Abbas Eqbal Kitabchi

Abbas Eqbal Kitabchi (August 28, 1933 – July 18, 2016 ) was an Iranian-born American doctor, teacher, and research scientist, whose major contributions in the field of medicine related to the treatment of severe conditions arising from diabetes. He spent his professional career in Memphis, TN and his work influenced the practices of physicians around the nation and the world.

Early life and education

Kitabchi was born in Tehran, Iran, on August 28, 1933, to Hossein and Fatima Kitabchi. He was the third of seven children, and the first in his family to complete high school. He was also the first to immigrate to the United States, which he did at the age of 17, intent upon pursuing his father's desire for him to become a heart surgeon. He attended Cornell College, in Mount Vernon, Iowa, and received his Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry in 1954. Thereafter, he attended the University of Oklahoma, in Oklahoma City, OK, earning a Master of Science degree in 1956 and a PhD in Chemistry and Biological Sciences in 1958.

Professional career

In 1968, Kitabchi joined the Veterans Administration Medical Center at the University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center (UTHSC) in Memphis, TN, as Associate Chief of Staff and Medical Research. In 1972, he became a member of the American Society for Clinical Investigation. In 1973, he was appointed Director of Endocrinology, Diabetes, & Metabolism. During this time, he began clinical trials for the management of DKA and treatment of hyperglycemic crises. He later served as Director of the Clinical Research Center at UTHSC. In 2009, he became the Maston K. Callison Professor of Medicine and Molecular Sciences, and in 2013, Master of the American College of Endocrinology. Among his other professional accomplishments, he was a member of the American Diabetes Association (ADA), the American College of Physicians, the American Society for Clinical Investigation, the Endocrine Society, and the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, as well as being on the editorial board of several peer-reviewed journals for diabetes and metabolism. His contributions to the lives of diabetes patients cannot be measured.

Death

Kitabchi died on July 18, 2016, at his home in Memphis, TN, of unspecified causes. He was survived by his wife, a brother, a sister, four daughters, two stepdaughters, eight grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, and numerous extended family members.