Penn Dental Medicine Mourns the Passing of Dr. Ellis Golub

 

Dr. Ellis Golub, PhD

Philadelphia – Penn Dental Medicine has lost a highly respected member of its faculty with the death of Dr. Ellis Eckstein Golub, Professor, Department of Biochemistry, who passed away Wednesday, January 22 at the age of 71.

Dr. Golub first joined the School’s faculty in 1977, rising through the ranks to full Professor in 1990. He held the leadership post of Chairman of the Department of Biochemistry from 1996-2003 and later served again as Interim Chair from 2009-2013.

“Dr. Golub was a productive scholar and valuable citizen of the School, University and scientific community,” said Dr. Denis Kinane, Morton Amsterdam Dean of Penn Dental Medicine. “His warm personality and affable manner endeared him to all who knew him. He was an outstanding scientist and teacher to all.”

Dr. Golub’s research primarily focused on two key areas: calcification of hard tissues and computer applications in biochemistry and molecular biology. He had been involved in the development of computer programs for prediction and graphical display of protein secondary structure from sequence. In the calcification area, he focused on the cellular mechanisms necessary for initiating hard tissue mineral formation. His teaching activities included biochemistry courses for first-year dental students and lectures to postdoctoral dental students.

In addition to teaching, Dr. Golub was active in University and School governance, serving on University Council, the Faculty Senate Executive Committee and numerous Penn Dental Medicine committees.

He held memberships in the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, American Chemical Society, American Society for Bone and Mineral Research, American Association for the Advancement of Science, International Association for Dental Research and the Protein Society.

A native of New York, Dr. Golub held a BA in chemistry from Brandeis University (1963) and a PhD in biochemistry from Tufts University (1969). He completed a fellowship at the California Institute of Technology and was a research associate at the University of Connecticut Health Center before joining Penn.

Dr. Golub is survived by his wife, Linda; children, Michael Golub, Daniel Golub and Karen Kelly; sister, Ilene Franzmann; and grandchildren, Maia, Isaac, Eva, Logan, Emma and Chloe.

Memorial contributions may be made to Philabundance, www.philabundance.org