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Advancing Progress and Possibilities for a Healthier Future

In Memoriam
Edward D. Frohlich, MD

Across our 77-year history there are many medical giants who contributed to Ochsner Health’s reputation for clinical, academic and research excellence. None stood taller than Alton Ochsner Distinguished Scientist Edward Frohlich, MD, who passed away in August 2019 at the age of 87.

A member of the Ochsner family for more than 40 years, Dr. Frohlich joined Ochsner as a young physician when very little was known about hypertensive disease. Over his career, Dr. Frohlich established an international reputation as a pioneer in investigative clinical and experimental hypertension, especially the relationship between hypertension and heart failure. His work helped elevate Ochsner as a premier research institution on an international scale.

Hypertension today is a manageable and preventable chronic disease thanks in large part to Dr. Frohlich’s foundational work. Notes Dr. Richard Re, Ochsner section head, hypertension, “When Dr. Frohlich began his work, hypertension was an unknown. People thought it was just normal. Dr. Frohlich arrived on the scene and showed, yes, it must be treated, but it’s not all the same disease. He defined what kinds of hypertension caused what kinds of problems, and how to treat them.”

Dr. Frohlich’s contributions are well known in the medical community and his scholarship broadly recognized and published. For more than a decade, he served as editor-in-chief of Hypertension, the prestigious journal of the American Heart Association. He also served as a leader in several scientific societies in the field, including academic appointments at LSU, Tulane and the University of Oklahoma. Dr. Frohlich effectively passed on his passion for learning and his love of medical practice by training future generations of scientists and physicians.

Dr. Frohlich earned many accolades during his career, including Ochsner’s 2015 Lifetime Achievement Award, and, in gratitude for his many contributions, Ochsner established the Edward D. Frohlich Researcher of the Year award in his honor.

We are deeply grateful for Dr. Frohlich’s immeasurable contributions in the fight against a chronic disease that impacts so many lives across the Gulf South. His example continues to inspire us, and his legacy will live on through the students and patients whose lives he touched.