ISSN: 2469-6706 Vol. 6 2019 Richard Hart (1941-2018) Mark S. Baker a Jerzy Jankun b aVisiting Professor, Department of Genetics, School of Medicine, Stanford University, USA; Department of Biomedical Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia, and bDepartment of Urology, The University of Toledo, Health Science Campus, Toledo, USA. Biotechnology and diagnostics leader, Richard Hart, PhD,MBA, born November 1 1941 in New Zealand passed away on May 12, 2018 in USA. Richard came from New Zealand through Europe to Canada to undertake doctoral studies in chemistry at McGill University, Montreal. He graduated with a PhD degree in 1970 and an MBA degree in 1973. In 1982 with his wife Marie (Louise) Trudel-Hart they founded American Diagnostica Inc. (ADI), a global biotech and diagnostics company. ADI had sales offices in the United States, Canada, France and Germany and manufacturing and research facilities in Greenwich and later Stam- ford, Connecticut, USA. Also, additional research laboratories in Montreal, Canada and Pfungstadt, Germany were established later on. ADI was internationally recognised for its efforts in the develop- ment of assays for clinical diagnostic and research products, espe- cially in the fields of coagulation, fibrinolysis, thrombosis, hemosta- sis and oncology. ADI’s products included clinical diagnostic and research assays, control plasma and sera products, proteins, antibod- ies and antisera products, chromogenic and fluorogenic substrates, protease inhibitors, snake venom protease activators. Richard was the President of this successful company till 2012, when American Diagnostica Inc. was acquired by Sekisui Diagnostics, LLC. As a graduate student at McGill University, Richard received generous support from Molson Breweries and the JW McConnell Family Foundation. Maybe because of that he believed in a motto "do your giving while you’re living". His biggest gift was the $1.2 million Molson and Hilton Hart Fellowships for graduate fellow- ships in the Faculty of Science, McGill University, to recognize and promote the scholarship and academic achievements of grad- uate students. Richard named the fellowships in honor of his two sons, as he stated "because the next generation is more important than the last". For many years Richard was a long-time volunteer at McGill University and was a founding member of the Faculty of Science Advisory Board (now the Science Campaign Committee). In 2004, Richard received the Distinguished Service Award from the McGill Alumni Association. I (JJ) met him for the first time in 1990 during the Tenth In- ternational Congress on Fibrinolysis, Indianapolis when after short conversation he accepted me to the "scientific family of plasminogen activation" which he was widely supporting during many years in the various ways. After coming from my native Poland it was the first time when someone supported me financially for such impor- tant meeting. Richard, I think, has seen in me more than at that time I realize I was scientifically capable. It was the beginning of a long- lasting collaboration that lasted through few institutions that I have worked with, many papers and patents that I have authored. When financial support was always important for my research, and the ad- vancement of my carrier, his time and advise was equally or even more important. Richard was always listening to you as you have been in the center of the most important, world saving research. I think he did the same to many others who had enjoy collaboration with him. He had represented a dying breed of biotechnological leaders who persistently promoted science and scientists through supporting conferences, grants, but also advising for an optimal de- sign of experiment, instrumentation or data analysis. Richard Hart, 2009. Some discussions lasted for many hours and frequently finished in some excellent restaurants with the best selections of wines. He was teaching us on the subtle and complex wine aromas to under- stand and enjoy the nuances and details that the great wines offer. Freely available online through the UTJMS open access option. Submitted: May/31/2019, published: June/04/2019. utdc.utoledo.edu/Translation UTJMS 2019 Vol. 6 1–2 The second of us (MSB) met Richard in 1989 through his sister- in-law Dianne Hart who worked at Macquarie University where I did my PhD. Dianne ran the Australian distribution network for ADI (USA) for Richard despite being trained in an unrelated field - the earth sciences. I immediately experienced that Richard was amaz- ingly generous - recognising the funding difficulties early career researchers experienced in Australia. He supported my registration fees at every plasminogen activation workshop I ever attended, later licensing antibodies our lab produced and supporting my sabbatical visit to the USA where my children Matt and Tegan enjoyed won- derful times with his two boys Molson and Hilton (who he claimed were named after his favorite beer and hotel chain). I will remember Richard as an amazingly kind person, an influential industry advo- cate and a "good bloke" who had an infectious enthusiasm and "joie de vie" for clinically important research. Nothing was impossible for Richard. Richard is survived by his wife Marie (Louise) Trudel-Hart, and the sons Molson (Mike) and Hilton who accompanied him on his life journey for many years and by his many colleagues and col- laborators. We all greatly miss not only his intellect but also the warmth and charisma of his personality. photo: https://publications.mcgill.ca/science/2009/11/27/news-test/ 2 utdc.utoledo.edu/Translation Baker, Jankun Editorial cover 2019 300