Hanan Costeff (1926–2005) was a pediatric neurologist, researcher, and teacher. Costeff was born in Sep. 14, 1926 to Dr. Harry and Stella Costeff in Peoria, Illinois. His father, Harry Gedalya came to the USA from a Jewish village named Kabaschei in

the Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the List of Russian monarchs, Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended th ...

, served in

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

and later studied to be a pharmacist, and then a medical doctor. He pioneered the use of insulin shock therapy for Schizophrenia, and founded a private hospital in Peoria. Hanan grew up in Peoria, served in the navy during the latter part of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, and trained as a radio technician. Upon being released, he used

GI bill The Servicemen's Readjustment Act of 1944, commonly known as the G.I. Bill, was a law that provided a range of benefits for some of the returning World War II veterans (commonly referred to as G.I.s). The original G.I. Bill expired in 1956, bu ...

funds to study medicine at the

University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (U of I, Illinois, University of Illinois, or UIUC) is a public land-grant research university in Illinois in the twin cities of Champaign and Urbana. It is the flagship institution of the Universit ...

, graduating in 1951. He met and married Ramona Doctor in Chicago in 1951. In 1950, while still a student he visited the newly founded State of Israel, traveled, met some family and managed a children's ward at the then new immigrant camp of Rosh Ha'Ayin. Upon completion of his residency, and the birth of his first son, Philip Avner, the young family immigrated to Israel and joined his parents who had preceded them and were living in Haifa. Costeff acted as a pediatrician in clinics in Kiryat Shmona, and then Beer Sheva, where he traveled to Kibbutzim and Moshavim treating children in the Tipat Chalav (well baby clinics) outreach program. In one instance he was able to diagnose the earliest case till then of Phenylketonuria, and was noticed by the head of the clinic. In 1963 the family, that now included Judy and Gady who were born in 1958 and 1961 respectively, traveled for a two-year post-doctorate at the Child Study Center at Yale University, where Hanan trained as a pediatric neurologist. The family returned to Israel, with Hanan chosen to head up the Child Development Unit at the Tel Hashomer hospital, where he worked until 1973. He was then asked to set up the Child Development Center at the Leowienstein Rehabilitation Medical center, where he worked till his retirement in 1998. Following his retirement he re-invented himself and became an recognized medical expert for the courts, as well as working in the Macabbi HMO in his specialty.

Research

Costeff published approximately 40 original research papers over his career. He was as much a researcher as a medical practitioner. His interest ranged over a wide scope, and he was self trained in a variety of disciplines and techniques making him somewhat of a renaissance figure. These included a working knowledge of statistics, genetics, neurology to name a few. His first paper was authored during his post-doctorate, and was an algebraic formula to find a practical method of calculating the surface area of a body, useful for calculating some dosages. He taught at the

Tel Aviv University Tel Aviv University (TAU) ( he, אוּנִיבֶרְסִיטַת תֵּל אָבִיב, ''Universitat Tel Aviv'') is a public research university in Tel Aviv, Israel. With over 30,000 students, it is the largest university in the country. Locate ...

School of Medicine, as well as throughout his career, and he established a generation of pediatric neurologists in Israel who looked up to him as their mentor. A syndrome first described by him carries his name: the

Costeff Syndrome Costeff syndrome, or 3-methylglutaconic aciduria type III, is a genetic disorder caused by mutations in the ''OPA3'' gene. It is typically associated with the onset of visual deterioration ( optic atrophy) in early childhood followed by the develo ...

. His papers pioneered new ways of looking at diagnosis and treatment of mental retardation, with an emphasis on challenging entrenched theories. He was essentially a man of truth and he often found himself in the minority. He gave testimony about

medical neglect In the context of caregiving, neglect is a form of abuse where the perpetrator, who is responsible for caring for someone who is unable to care for themselves, fails to do so. It can be a result of carelessness, indifference, or unwillingness and ...

in the Beit Tina trial, leading to a judgement against a decorated Army doctor, something that at the time was unheard of. He worked with the

Knesset The Knesset ( he, הַכְּנֶסֶת ; "gathering" or "assembly") is the unicameral legislature of Israel. As the supreme state body, the Knesset is sovereign and thus has complete control of the entirety of the Israeli government (with ...

committee to enact a law in Israel that would ensure hospitals that lost medical files would become liable for the damages. He developed tests to verify the need and efficacy of the widespread use of

Ritalin Methylphenidate, sold under the brand names Ritalin and Concerta among others, is the most widely prescribed central nervous system (CNS) stimulant medication used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and, to a lesser extent ...

, and was concerned about the misuse of the drug in schools and by teachers.

Private life

When his daughter, Judith became a religious

orthodox Jew Orthodox Judaism is the collective term for the traditionalist and theologically conservative branches of contemporary Judaism. Theologically, it is chiefly defined by regarding the Torah, both Written and Oral, as revealed by God to Moses on M ...

, he joined the

Reform Jewish Movement Reform Judaism, also known as Liberal Judaism or Progressive Judaism, is a major Jewish denomination that emphasizes the evolving nature of Judaism, the superiority of its ethical aspects to its ceremonial ones, and belief in a continuous searc ...

, and with his wife, Ramona, became one of the pillars of the

Ramat HaSharon Ramat HaSharon ( he, רָמַת הַשָּׁרוֹן, ''lit.'' '' Sharon Heights'', ar, رمات هشارون) is a city located on Israel's central coastal strip in the south of the Sharon region, bordering Tel Aviv to the south, Hod HaSharon t ...

congregation, eventually being chosen as a member of the national board. He died in 2005, in his Ramat HaSharon home, after a 15 year long fight with several forms of cancer and

Parkinson's disease Parkinson's disease (PD), or simply Parkinson's, is a long-term degenerative disorder of the central nervous system that mainly affects the motor system. The symptoms usually emerge slowly, and as the disease worsens, non-motor symptoms becom ...

. Throughout this period there was no abatement of his intellect or memory.

References

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Costeff, Hanan 1926 births 2005 deaths Pediatric neurologists University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign alumni American emigrants to Israel Tel Aviv University faculty