剑桥大学桑格中心遗传系主任Leena Peltonen教授不幸于2010年三月去世，英年只有57岁！这是她在与所患的恶性骨肉瘤做抗争两年后不幸离开了我们，听到这个消息后我也感到非常震惊和万分难过！
她是我博士导师Pettersson教授最好的朋友之一，也是我非常熟悉和尊敬的学长之一，那个时候她来我们系讲学，非常受欢迎，我的导师Pettersson教授致辞时常说 Leena教授的科研做的好的叫人忌妒.
Peltonen教授是我们这个时代最优秀的遗传学家之一，现任剑桥大学桑格中心 遗传系主任，兼任哈佛大学/MIT的Broad研究所教授，她一生发表了500余篇科研文章，对15种遗传性疾病的研究做出了杰出的贡献。是上届国际基因组学会主席，欧洲遗传学会主席，长期任芬兰国家卫生研究所遗传系主任，在她仅39岁（1991年）就担任了芬兰国立卫生研究所遗传系主任，并于1998年到美国出任了加州大学洛杉矶分校人类遗传系建系主任，当时加州大学9所分校没有一个学校有人类遗传系学科，也是美国西海岸的高校除了斯坦福大学有遗传学系外，没有其他遗传学学科，她对加州大学人类遗传学科的建设和发展功不可没！Peltonen教授为人随和，谦虚，平易近人，富有一颗仁慈的爱护学生之心。她杰出的学术成就和不可多得的科研才华在科学界得到了广泛的赞扬和认可，Peltonen教授的去世是遗传学界的巨大损失。Nature,Cell和Lancet都有专文悼念她的仙逝！
Professor Leena Peltonen-Palotie: 1952-2010
Leena Peltonen-Palotie: 1952-2010.
Professor Leena Peltonen-Palotie, Head of Human Genetics at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute passed away on 11 March 2010 at her home in Finland after a long and characteristically courageous battle with cancer. She was 57.
Leena was a leading human geneticist of her era, holding at her death appointments at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute, the Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland and the Broad Institute, Cambridge, USA. In the past six months, she was honoured with the Carter medal from the Clinical Genetics Society for her outstanding contribution to clinical genetics and recognition as Academician of Science, the highest honour in her home country.
She had a hugely distinguished career, publishing more than 500 research papers as well as almost 80 review articles and serving on the Boards of the European and American Societies of Human Genetics and a dozen other scientific organisations. Her knowledge and wisdom were called upon for national and international committees on population genetics, clinical genetics and ethics of genetics research. She always saw her research firmly in the context of the needs of society.
Leena graduated MD in 1976 and PhD in 1978 from the University of Oulu, Finland. She carried out postdoctoral research at Rutgers Medical School, New Jersey after which she returned to Finland, becoming Professor at the National Public Health Institute in 1991 at the age of 39. In 1998 she took up a new challenge, returning to the US to establish a major genetics research centre at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), which she led for four years. In 2002 Finland once more called and Leena returned to a Professorship in the University of Helsinki and the National Public Health Institute. She rose in influence and was invited to a Visiting Professorship at the Broad Institute, one of the world's leading genetics institutions.
In 2007 she assumed the position of Head of Human Genetics at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute to be held concurrently with her roles in Finland and the US. Her indefatigable style meant that she was able to succeed in these three demanding roles.
Leena was a visionary geneticist, champion of population genetics and public health, firmly supporting public health strategies alongside clinical measures to improve human health. Leena's return to her European roots reflected her personal commitment to the understanding and conquest of genetic disease and her vision of the importance of European population genetics in this quest. She worked tirelessly to bring together human genetics activities across Europe. The Sanger Institute and the progress of human genetics globally are diminished by her passing.
Leena's vision and charisma have been inspirational to many, particularly the younger generation. As a teacher and scholar she has fostered the next generation of geneticists, supervising more than 70 PhD students. As Head of Human Genetics at the Sanger Institute, she has recruited a cadre of young faculty and energised our scientific programmes. Her legacy, though, is international: she has transformed science and scientists where she has left her touch. It is also personal: she evinced strong support and respect in all those with whom she worked.
Although this short tribute is largely about Leena's research, Leena the person has left just as strong an impression on all who met her. Leena was much more than a colleague to many of us at the Sanger Institute and she was an ardent supporter of scientific excellence beyond her sphere of human genetics. Her disarming smile, her charisma and the flash of colour as she moved across campus will provide lasting memories for her friends and colleagues on the Wellcome Trust Genome Campus. These essences of her sprit, admired by so many, will be remembered.
