Maurice Pechet (February 10, 1918 – March 5, 2012) was a professor, scientist, doctor, inventor, and philanthropist. Pechet made substantial contributions to the field of internal medicine, in particular in the domain of developing new antirachitic sterols to treat metabolic bone disease. He resided in Cambridge, Massachusetts for most of his life. At

Harvard University Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...

, he was a student (earning both a chemistry PhD in 1944 and MD in 1948), professor, and doctor (

Massachusetts General Hospital Massachusetts General Hospital (Mass General or MGH) is the original and largest teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School located in the West End neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts. It is the third oldest general hospital in the United Stat ...

), and was involved with the campus for 70 years.

Medical discoveries

Pechet and his research partners are credited with the discovery of the Pechet Factor Deficiency (

OMIM Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM) is a continuously updated catalog of human genes and genetic disorders and traits, with a particular focus on the gene-phenotype relationship. , approximately 9,000 of the over 25,000 entries in OMIM r ...

:169200), a

genetic disorder A genetic disorder is a health problem caused by one or more abnormalities in the genome. It can be caused by a mutation in a single gene (monogenic) or multiple genes (polygenic) or by a chromosomal abnormality. Although polygenic disorders ...

causing an abnormal

blood clotting Coagulation, also known as clotting, is the process by which blood changes from a liquid to a gel, forming a blood clot. It potentially results in hemostasis, the cessation of blood loss from a damaged vessel, followed by repair. The mechanism o ...

defect in a sister, brother and mother. Pechet and his research partners suggested that these persons lack a clotting factor that plays a role in the first phase of

coagulation Coagulation, also known as clotting, is the process by which blood changes from a liquid to a gel, forming a blood clot. It potentially results in hemostasis, the cessation of blood loss from a damaged vessel, followed by repair. The mechanism o ...

, following the activation of

factor IX Factor IX (or Christmas factor) () is one of the serine proteases of the coagulation system; it belongs to peptidase family S1. Deficiency of this protein causes haemophilia B. It was discovered in 1952 after a young boy named Stephen Christmas w ...

but before the activation of

factor X Factor X, also known by the eponym Stuart–Prower factor, is an enzyme () of the coagulation cascade. It is a serine endopeptidase (protease group S1, PA clan). Factor X is synthesized in the liver and requires vitamin K for its synthesis. Fac ...

Publications

Pechet has been widely published in leading medical journals, such as the ''New England Journal of Medicine,'' the ''American Journal of Medicine,'' the ''Journal of Clinical Investigation,'' and the ''Journal of Pediatrics''.

Leadership roles

* Served as President of the Research Institute for Medicine & Chemistry, Cambridge, MA. * Sat on Harvard Medical School's Board of Fellows. * Sat on the Harvard University's Board of Tutors in Biochemical Sciences. * Served as a Director Emeritus of Canadian Western Bank. * Served as a Honorary Trustee of Immune Disease Institute, Inc. *Sat as senior member of the Senior Common Room of Lowell House, at Harvard University.

Personal life

Pechet was married to artist and teacher Kitty Pechet. She continues to reside in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Philanthropy

Pechet donated to a wide range of philanthropic causes. In 1960, he established the Pechet Foundation. The Pechet Foundation has given to scientific research, poverty alleviation, education, the arts, and environmental causes. The Foundation has made donations and provided grants to such organizations as the Golden Foundation for the Arts, the Earthwatch Institute, The Cambridge Family & Children's Service, The Young Audiences of Massachusetts, The New Sector Alliance, The Cambridge Center for Adult Education, The Breast Cancer Research Foundation, The Perkins School for the Blind, The Center for Blood Research (CBR), and the New England Conservatory.

Business activities

Pechet was a Director Emeritus of the

Canadian Western Bank Canadian Western Bank (CWB; french: Banque canadienne de l'Ouest), also operating as CWB Financial Group, is a Canadian bank based in Edmonton, Alberta. The bank serves clients both in Western Canada and in other provinces. The CWB Financial Gr ...

References

External links

Annals of Internal Medicine

The American Society for Clinical Investigation

The Maurice Pechet Foundation

The Golden Helix: Inside Biotech Ventures
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pechet, Maurice Harvard Medical School faculty Harvard Medical School alumni Harvard University alumni Harvard University faculty 1918 births 2012 deaths Physicians from Saskatchewan 20th-century American philanthropists Canadian emigrants to the United States