been legion. He has authored more than 250 is the recipient of honorary M.D. degrees from publications in the fields of endocrinology, both the University of Uppsala in and the embryology, fertility, family planning, and University of Tempere in Finland. The Finns also population. He has also contributed chapters to gave him recognition as a member of the "Order more than 20 books and has edited or co-edited a of the Commander of the Lion." Segal is a long list of books on subjects ranging from member of the Institute of Medicine of the demographic and programmatic consequences of National Academy of Sciences as well as an contraceptive innovations through the role of Honorary Member of the Mexican National DNA in reproduction and development. He has Academy of Medicine. He was appointed an been particularly effective in promoting the Honorary Professor of the Chinese Academy of science of reproductive biology in the public Sciences and also of the Peking Union Medical forum and his advocacy is often reflected in the College. He received a Citation for Distinguished national press and on television. He has been an Service from the Latin American Association for eloquent spokesperson indeed as he continues his Reproductive Health, was awarded the Axel strong commitment to research and advocacy in Munthe Foundation Prize for Humanism in reproductive biology and medicine. Medicine, and was the recipient in 1984 of the United National Population Award. At home, he received the Scroll of Merit of the National