Ann Dvorak
Dr. Ann Marie (Tompkins) Dvorak, an eminent pathologist and pioneering researcher in the field of inflammatory cell biology, passed away on January 7, 2025, at the age of 86. Born in Bangor, Maine, to Lawrence and Pauline (née Sibley) Tompkins, Ann’s academic journey exemplified her determination and intellect.
After surprising her family by switching her field of study from home economics to liberal arts, she graduated from the University of Maine in 1959 and earned her M.D. from the University of Vermont School of Medicine in 1963. Her summers at the Jackson Memorial Laboratory in Bar Harbor, Maine, not only sparked her passion for research but also led her to meet her lifelong partner, Dr. Harold F. Dvorak.
Dr. Dvorak’s illustrious career spanned decades, with academic appointments at Tufts New England Medical Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center at Harvard Medical School, where she became a full professor of pathology. Her groundbreaking discoveries included the identification of the vesiculo-vacuolar organelle (VVO) in endothelial cells, elucidating their roles in protein extravasation and angiogenesis. Her work on basophils, mast cells, and eosinophils led to paradigm-shifting insights into inflammation and cellular processes. Dr. Dvorak’s contributions to our understandings of eosinophils, basophils and mast cells was unique. For example, it was Dr. Dvorak who recognized and named the secretory process of “piece meal” degranulation and identified leukocyte “lipid bodies/droplets” as sites of eicosanoid formation. The IES recognized Ann at its Banff meeting in 2001 with an award recognizing her distinguished contributions to eosinophil cell biology.
A prolific author, Dr. Dvorak published over 400 papers and several authoritative books, contributing indelibly to pathology and medical science. Upon retiring in 2017, she left behind a legacy of scientific innovation and mentorship.
View her full obituary here.