In memoriam

Robert Finberg, MD

Dr. Robert Finberg, Chair Emeritus and Distinguished Professor of Medicine at the UMass Chan Medical School passed away on August 30, 2021.

Robert's accomplished career as a physician, infectious disease researcher, and teacher spanned four decades. He was an internationally renowned physician-scientist and chair of the Department of Medicine at the UMass Chan Medical School for 21 years. With more than 300 publications and 40 years of continuous NIH funding, Dr. Finberg's research contributed enormously to our understanding of viral receptors and entry to host responses and he was widely recognized as an expert on influenza and Sars-CoV2; he was also awarded research grants from the Department of Defense, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, and other agencies. He played a pivotal role in developing, testing, and implementing novel therapies for patients with influenza and SARS-CoV-2 infection. He rose to the challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic, helping lead clinical trials for SARS-CoV-2 therapeutics and vaccines. He was also an ardent public health advocate and served on multiple state and federal committees to help stop the spread of COVID-19.

For more than two decades, Robert skillfully directed the educational, clinical and research activities in the largest academic department at the UMass Chan Medical School, all while continuing to care compassionately for patients in the hospital. He proudly served as a member of the Board of Trustees for UMass Memorial Health from 2012 until this past March, sharing his knowledge and expertise with Board members and other leaders to make key decisions for the health system. He was a strong advocate for faculty and staff development, overseeing three residency programs and fellowship training programs in more than 16 specialty and subspecialty areas.

A special endowment has been created for the Dr. Robert Finberg Fund and gifts in memory of Bob can be made payable to the UMass Chan Medical School Foundation and sent to the Office of Advancement, 333 South Street, Shrewsbury, MA, 01545.

Dr. Robert Finberg Fund