Samuel O. Freedman, Emeritus Professor of Medicine and former Dean of Medicine, passed away on Tuesday at the age of 98, as reported by Health e-News.
Dr. Freedman gained international renown for co-discovering the world’s first cancer biomarker, carcinoembryonic antigen, with his PhD student Phil Gold in 1965.
That biomarker, known as CEA, remains widely used today for detecting and managing colorectal cancers. Marking the discovery’s 60th anniversary last year, the Canadian Cancer Society said that finding a tumour marker in human blood was a medical first that revolutionized the management of cancer treatment.
Born in Montreal in 1928, Dr. Freedman earned his BSc in 1948 and his medical degree in 1953, both from McGill University. He then completed further training in immunology and allergy at the Dr. Robert A. Cooke Institute of Allergy at the Roosevelt Hospital in New York before returning to Montreal in 1959.
Early research origins in Montreal
Upon his return, he began clinical work at the Montreal General Hospital alongside teaching and research duties at McGill. It was there that he met a younger trainee, Phil Gold, who approached him with an idea for an experiment.
“I had wanted to pursue some experiments and convinced Sam Freedman, a wonderful man who had some lab space, that they were worth trying. Sam said, ‘Give it a shot,’” Phil Gold recalled in a 2010 Health e-News interview.
Dr. Freedman advanced through academic and clinical ranks at McGill and the Montreal General Hospital, ultimately serving as Senior Physician in the Division of Clinical Immunology and Allergy. By 1977, he was appointed Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, a role he held until 1981. He then served as Academic Vice-Principal of McGill from 1981 to 1991.
Leadership at Lady Davis Institute
Following his tenure as Vice-Principal, he led the Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research as its second Director from 1991 to 2000. During this period, he recruited new researchers, modernized laboratories, and championed translational research to align scientific investigations with clinical needs at the Jewish General Hospital.
This leadership role marked a return to familiar grounds for Dr. Freedman. His father, Abraham O. Freedman, served as the Jewish General Hospital’s founding Chief of Otolaryngology and admitted the hospital’s first patient in 1934 when Dr. Freedman was six years old. Dr. Freedman later served as a senior advisor to the hospital until 2008, and his son Bram currently serves as President and CEO of the Jewish General Hospital Foundation.
Throughout his career, Dr. Freedman authored more than 120 scientific papers on allergy and immunology. His honours included fellowships in the Royal Society of Canada, appointments to the Order of Canada and the National Order of Quebec, the Gairdner Foundation International Award, and the Prix Armand-Frappier.
Lasting impact on McGill community
David Eidelman graduated from medical school in 1979 while Dr. Freedman served as Dean.
“Dr. Freedman was Dean of Medicine when I graduated from medical school in 1979,” David Eidelman recalled.
“At the time, as was true for most students, I knew little about the Dean beyond his reputation as a distinguished immunologist and scientist. Only later, as my own career at McGill evolved, did I come to understand the remarkable breadth of his influence. Through his leadership of the Faculty of Medicine and, especially, during his 10 years as Vice-Principal (Academic), he helped shape the McGill we know today. Our community continues to benefit from the foundations he helped build.”
Lesley Fellows, current Vice-President for Health Affairs and Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, also reflected on his legacy.
“As a pioneer in the burgeoning field of targeted cancer therapy, Dr. Freedman’s fame was established remarkably early in his career thanks to CEA,” Lesley Fellows said.
“But he never rested on his laurels. He went on to serve Quebec society as an educator and administrator, researcher and physician, always seeking to do better for our learners, our patients and our community. I am proud to follow in his footsteps.”
Dr. Freedman is survived by Norah Freedman, his wife of 71 years, their children David, Daniel, Bram, and Liz, alongside several grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
“He led his life with ethical clarity and rigour, and although he was soft-spoken and modest, you always knew where you stood with him,” Daniel Freedman said.
